Introduction Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a high-potential, climate-resilient and nutrient-rich small cereal with growing potential for food, feed, and other value-added products across various market segments. Knowledge on the combining ability and heterosis of breeding populations under contrasting water regimes is essential for genetic improvement of the crop for economics traits. The aim of this study was to determine the combining ability, heterosis, and the nature of gene action of selected Ethiopian finger millet parents for economic traits in hybrid combinations to guide the selection of best families and new breeding populations. Methods A 7 × 10 line × tester mating design was used, and the resultant 70 F1 hybrids and 17 parents were evaluated under non-stressed (NST) and drought-stress (ST) conditions across greenhouse and field environments. Genotypes were profiled for major agronomic traits: plant height (PTH), days to 50% flowering (DTF), days to maturity (DTM), number of productive tillers per plant (NT), primary finger length (FL), ear length (EL), number of fingers per ear (NF), grain yield (GY), harvest index (HI), and thousand seed weight (TSW). Results Line (GCAL), tester (GCAT), and line × tester (SCA) mean squares were significant (p < 0.001) for all assessed traits, indicating contributions of both additive and non-additive gene actions in the inheritance of agronomic and physiological traits. Grain yield declined by 57% in parental genotypes and 62% in F1 hybrids under drought stress; however, several superior crosses exhibited relatively lower yield penalties (-51%), indicating enhanced drought resilience. Additive genetic effect predominantly conditioned the inheritance of DTF, EL, DTM under ST conditions, whereas non-additive effects were more important for NT and DTM under NST conditions. Broad-sense heritability (H2) for GY was higher under ST (0.51) than NST (0.13) conditions, necessitating multiple testing environments for drought tolerance evaluation and selection. Lines such as G3, G2, and G4 and testers such as G14, G8, G13, G17, and G10 exhibited higher general combining ability effects for GY in a desirable trend, in that order. Furthermore, crosses G85, G31, G79, G38, G48, G54, G64, and G65 exhibited higher specific combining ability effects and heterosis for GY under ST conditions. Discussion The results demonstrated substantial genetic variability for grain yield and related traits with additive and non-additive gene actions. This guides effective selection based on additive and non-additive gene effects in finger millet improvement. The selected parents and the top crosses are recommended for breeding and selecting new-generation, drought-adapted finger millet genotypes.
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) is an important climate-resilient nutri-cereal, known for its superior nutritional quality and adaptability to drought-prone environments. However, its productivity remains comparatively low due to inefficient crop establishment practices and varietal differences. The present study evaluated the effects of 3 crop establishment techniques and 4 finger millet varieties on physiological traits, growth and yield under field conditions. The location of this study carried out in SRMCAS college farm, Baburayanpettai, Chengalpattu district, India. The experimental design is split plot design. The findings revealed that improved establishment methods, particularly the System of Ragi Intensification (SRI) significantly enhanced plant growth, dry matter accumulation, chlorophyll content (SPAD), relative water content, membrane stability index and yield attributes compared to conventional direct sowing. Among the tested varieties, Paiyur 2 exhibited superior physiological performances and recorded the highest grain yield (1668 kg ha-1), whereas PR 202 showed comparatively lower adaptability and productivity under the prevailing agro-climatic conditions. The combined effect of SRI and Paiyur 2 resulted in enhanced grain and straw yield through improved resource- use efficiency, better root development and superior photosynthetic activity. SRI recorded the highest grain yield (1797 kg ha-1), while Paiyur 2 produced 1668 kg ha-1, resulting in a 10.8–57.8 % yield advantage over other varieties. The study highlights the importance of integrating suitable crop establishment techniques with high-performing varieties to improve productivity, profitability and sustainability of finger millet cultivation thereby contributing to climate- resilient agriculture and nutritional security.
D. Deepika, R. Jeyajothi, A. Rajeshkumar et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
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.
R. Patel, H. Patil, K. Suthar et al.· Journal of biology and natur...· 0 citations
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. Mapako, M. Maphosa· African Crop Science Journal· 0 citations
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) is an important medicinal plant valued for its therapeutic properties and bioactive compounds, notably alkaloids and withanolides. Despite its economic significance, systematic crop improvement through heterosis breeding remains limited. The present study was undertaken to evaluate hybrid vigour for dry root yield and related traits across multiple environments. A line × tester mating design involving 16 lines, 3 testers and their 48 F1 hybrids were evaluated along with three standard checks across 3 locations during the rabi season of 2022–23 in Southern Rajasthan. Observations were recorded for days to 50 % flowering, plant height, root length, root diameter, fresh root yield, dry root yield and alkaloid content. Pooled analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes, environments and genotype × environment interactions for all traits, indicating substantial genetic variability and environmental influence. Significant heterosis was observed for most traits. For earliness, crosses L15 × T3, L11 × T3 and L9 × T2 exhibited desirable negative heterosis. The L14 × T1 and L16 × T3 exhibited superior performance for plant height and L16 × T2 and L6 × T2 emerged as promising hybrids for root length and root diameter respectively. High heterosis for fresh root yield was recorded in L7 × T1 and L13 × T1, whereas L16 × T3, L15 × T3 and L14 × T1 demonstrated outstanding performance for dry root yield, with L16 × T3 also exhibiting significant economic heterosis. For alkaloid content, crosses L15 × T3, L16 × T3 and L2 × T3 exhibited consistent superiority across environments. The study identified promising hybrid combinations combining high dry root yield and enhanced alkaloid content highlighting the potential of heterosis breeding for developing superior Ashwagandha cultivars suited for commercial cultivation and pharmaceutical demand.
M. Deepak, D. Amit, C. Rukoo et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.) is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable crop widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions due to its high nutritional value, adaptability, consumer preference and potential for yield improvement through heterosis breeding. The genetic improvement of bottle gourd requires a clear understanding of the relative contribution of additive and non-additive gene that govern yield and quality traits. The present investigation assessed general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) in seven diverse parental lines and their 21 F₁ hybrids developed through a full diallel mating design (excluding reciprocals). The experimental material comprising seven parental lines and 21 F₁ hybrids was evaluated in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications for 10 agronomic and quality traits. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant GCA and SCA effects for most traits, including fruit length (83.05 and 10.80), fruit girth (20.31 and 3.79), yield (183.2 and 760.3) and total soluble solids (0.11 and 0.19), respectively, with SCA variance predominating for yield and its major components, indicating the importance of dominance and epistatic interactions. Among parents, BRBG 65 exhibited desirable GCA effects for primary branches per vine (1.06), vine length (0.27) and fruit length (3.20), while BRBG 190 showed positive GCA effects for fruit girth (1.50) and yield (21.65), identifying them as superior general combiners for yield and quality attributes. Among the hybrids, BRBG 65 × Punjab Komal recorded high positive SCA effects for yield (16.25), fruit girth (2.81) and earliness for first fruit harvest (-4.82), whereas BRBG 51-2 × BRBG 190 exhibited high and desirable SCA effects for fruit length (6.89) and yield (10.16). The hybrid BRBG 21-2 × Pusa Naveen also showed significant positive SCA effects for yield (9.75) and total soluble solids (0.71), demonstrating substantial heterotic potential. The findings of the present study indicated the predominance of non-additive gene action and suggested that hybrid breeding could be effectively utilised for yield enhancement in bottle gourd. Furthermore, the identified superior parents and promising hybrids may serve as valuable genetic resources for future hybrid development and population improvement programmes under eastern Indian agro-climatic conditions.
K. Ramesh, K. Amit, B. Ajay et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
Indian mustard belongs to the family Brassicaceae and the genus Brassica and is a major oilseed crop cultivated in India. Worldwide, it is the third-ranked oilseed crop in terms of consumption after palm oil and soybean. However, productivity remains below its potential because of various biotic and abiotic stressors coupled with a narrow genetic base, highlighting the need to broaden the genetic base and exploit heterosis to develop superior cultivars. Therefore, in the present study, general and specific combining ability analyses were conducted to assess the combining abilities of the parents and the performance of hybrids at the Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Morena, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University, Gwalior, M. P., India, during Rabi 2026. During the present investigation, 16 yield-attributing traits were evaluated using 10 lines, 3 testers, and their thirty F1 hybrids developed through a line × tester mating design to estimate the magnitude and direction of combining abilities. Among the lines and testers, GCA effects showed that parents viz., Pusa Bold, Rohini, Varuna, and Vardhan were good general combiners because they exhibited desirable negative and highly significant GCA effects for days to 50% flowering, days to siliquae initiation, and plant height. However, Pusa Bold was recognized as a good general combiner because it displayed positive and highly significant GCA effects for the maximum number of quantitative traits, including seed yield per plant and harvest index. The cross-combination Pusa Jagannath × PAB-2014-4 had the highest SCA effect for seed yield per plant, biological yield, number of siliquae per plant and number of primary branches per plant, while Maya × PAB-2014-8 showed high SCA effects for seed yield per plant, biological yield and number of siliquae on the main raceme.
Soyal Davalasab Wathar, M. K. Tripathi, Jagendra Singh et al.· Plant cell biotechnology and...· 0 citations