Characterization of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) Germplasm for Agro-Morphological Traits and Blast Disease Resistance

Abstract

Finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Geartn], belongs to family Poaceae, cultivated mainly as a small millet crop in India, and played a key role in fulfilling the nutritional requirements of people. The study aims to assess existing variability in the finger millet core collection, along with a few check varieties for yield and yield attributing traits and blast resistance. A set of 1375 finger millet germplasm accessions, mostly collected from south Asian countries, were evaluated for agro-morphological characters and screened for blast disease resistance. The experiment was conducted at three locations viz., Vizianagamam, Almora and Mandya, during the rainy season of 2021. The trials were laid using an augmented block design with four checks in which two are blast resistant and two are susceptible. The test genotypes characterised for grain yield and its attributing characters, such as days to 50% flowering, number of productive tillers, number of fingers per ear, plant height and also for blast disease screening, include leaf, finger and neck blast. The data was subjected to analysis of variance and principal component analysis to quantify and decipher the variability. The results revealed substantial genetic variability at Vizianagaram and Mandya for all the traits investigated. A total variability of 47% was contributed by the first two principal components. Potential germplasm accessions identified for higher mean grain yield were IC0474063 followed by IC0478862, IC0474067, IC0478827 and IC0474027. The results showed that 43 genotypes out of 1375 are resistant to leaf blast, while 23 genotypes are highly resistant to neck blast and three are highly resistant to finger blast. There is a need of conservation of this potential gene pool and it could be explored to develop lines to widen the genetic variability in finger millet crop improvement.