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

Milestone A.1.1.5: Priorities areas identified for groundnut and sorghum for collection/assembly in
collaboration with NARS (HDU/NARS scientists, 2009)
Output target A.2: Assembled germplasm of staple crops characterized for utilization (2009)
Activity A.2.1: Characterize new germplasm for important morpho-agronomic traits
Milestone A.2.1.1: Sorghum germplasm from Niger (450 accessions), chickpea germplasm from ICARDA
(500 accessions) and groundnut germplasm from Japan assembled and characterized for morpho-agronomic
traits (HDU/CLLG, 2008)
Recording data on 483 sorghum accessions originating from Niger is in progress in PEQIA. NBPGR, India
released a total of 839 chickpea germplasm samples provided by the Washington State University, Pullman,
USA that were identified as unique for ICRISAT genebank. From this set, we planted 747 cultivated types
during the post-rainy season of 2006 for recording morpho-agronomic traits and seed increase. Seed samples of
62 (annual types) out of 70 wild chickpea seed samples from this set are planted in a glasshouse under extended
light for seed increase. We received 622-groundnut germplasm samples for further inspection and release by
NBPGR. These accessions were identified as unique from the national collections of groundnut maintained at
National Institute of Agricultural sciences (NIAS), Japan.
HD Upadhyaya and CLL Gowda
Milestone A.2.1.2: Sorghum germplasm from USDA, pearl millet collections from Niger (400 accessions),
and pigeonpea collections from Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique (200 no’s) characterized (HDU/CLLG,
2009)
We are awaiting import permits from the Government of India for acquiring pearl millet (424) collections from
Niger and pigeonpea (231) collections from Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique presently held at Niamey and
Nairobi genebanks, respectively.
HD Upadhyaya and CLL Gowda
A total of 123 pigeonpea landraces collected from farmers’ fields in four pigeonpea growing regions of
Tanzania were characterized and evaluated for 16 qualitative and 14 quantitative descriptors; and their response
across three pigeonpea growing environments in Tanzania and Kenya determined. Polymorphism in the
qualitative traits was relatively low among accessions and across collection regions. Collections from the
northern highlands exhibited lower diversity in qualitative descriptors, especially physical grain characters,
relative to the other three regions, an indication of farmer selection in response to market preferences. There
were significant differences in agronomic traits among accessions and in G x E interaction. Grain yield had
positive significant correlations with pods per plant, pod yield, racemes per plant and both primary and
secondary branches per plant, traits that were also correlated with plant height. High broad-sense heritability
was recorded for days to flower, days to maturity, plant height, raceme number and 100 seed mass. Principal
component analysis separated variability among landraces according to days to flower, days to maturity, plant
height, number of primary and secondary branches, and number of racemes per plant. Similarly, cluster analysis
separated the accessions into six groups based on the same traits. There was close clustering within and between
materials from the coastal zone, eastern plains and southern plains with the northern accessions distinctly
separated and with wide dispersion within them. Overall, two diversity clusters were evident with coastal,
eastern and southern landraces in one diversity cluster and northern highlands landraces in another cluster. This
diversity grouping established potential heterotic groups in this pigeonpea germplasm, which may be used in
crosses to generate new cultivars adapted to different pigeonpea growing environments with consumer
acceptability. The grouping may also form a basis of forming a core collection of this germplasm representing
the variability available in Tanzania.
S Silim and E Manyasa
Milestone A.2.1.3: Morphoagronomical characterization of 420 Sorghum landraces and 84 wild types from
Sorghum growing areas in Mali (except Gao region) with a special focus on adaptive traits (cycle, photoperiod
sensitivity, tillering, stay green) (FS, PST, NARS, 2006)
420 cultivated and 84 wild entries were planted at 3 sowing dates (22/06 and 22/07 at ICRISAT Samanko
Station, 2006/07 in IER Sotuba Station) to measure the phenological characters with 8 individuals to represent
one entry per replication and 2 replications per sowing date. The seedling emergence was good for cultivated
sorghums and more heterogeneous for wild/weedy sorghums due to seed dormancy. Twelve thousand plants
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