Sep 2014

Pearl Millet Cultivars for Grain and Fodder Production •Pearlmilletcultivatedon8.5millionhainIndia

•Nationalaveragegrainyieldisabout1000kgha-1

Cultivar Options•Open-PollinatedVarieties(OPVs):suitableforlowrainfallareaswithlessinputmanagement

•Hybrids:suitableforirrigableareasandbetterendowedenvironmentwithhighinputmanagement

Promising hybrids for grain production HHB 67- Improved: a hybrid for marginal environments•Earliestmaturing(60-65days)with15to20quintalsgrainand41quintalsdryfodderyieldperha

•SeedofthishybridisavailablewithNationalSeedCorporationandAPSDC.

Private Companies hybrids •SeveralhybridshavebeendevelopedbySeedCompanies,havinggrainyieldrangingfrom35to45quintalsandfodderyieldrangingfrom70to120quintalsperha(Fig1).

•XL51fromBayerBioscience,Ajeet38fromAjeetSeeds,86M86fromPioneerOverseasCorporation,andJKBH676fromJKAgriGenetics.

Exclusive Fodder cultivars•HighyieldingforagevarietyhavebeendevelopedatICRISATthatgives120-130quintalsofdryfodderyield/hainsinglecut(Fig2)

•Multi-cuthighyieldingforagehybridalsobeingdevelopedatICRISATthatgive150-160quintals/hacumulativedryfodderyield.

Fig 1. High yielding grain hybrid

Fig 2. High yielding forage variety.

High-Iron Pearl Millet Variety: Dhanashakti•Dhanashaktihashighironcontent(71mgkg-1),itmaturesin76-78days,has2.2tha-1grainyield,13%higherdryfodderyieldthanICTP8203andwelladoptedtolowfertilitydryareas(Fig3)

•SeedofthisvarietyisavailablewithNirmalSeedsCompany.

Fig 3. High iron variety ‘Dhanashakti’

This work is undertaken

as part of