Evaluation of newly developed high-yielding varieties of pearl millet for arid zone cultivation

Abstract:

Across the semi-arid tracts of peninsular India, pearl millet remains the cereal that farmers turn to when rainfall is too scarce and erratic for anything else. This research evaluated three newly released pearl millet varieties (ICMV 221, HHB 67 Improved, RHB 177) against the standard check WC-C75 in multi-season trials at Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, Hyderabad, during kharif 2021 and 2022. ICMV 221 recorded the highest grain yield (2.87 t ha⁻¹), 31.2% above the check, with superior ear length (24.8 cm), grains per ear (2,148), and 1000-grain weight (11.4 g). HHB 67 Improved was the earliest to mature (72 days) and showed the best drought recovery after a mid-season dry spell in 2022. Path analysis indicated that grains per ear (direct effect 0.337) and ear length (0.284) were the largest contributors to yield variation. All three new varieties outperformed the check and are recommended for cultivation in arid and semi-arid zones of Telangana.