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Figure 15. Cluster bagging and selfing to maintain pearl millet germplasm.<br />
The landrace population Ex-Bornu from Nigeria<br />
has shown wide adaptability, good yields,<br />
and disease resistance in many trials. Seventeen<br />
good S 3 's have been identified and crossed in<br />
diallel to choose entries for a synthetic.<br />
Mokwa-maiwa and Maiwa are highly photosensitive<br />
but appear to carry good downy mildew<br />
resistance and seed-weathering resistance. S 1 's of<br />
these populations have been crossed to Ligui<br />
from Chad, which is very early and photoinsensitive.<br />
In the F 2 's, grown in the summer<br />
season of lengthening days, photoinsensitive<br />
selections with maiwa vegetative characters were<br />
made.<br />
The four I R A T synthetics are dwarf, very<br />
leafy, and relatively late maturing, but with<br />
excellent head size. Numerous progenies have<br />
been test-crossed both to male steriles and to<br />
established inbreds from our variety cross project.<br />
A total 106 lines from 3/4 Souna and 3/4 Ex-<br />
Bornu remained disease-free in an initial screening<br />
for DM (downy mildew) resistance. Using<br />
artificial inoculation, a further 86 remained free<br />
of smut, and 12 free of ergot.<br />
Finally in this source material project, which<br />
represents an intermediate stage between germplasm<br />
and leading breeding material, we are<br />
reconstituting our "dwarf" nursery of inbred<br />
lines. Of these, 280 originated from the Jamnagar<br />
breeding program and exhibit extreme advances<br />
in plant habit.<br />
Composite Breeding<br />
Fourteen composites are being improved by<br />
intrapopulation methods to generate experimen-<br />
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