COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF DIFFERENT PEARL MILLET (PENNISETUM AMERICANUM) VARIETIES AS AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT YIELD COMPONENTS

Six varieties of pearl millet including a check (NARC-1) were evaluated at Karakorum Agricultural Research Institute for Northern Areas during kharif, 2003- 2004. Significant differences were observed for plant height, number of tillers per plant, leaf area, number of leaves per tiller, green fodder and dry matter yield. Plant height ranged from 180.83 (check variety NARC-1) to 235.08 cm (Composite) while number of leaves per plant varied from 9.34 (NARC-1) to 11.99 (Composite). Variety Composite produced maximum number of tillers plant-1 (5.92) while NARC-1 produced minimum number of leaves plant-1 (3.67). Leaf area varied form 183.21 (NARC-1) to 252.07cm2 (Composite) while green fodder yield ranged from 50.65 (NARC-1) to 69.99 t ha-1 (Composite) and dry matter yield from (10.53) NARC-1 to (14.68) t ha-1 from (Composite). Check variety produced a green fodder yield of 50.65 t ha-1. Further selection for improved yielding varieties and broad adaptation in pearl millet is likely to be possible, however, high yielding and disease resistance varieties selection is necessary to identify other important traits in addition to yield. The high-yielding pearl millets identified in this study will be useful to introgress new traits into preferred local varieties. The high yielding varieties showed that these genotypes are more suited to agro-ecological conditions of Juglote and their adoption can bring substantial in yield of pearl millet per unit area.