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Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is a cereal crop vital for food security in West and Central Africa. Its byproducts also serve as fodder for livestock, especially during dry seasons. The objective of this study was to evaluate selected genotypes from West African pearl millet breeding programmes, for dual-purpose (grain and fodder) and elucidate prospects for future breeding. A total of 83 openpollinated varieties (OPVs), five composites, six landraces, one synthetic and five hybrids were evaluated at 14 environments in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal during the rainy seasons of 2015 and 2016. Combined analysis of data revealed significant differences among genotypes and prevalence of high genotype-by-environment interaction effects. Two stability analyses models consistently indicated that genotypes 10 (SMILBF10), 14 (SMILBF14) and 39 (SMILML5) were widely adaptable across the region. Plant height, panicle length and panicle yield showed significant positive correlations with grain yield; while days to flowering was negatively correlated. Positive correlation between grain and fodder yields indicate possibility for simultaneous improvement involving the two important traits. This result suggests that germplasm exchange and regionally integrated breeding programmes are important for the identification of widely adapted dual-purpose varieties of pearl millet, particularly in West African drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the utilization of West and Central African (WCA) genetic resources of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], this study aimed at agro-morphological characterization of selected accessions from the pearl millet reference collection, established by the Generation Challenge Program and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). A total of 81 accessions were included, comprising 78 landraces originating from 13, predominantly WCA countries and three improved cultivars. All 81 accessions were evaluated together with 18 checks for resistance to the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. in an artificially infested field at one location in Niger. Determined by available seed quantity, 74 accessions were characterized together with seven checks in the rainy season 2009 in field trials under low-input and fertilized conditions in Nigeria, Niger and Mali, respectively. Wide ranges were observed for various traits. Several accessions were identified as sources for specific traits of interest, i.e. long panicles, high-grain density, earliness, Striga resistance and stable yielding across environments. The observed yield inferiority of all Genebank accessions compared with checks may indicate lost adaptation or inbreeding depression due to an insufficient effective population size during multiplication. A principal component analysis revealed an immense diversity but also strong admixture among the tested accessions, i.e. there were no clearly distinct groups. The seed of all genotypes is available from ICRISAT. The online availability of the characterization data is expected to facilitate efficient use of these pearl millet accessions by breeding programmes in WCA and worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few crop breeding programs today are breeding crops in their areas of diversity and origin. This study reports on a Malian breeding program in an area of genetic diversity. It has the objective to accumulate resistance to major populations of Sclerospora graminicola (= Sg) with modern breeding and selection methods. This study is part of the development of pearl millet top cross hybrids, with a reduced plant height, Sg-resistance (= resistance to pearl millet downy mildew) and 'stay green' at physiological maturity. The parent entries, among other relevant characteristics, were selected for a high level of resistance (good sources of resistance) making use of a combination of artificial young plant screening methods and single location field testing, in 1998. Pedigree selection in F1 to F4 was from 1999 to 2002. Its synthetics and composites were selected for low S. graminicola-levels, in 2003 to 2005 and in 2003 and 2006 tested for S. graminicola-resistance together with 5 checks at two Locations differing in S. graminicola-virulence responses. The 2006 test seemingly indicated the expected quadratic checks, whereby entry 1 is resistant at location 1 and susceptible at location 2 and entry 2 is susceptible at location 1 but resistant at location 2. This quadratic check is indicating differences in virulence between the two S. grominicola-populations and also an adaptation of the pathogen populations on the newly accumulated genes for resistance in the host. It is also indicating that one or more genes for resistance against each of the two populations were accumulated. A good number of synthetics and composites combined low S. graminicola-incidences with relatively high yields and some had 'stay green' at physiological maturity. One too late entry seemingly had immunity. The 2006 results indicate presence of several S. graminicola-resistance genes in the parent entries and accumulation of one or more genes in certain derived entries, and were obtained in combination with reduced plant height and for the first time in pearl millet also with 'stay green' at physiological maturity. The accumulation of S. graminicola-resistance is expected to increase the chance for regional or global 'stay green' hybrids for grain (medium tall) and fodder (tall).