Pearl Millet Breeding
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L] R. Br.) is the sixth most important dryland crop primarily grown for food and forage purposes. This annual cereal (C-4) is a suitable crop for replacing drought-sensitive crops in regions with receding groundwater levels, including the Ogallala Aquifer on the U.S. High Plains. Pearl millet is grown as a hybrid forage crop and commercial grain crop on limited area. Pearl millet is gluten free which makes it a great alternative energy source for those who suffer from Celiac disease. The absence of prussic acid in forage pearl millet makes it safe for animal grazing and harvesting at multiple stages. Pearl millet is an important underdeveloped alternative crop with great potential to diversify Kansas cropping systems.
Pearl millet research at the Agricultural Research Center in Hays was active from 1971 to 1999 with the goal of developing inbred parents for hybrid development. Characteristics of interest included improved yield potential and early maturity. Several male-sterile lines, their maintainers, and inbred restorer lines were developed. The program was reinitiated in 2015 with the goal of developing parental lines for superior hybrid grain and forage use. The research program focuses on harnessing genetic variability for high yield potential, yield stability, improved drought and high temperature tolerances, diseases resistance, enhanced nutritional quality, and micronutrient composition using classical and molecular breeding approaches.
Objectives:
- Develop food-grade parental lines and high yielding hybrids that withstand drought and high temperatures
- Improved seedling establishment, high-tillering capacity, reduced plant height, early maturity, compact heads with bristled ear, large grain with uniform ripening, and good threshing ability are the targeted traits to achieve this goal.
- Improve nutritional quality for human consumption
- Morphological characteristics (color, length, volume, and other size dimensions), chemical characteristics (protein, moisture, ash, total starch, crude fiber), essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, lysine, etc.), and essential micronutrients (iron and zinc) are the targeted traits to achieve this goal.
- Develop parental lines and high yielding hybrids for forage utilization
- High leaf-to-stem ratio, stay green, high-tillering capacity, brown-midrib (Bmr), lignin, crude protein, energy traits such as net energy for maintenance, net energy for gain, net energy for lactation, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and digestibility are the targeted traits to achieve this goal.