ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

Project 5
Producing more and better food at lower cost of staple cereal and legume hybrids in the
Asian SAT (sorghum, pearl millet and pigeonpea) through genetic improvement
Output 5A: Hybrid parents and breeding lines of sorghum, pearl millet and pigeonpea with high yield
potential and pro-poor traits in diverse and elite backgrounds, for specific target markets, production
environments and research application made available biennially (from 2008) to defined partners with
associated knowledge and capacity building in the Asian SAT
MTP Output Targets 2006
Sorghum
New genetic variability introgressed and new derivates less susceptible to shoot fly and grain mold hybrid parents
available to partners
Pearl Millet
At least 9 each of male-sterile and restorer lines and more than 800 trait-specific and downy mildew (DM)
resistant improved breeding lines developed and disseminated
Pigeonpea
Knowledge on hybrid seed production in pigeonpea published and disseminated globally for the first time
I. Sorghum
Output target 5A.1: More than 35 parental lines of potential sorghum hybrids with high grain yield, and
improved agronomic traits and biotic resistance developed (2007-2009)
Activity 5A.1.1: Develop and characterize a diverse range of improved parental lines
Milestone 5A.1.1.1: Ten male-sterile lines and five restorer lines with high yield and large grain developed (BVSR,
2007)
Race-specific trait-based B-lines: To diversify hybrid parents for high yield, large grain and other traits, diverse
parents consisting of high-yielding B-lines and germplasm lines that belong to different races possessing useful traits
were crossed. The resulting progenies were advanced with selection for different traits while maintaining desired
maturity and grain yield. Promising F 4 progenies with maintainer reaction are being converted into A-lines with A 1
and A 2 CMS systems. They are in the various stages (BC 2 to BC 9 ) of conversion. The B-lines that were completely
converted into male-sterile lines and stabilized were evaluated in replicated yield trials. The results are as under.
Preliminary B-line trial (PBT): Maintainers (B-lines) of five newly developed male-sterile lines with A 1 CMS
system and 17 newly developed lines with A 2 CMS system were evaluated along with two checks in preliminary B-
line trial during the 2006 rainy season. For grain yield, two B-lines of the A 1 CMS system – SP 18847 (4.6 t ha -1 ),
SP 18845 (4.5 t ha -1 ) and 5 B-lines of the A 2 CMS system – SP 19255 (5.2 t ha -1 ), SP 19207-1 (4.9 t ha -1 ), SP 19257
(4.9 t ha -1 ), SP 19213 (4.6 t ha -1 ), SP 19251 (4.6 t ha -1 )] were significantly superior to the check 296 B (3.6 t ha -1 ).
The panicle grain mold rating showed that one B-line of the A 2 CMS system SP 19257 (1.7) and two B-lines of the
A 1 CMS system SP 18847 (2.0) and SP 18845 (2.0) were superior (where 1 = no grain mold infection and 5 = >75%
infection) compared to the susceptible check 296B (3.0).
Advanced B-line trial (ABT): An ABT consisting of 21 high-yielding B-lines selected from the evaluation of
Preliminary B-line trial during the 2005 postrainy season was conducted during the 2006 rainy season. Fifteen of the
test B-lines with grain yield ranging from 3.8 to 5.0 t ha -1 were on par with the check 296B (4.7 t ha -1 ). The most
promising among them include SP 2863, SP 2305, SP 2781 and SP 2385.
BVS Reddy
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