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The potential of a germplasm source for improving certain productivity traits in a crop may be assessed by mating representative genotypes of the potential sources to the crop species or by measuring traits on the various genotypes per se. In this study, to evaluate the potential of three exotic strains of pearl millet [Pennisetum americanum(L.) Leekel to improve the grain yield and growth rate of cultivated pearl millet, a primitive landrace, a weedy relative, and a wild relative, were mated with two pearl millet inbred lines in a mating scheme designed to evaluate both the variability within the exotic strains and the progeny from their matings with the inbred lines. The experiment was evaluated in the rainy season of 1982 at Patancheru, India. The introgressed progeny were evaluated for grain yield and growth rate. The results of the study indicated that it was possible to select lines with transgressively increased grain yield and growth rate in all the matings. The exotic strain with the most potential to improve growth rate in pearl millet inbreds was the wild accession. The best exotic parents for improving grain yield (based upon a number of criteria) were the primitive landrace and the weedy relative.

Before selecting genotypes for such quality characteristics as protein or amino acid contents, it is important to know how such selection is likely to affect yield. Using a diverse range of germplasm grown over seasons, locations and years, the relationships that exist between protein content, dye binding capacity (DBC) per unit protein (an estimate of the basic amino acids in protein), grain yield and grain size in pearl millet [P. americanum(L.) Leeke] were investigated. Protein content was estimated as total N ✕ 6.25, total N being measured with an automatic analyzer. Basic amino acid content was estimated using the Udy DBC technique. Grain yield and protein content were not significantly correlated and the relationship between grain yield and DBC/protein was nonsignificant and negative. The relationship between protein and DBC/protein was strongly negative. These results suggest that in pearl millet it should be possible to select for increased protein content or basic amino acid content (of which lysine is the most important) by monitoring levels of lysine and protein, respectively, without detrimental effect on grain yield or grain weight.

Vegetative growth rate is a physiological trait that has been hypothesized to be useful in the improvement of grain yield in cereal crops. Usefulness of this physiological trait in a breeding program depends upon a rapid method that allows the evaluation of large numbers of lines. In this study, the objective was to determine if the rates of growth calculated from periodic samplings could be estimated by using only one or two dates of harvest relating to specific stages in the plant's development. Periodic samples of vegetative growth were made on 12 pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) genotypes, plus three weedy (ssp. stenostachyum) and one wild (ssp. monodii) accession in two seasons once every 2 weeks starting at 21 days after emergence and continuing to maturity. With use of the rates calculated on these periodic samples as the actual growth rate, it was found that samples taken at either one or two dates of harvest could be used to adequately estimate this rate. The two dates of harvest were taken at either 10 days after flowering or at maturity. The rate was calculated as (vegetative dry weight at flowering + 10 days or at maturity)/(number of days to flowering + 10).