Evaluation of ninety international pearl millet germplasm collections for morpho-physiological characters in Nuevo Leon, México

Ninety international pearl millet germplasm collections were introduce from ICRISAT, India and evaluated at the Agricultural Experimental Station, FAUANI, Marín, Nuevo León, México for different morpho-physiological characters in early 1985. The objective of the study was to characterize and identify genotypes with good agronomic traits for adaptation and potential forage production in semi-arid regions of Nuevo Leon. Data were collected on days to flowering, plant height, leaf number, leaf blade length and width, sheath length, stem thickness, productive tiller number, spike length and thickness, peduncle exsertion and for 1000 seed weight. There exists large phenotypic variabilityy among genotypes in all characters studied. The study demonstrated significant positive correlation among different yield components. The genotypes IP7897, IP7928. IP7968, IP9161, IP7922, R2938, IP9845, and IP7890 had hjigh potential forage yield and high forage quality (high protein and ash content). These genotypes with good agronomic attributes could be recombined through population breeding methods for high-quality forage yield to meet the demand for forage in semi-arid Nuevo Leon.