Aug 2026· Journal of biology and nature· Vol 18, pp. 442-453· 0 citations
Abstract
Aims: To evaluate genetic variability parameters for twelve morphological and four nutraceutical traits in forty-five finger millet genotypes to identify traits with potential for crop improvement.
Study Design: Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD).
Place and Duration of Study: Hill Millet Research Station, NAU, Waghai, The Dangs, and Cotton Research Sub-Station, NAU, Achhalia, during summer 2024 and summer 2025.
Methodology: Forty-five diverse finger millet genotypes were evaluated with three replications. Days to 50% flowering and days to maturity were recorded on a plot basis, while plant height, productive tillers per plant, ear head length, fingers per panicle, finger width, weight of matured panicle per plant, 1000-seed weight, harvest index, fodder yield per plant and grain yield per plant were recorded from five randomly selected plants. Quality traits (protein, calcium, iron and crude fibre) were analysed using standard chemical and spectrophotometric methods. Analysis of variance and genetic parameters such as GCV, PCV, ECV, broad-sense heritability and genetic advance as a percentage of the mean were estimated.
Results: The study revealed significant genetic variability among the 45 finger millet genotypes for all sixteen traits. Environmental effects and genotype × environment interactions significantly influenced most agronomic traits, whereas nutritional traits remained relatively stable across environments. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance (as a percentage of the mean) was observed for ear head length (cm), finger width (cm), 1000-seed weight (g), protein content (%), calcium content (mg/100 g), iron content (mg/100 g) and crude fibre (%), indicating the predominance of additive gene action and the effectiveness of phenotypic selection for improving these traits. Moderate heritability along with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean was recorded for grain yield per plant (g), harvest index (%) and weight of matured panicle per plant (g), suggesting good scope for improvement through selection.
Conclusion: The study revealed substantial genetic variability among the finger millet genotypes. Traits such as ear head length, finger width, 1000-seed weight, grain yield, protein, calcium, iron and crude fibre exhibited high potential for improvement through direct selection. These traits can be effectively utilised in developing high-yielding and nutritionally superior finger millet varieties.
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.)) is a climate resilient crop, with an elevated nutritional profile; cultivated mainly in semi-arid and arid regions of Africa and Asia. Despite its importance as a climate smart and nutrient dense crop, its production has not reached full potential partly due to limited availability of improved varieties. The objective of this study was to assess yield and related traits genetic variability, heritability and number of genes in finger millet (FM). The field study comprising of ten FM genotypes, was carried out during the 2023-2024 summer cropping season at Lupane State University Farm in the Northwestern Zimbabwe. There were significant (P<0.05) genetic variations among the genotypes for all traits studied. Several grain yield traits (grain yield per plant, number of productive tillers, ear head weight, and thousand grain weight) showed high broad sense heritability (estimated at 0.97, 0.90, 0.88 and 0.86, respectively). Moreover, the narrow difference between trait phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation, suggests a predominance of additive gene action. High genetic advance, as a percentage of mean for these traits, suggests that direct selection would be effective for achieving early genetic gains. A combination of high broad sense heritability with high genetic advance as a percentage, coupled with preponderance of additive gene action, suggests that these traits can respond to selection within this population. Grain yield per plant was significantly and positively correlated with ear head weight (r = 0.72), number of productive tillers (r = 0.70) and thousand grain weight (r = 0.66); but showed a negative correlation with plant height (r = -0.62). Path analysis further revealed that these traits exert a positive direct effect on grain yield, suggesting that selecting these specific traits would be effective in increasing yield. This study noted that despite the intricate inheritance of some quantitative traits, strategic selection can still lead to significant genetic improvement.
O. S. Mapako, M. Maphosa· African Crop Science Journal· 0 citations
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) is a vital cereal crop cultivated primarily in arid
and semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia. Understanding its genetic variability is essential for
breeding programs aimed at improving yield, stress tolerance, and nutritional quality. This
study investigates the extent of genetic diversity among finger millet genotypes using agro
morphological traits A study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity of finger millet
accessions collected from International Cereal Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT) Kano and Plateau State. A total of 25 finger millet accessions were evaluated in the
field at National Cereal Research Institute, Riyom substation, during the 2022 and 2023
cropping seasons. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design
(RCBD) in three replicates. Data were collected on 12 morpho-agronomic traits. Analysis of
variance and principal component analysis were used for phenotypic variance. Among the
accessions studied, LV1 consistently outperformed others, recording the tallest plant height
(102.35 cm), highest PHM (131.1 cm), and strong performance in other yield-related
parameters. On the other hand, accessions such as GULUE and ETIYO BROWN exhibited
lower plant height and plant height at maturity, likely reflecting early maturity The results
revealed that finger millet accessions were significantly different for all the traits examined.
The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that 77.30% of the total variation observed
was contributed by the first six principal component axes. The result of the study therefore
revealed the existence of sufficient variability in finger millet accessions that could be
employed in crop improvement and breeding programs. Genetically Diverse Accessions should
be utilize and incorporated into Breeding Programs. The promising accessions in terms of
yield and yield components should be incorporated in multilocational and advanced yield trials
with the aim of having uniform yielding accessions that can be further employed in future
breeding and selection work for this crop.
S. T. Apeelu· International Journal of Agr...· 0 citations
The present investigation evaluated fifteen Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) genotypes for seed yield and associated component traits during the Rabi season of 2025-26 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Prof. Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) University, Naini, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Block Design with three replications. Eleven quantitative traits were recorded and analysed for variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation and path coefficient effects. Analysis of variance showed highly significant differences among genotypes for most traits, indicating the presence of exploitable genetic variability. High genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were recorded for the number of siliquae per plant, number of siliquae per shoot and number of seeds per plant. Broad-sense heritability was highest for the number of siliquae per plant, number of siliquae per shoot and plant height at 90 DAS, and these traits also showed high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean. Seed yield per plot showed strong positive genotypic associations with the number of siliquae per shoot, number of seeds per siliqua and number of seeds per plant. Path coefficient analysis indicated that plant height at 90 DAS, number of siliquae per shoot and number of siliquae per plant were important contributors to seed yield at the genotypic level. The findings indicate that these traits may support selection for yield improvement in Indian mustard under the studied conditions.
Sixty rice genotypes were evaluated during the Kharif season of 2023 at the Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre (NEBCRC), G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, using an alpha-lattice design with two replications to quantify phenotypic diversity and examine associations among 15 morphological and yield-related traits. The traits comprised plant height, flag-leaf length, flag-leaf breadth, leaf area, days to 50% flowering, number of panicles per plant, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, grain yield, biological yield, harvest index, grain length, grain breadth, grain length/breadth ratio and test weight. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that grain yield was strongly and positively associated with harvest index (r = 0.81, P < 0.01) but negatively associated with biological yield (r = -0.35, P < 0.01). Biological yield was positively associated with days to 50% flowering (r = 0.79, P < 0.01), flag-leaf length (r = 0.69, P < 0.01), leaf area (r = 0.68, P < 0.01), grains per panicle (r = 0.36, P < 0.01), plant height (r = 0.27, P < 0.05) and panicle length (r = 0.27, P < 0.05). Standardised Euclidean-distance-based hierarchical analysis partitioned the genotypes into five clusters containing 19, 8, 14, 10 and 9 entries, respectively. The greatest inter-cluster distance occurred between Clusters II and IV (6.885), while the smallest occurred between Clusters I and II (4.826). Cluster V showed the largest within-cluster distance (4.713), indicating comparatively high heterogeneity. Genotypes belonging to the widely separated Clusters II and IV constitute useful parental pools, provided their trait means and agronomic performance are also complementary. The results demonstrate appreciable morphological differentiation and identify trait relationships relevant to selection for rice improvement.
Namata Kumari, Prashant Isharwal, Indra Deo et al.· Plant cell biotechnology and...· 0 citations
One hundred genotypes of pearl millet including three checks were tested during kharif 2024 in an Alpha Lattice design to understand the genetic mechanisms associated in governing the inheritance of grain yield, nutritional (iron, zinc, and protein content in seeds), and physiological traits (harvest index, relative water content, and SPAD chlorophyll meter reading). Higher variability for iron and zinc; moderate variability for grain yield, harvest index, and protein; and low variability for relative water content and SPAD chlorophyll meter reading were recorded. High heritability and high genetic advance as percent of mean were noted for iron content, zinc content, grain yield per plant, protein content, and harvest index, indicating predominance of additive gene action, and an early and simple selection would be advisable. High heritability coupled with moderate genetic advance over percent mean registered for relative water content indicated the operation of additive gene actions and might consistently manifest in future generations, resulting in increased effectiveness of the breeding program. Moderate heritability along with low genetic advance for SPAD chlorophyll meter reading revealed governance of non-additive genes and can be improved by heterosis breeding as simple selection might not be effective.
P. Jyothika, N. Sabitha, L. Madhavilatha et al.· International Journal of Env...· 0 citations
Fifty-four sesame genotypes, comprising 51 genebank accessions and three farmer-preferred cultivars, were evaluated during the 2023 and 2024 summer seasons at the Kassala and Gash Research Station, Sudan, under surface irrigation using an augmented randomised complete block design. The study assessed phenotypic and genotypic correlations among nine agronomic, phenological, and yield-related traits and identified potential criteria for indirect selection. The traits evaluated were capsule length, number of capsules per plant, number of branches per plant, plant height, height to first capsule, days to 50% flowering, thousand-seed weight, days to maturity, and seed yield. Combined-season analysis revealed that number of capsules per plant had the strongest positive phenotypic (r= 0.745) and genotypic (r= 0.791) correlations with seed yield, followed by number of branches per plant (r= 0.632 and 0.696, respectively) and plant height (r= 0.433 and 0.421, respectively). Capsule length, days to 50% flowering, thousand-seed weight, and days to maturity showed positive associations with seed yield, whereas height to first capsule showed a weak negative association. Path coefficient analysis identified number of capsules per plant as the most important contributor to seed yield, with the largest positive direct effect (0.40) and a substantial total indirect effect (0.34). Number of branches per plant (0.22) and plant height (0.20) also exhibited positive direct effects, whereas height to first capsule and days to maturity showed negative direct effects. These findings indicate that number of capsules per plant and number of branches per plant are important yield-associated traits and promising indirect selection criteria for sesame improvement under Sudanese irrigated conditions. Further multi-environment testing is recommended to validate the stability of these relationships across major sesame-producing environments in Sudan.
Elawad Mohammad Sedig, M. M. Beshir, A. E. Idris et al.· Asian Journal of Research in...· 0 citations
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