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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #160616
Title: ENHANCING RESOURCE-POOR FARMERS PRODUCTIVITY BY PEARL MILLET HYBRID

Author
item ANGARAWAI, I - AFRICA
item Wilson, Jeffrey - Jeff
item NDAHI, W - AFRICA
item TURAKI, Z.G.S. - AFRICA

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/24/2004
Publication Date: 2/15/2004
Citation: Angarawai, I.I., Wilson, J.P., Ndahi, W.B., Turaki, Z. 2004. Enhancing resource-poor farmers productivity by pearl millet hybrid. Proceedings: Millet and Sorghum-based systems in West Africa: Current knowlede and enhancing linkages to improve food security. McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crop Research Foundation. Niamey, Niger, January 27-30, 2004. http://mcknight.ccrp.cornell.edu/content/Papers%20and%20Abstracts/WAf_Angarawai_full(EN).doc.

Interpretive Summary: not required

Technical Abstract: Pearl millet provides food for millions of the resource- poor, food insecure people in arid and semi-arid tropical Africa where it is grown by subsistence farmers in areas of low uncertain rainfall and on poor, often sandy soils resulting in poor harvest. The Nigerian dwarf composite (NCD2) was introduced from ICRISAT in 1994 with incorporated A4 cytoplasm to develop cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines for hybrid production. At BC6 12 A/B pairs were screened for male sterility and were crossed each to 12 downy mildew resistant restorer lines. Preliminary, advanced and multilocational hybrid testing for grain yield and time to maturity were carried out from 1999 to 2002 wet season across11 states of millet growing zones of northern Nigerian. Results from data analysis shows that LCIC MH 99-10 parented by LCIC 75A-3X LCIC DMR 15 has yield potential of 4.5 t/ha as against 2t/ha from open pollinated varieties with enhanced downy mildew resistance. This represents 55% yield increase in favour of the hybrid. Its also medium maturing. Despite the past and present breeding programmes, most farmers continue to grow traditional landraces that are less responsive to inputs and less resistant to downy mildew. The reason is thought to be that, the NARS lack funds to produce and distribute seeds of such improved varieties. Commercial production and distribution of hybrid seed requires a high level of competence and well-organized operation. It is in this vein that fund is being solicited to set up a pilot scheme for seed production and distribution which will facilitate adoption and subsequently insure food security.