Performance Evaluation of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) Cultivars for Morphological and Physiological Traits in Sodic Environments

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is a crucial cereal crop for ensuring food and fodder security in arid and semi-arid regions, owing to its exceptional resilience to abiotic stresses, including salinity and sodicity. The present study aimed to evaluate the morphological and physiological variability among ten pearl millet cultivars cultivated on partially reclaimed sodic soils at the College of Agriculture, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, India, during the Kharif seasons of 2022–23 and 2023–24. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Data were recorded for key traits including plant height, shoot length, number of tillers per plant, spike length, spike girth, days to 50% flowering, relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), grains per panicle, spikelets per panicle, and 1000-grain weight (test weight). Significant genotypic variation (p < 0.05) was observed for all the traits. Plant height ranged from 182 to 260 cm, shoot length from 157 to 238 cm, number of tillers from 3.5 to 7.2, spike length from 22.5 to 32.4 cm, and days to 50% flowering from 44 to 52. Cultivars NDFB-102-13 and NDFB-102-17 recorded the highest number of grains and spikelets per panicle, whereas NDFB-102-29 showed the maximum test weight. Differential physiological responses to sodic stress were reflected in RWC and MSI values across genotypes. The substantial genetic variability observed highlights the potential for selecting and breeding genotypes with enhanced yield performance and stress tolerance. These findings offer valuable insights for breeding programs and the development of sustainable cultivation practices under sodic soil conditions.These findings provide valuable insights for future breeding programs and sustainable crop management in challenging environments.