Identification of high yielding finger millet RILs with wide/specific adaptation

• Published in: Electronic journal of plant breeding Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 501 - 508
• Main Authors: Angadi, Chandrashekhar, Keerthi, C.M., Rao, A. Mohan, Ramesh, S., Madhususdhan, K., Marappa, N., Kanavi, M.S.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Indian Society of Plant Breeders 2017
• Subjects: adaptation; ammi; bi-plot; finger millet
• ISSN: 0975-928X; 0975-928X
• DOI: 10.5958/0975-928X.2017.00076.X

Finger millet (Elucine coracana L. Gaertn), is one of the most important cereals in the sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. Finger millet in India is grown in a wide range of agro-climatic zones which are highly variable resulting in complex genotype (G) × environment (E) interactions (I). Significant GEI challenge the breeders to identify genotypes suitable for a wide range of environments/specific environments. Twelve selected recombinant inbred lines (RILs) along with four checks were evaluated to characterize genotype × location interaction (GLI) and identify those that are widely/specifically adapted. The AMMI ANOVA showed significant mean squares due to genotype, location and GLI for days to 50 per cent flowering, plant height, finger length and grain yield plant-1. Near perfect fit of interaction principal component (IPC)1 and IPC2 to the total GLI variation for most of the traits suggested a good approximation of the bi-plot with respect to the patterns of GLI and good predictability of RIL performance across four locations. The RILs such as RIL-3, RIL-104, RIL-143, RIL-183 and RIL-303 were found widely adapted. The RILs such as RIL-104, RIL-94, RIL-185 and RIL-302 were found specifically adapted to GKVK, Bengaluru and RIL-143 to Mandya for grain yield plant-1.