Kv. Chowdari et al., HYBRID PERFORMANCE AND GENETIC-DISTANCE AS REVEALED BY THE (GATA)(4) MICROSATELLITE AND RAPD MARKERS IN PEARL-MILLET, Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 97(1-2), 1998, pp. 163-169
Genetic diversity in five cytoplasmic male-sterile and seven restorer
lines of pearl millet was determined by DNA fingerprinting using a (GA
TA)(4) microsatellite and randomly amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs).
A total of 160 polymorphic loci were generated and, based on the poly
morphism data, similarity index values ranged from 0.81 to 0.50, Clust
er analysis was performed and relationships among these lines revealed
that they were not in agreement with the available pedigree data. The
per se performance of parents and hybrids was analyzed for days-to-50
% flowering, plant height, productive tillers, ear length, ear width,
1000-grain weight and grain yield per plot. Path co-efficient analysis
revealed that productive tillers, ear width and days-to-50% flowering
had a relatively large positive effect. The correlation values were m
ostly not significant with respect to genetic distance, except for day
s-to-50% flowering, ear length and ear width. Our results have indicat
ed that genetic-distance measures based on the (GATA), microsatellite
and RAPDs may be useful for the grouping of parents, but not for predi
cting heterotic combinations, in pearl millet.