Development, Evaluation and Diversity Analysis of High Biomass Multi-cut Forage Pearl Millet Composite Varieties for Green Fodder Yield and its Contributing Traits

Abstract

Evaluation of the high biomass forage pearl millet parental lines and the creation of the first cycle high biomass multi-cut forage pearl millet composite were the two main goals of the current study. A parental evaluation experiment and a composite varieties evaluation along with check experiment were both carried out. The first experiment was carried out during Kharif 2024, when all parents were planted in a single row with a spacing of 60 cm and 2 m length. Data on twelve morphological features was gathered for the parents. Two recently created composite varieties and commercial check wonderleaf were planted in eight rows, each measuring two meters in length and sixty centimeters apart, during the summer of 2025. Four of the eight rows were employed to collect data, and the remaining four rows were used to cut green fodder. Based on the regrowth state of each of the three entrants, a total of four cuts were made. For varietal trial data were collected on six quantitative traits. Parental diversity was analyzed using GRAPES and NCSS 2025 software, while varieties were identified based on mean data. Two parents from each of the two varieties, HBFCVP4 and HBFCVP7 of HBFCV-1 were discovered to be extremely diverse, while HBFCVP9 and HBFCVP14 were determined to be extremely diverse parents of HBFCV-2. Among the two newly developed varieties, High Biomass Forage Composite Variety-1-C1 was found promising for green fodder yield (20.6 t ha-1) (HBFCV-1-C1). This study concludes that four parental lines can be further utilized for development of single cross forage hybrids and identified variety can be directly promoted for second cycle of random mating or half sibs of these F1s can be used directly for line development of forage pearl millet.