2.4 Results
2.4.2 Quantitative traits variability
2.4.2.1 Performance of accessions at individual and across locations
Trait means and mean squares at individual and across the four test locations for the entire germplasm are presented in Table 2.4-2. Significant variation (P< .05) was recorded in all traits at all the locations except in threshing percent at Alupe, flag leaf blade width at Lanet, leaf blade width at Kiboko and 1000 grain mass at Mtwapa. Alupe recorded the widest culms, longest panicle exertions, and lowest threshing percent. A total of 26 accessions (four from Kenya, ten from Uganda, three from Tanzania and ten from the minicore accessions) showed moderate to high resistance to blast (leaf, neck and finger) (Table 2.4-3).
At Lanet the accessions took longer to flower and were shorter in height relative to other test locations.
This location recorded the lowest mean minimum temperature (10.00C) during the cropping season. Due to the prolonged rains at Lanet, the material had the highest mean number of productive tillers per plant (ten) and mean grain yields (3.63 t ha-1). Partial sterility was also detected in some accessions especially on check accession KNE 479. The highest mean leaf sheath width (1.9 cm) and lowest mean 1000 grain mass (2.4g) were recorded at Kiboko where some moisture stress was experienced during maturity especially on late maturing accessions. Relative to Alupe, Kiboko and Lanet, the accessions were generally earlier to flower at Mtwapa (67 days). This location also recorded the highest mean plant height (97 cm), the lowest mean number of productive tillers per plant (one) and widest and longest fingers (1.6 cm and 8.3 cm, respectively).
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Table 2.4-2. Mean squares and CV% for 24 quantitative traits of finger millet accessions evaluated over four locations
Mean Sum of squares CV%
Trait Across Loc 1 Loc 2 Loc 3 Loc 4 Across Loc 1 Loc 2 Loc 3 Loc 4 Across Loc 1 Loc 2 Loc 3 Loc 4
1 1.35 2.8 2.2 1.4 2.8 3.76*** 0.39*** 13.94** 0.063* 16.31*** 14.1 11.6 10.6 14.7 10.8
2 84.0 80.0 116.5 75.3 67.0 28.95*** 183.69*** 7.71** 95.57 31.42*** 5.1 4.4 5.9 3.9 3.4
3 9.6 10.9 8.4 9.47 9.3 4.46*** 13.44** 2.16** 12.56*** 12.90*** 21.6 19.5 21.1 22.4 23.6
4 8.0 8.0 7.8 7.9 8.0 8.14*** 1.45** 1.43** 2.31*** 2.48*** 9.6 9.8 9.6 9.3 9.8
5 6.8 6.2 5.2 7.6 8.3 12.55*** 1.39** 0.02** 3.04*** 2.09*** 10.2 8.1 9.9 9.3 11.5
6 1.1 1.0 0.9 1.1 1.6 3.36*** 0.02** 1.70** 0.01* 0.13*** 12.4 8.0 9.2 9.06 15.2
7 10.5 9.9 10.3 10.56 11.6 7.18*** 2.21** 0.03** 2.41*** 3.54*** 8.9 12.1 6.9 6.9 9.0
8 1.2 1.1 0.9 1.28 1.5 3.75*** 0.01*** 0.33ns 0.04ns 0.05*** 12.9 5.8 21.9 15.5 8.0
9 6.0 5.6 4.9 5.8 6.0 2.79*** 1.03** 0.62** 0.48** 1.83*** 12.6 11.2 12.6 8.2 16.3
10 2.6 2.5 2. 9 2.47 2.5 2.37*** 0.32** 0.33** 0.22** 0.21ns 16.2 19.1 13.2 16.1 16.6
11 2.38 1.84 3.63 2.54 1.52 3.68*** 0.78** 4.74** 0.64** 0.30*** 32.3 30.7 27.0 22.8 19.1
12 48.0 49.9 34.9 50.2 57.1 6.39*** 39.21*** 18.63** 49.42*** 54.15*** 7.9 7.4 8.8 7.7 7.9
13 1.3 1.3 1.0 1.3 1.7 6.80*** 0.02*** 0.01** 0.05ns 0.178*** 13.3 5.4 7.9 24.1 7.0
14 14.0 16.2 11.8 16.3 13.0 9.44*** 5.22** 2.60** 8.98*** 6.00*** 8.9 6.1 8.8 9.2 11.6
15 11.3 10.3 10.3 11.3 13.3 8.04*** 1.96*** 1.71** 1.84*** 2.38*** 6.7 6.3 6.7 7.4 6.4
16 1.6 1.5 1.30 1.9 1.7 4.46*** 0.03*** 0.06** 0.07*** 0.04*** 8.9 7.2 11.9 9.1 7.3
17 19.9 20.7 18.6 19.8 20.4 30.18*** 19.25** 9.93** 20.98*** 18.19*** 8.9 9.9 10.0 11.8 11.5
18 84.5 92.7 58.7 89.0 97.0 9.50*** 275.18** 156.90** 176.11*** 197.37*** 8.2 7.8 11.2 8.3 6.8
19 71.3 65.3 74.59 70.2 74.7 2.83*** 99.49ns 152.99** 123.31* 42.60*** 10.8 16.1 7.27 13.1 5.3
20 4.0 2.6 9.9 2.5 1.0 5.36*** 2.80** 18.6** 1.44** 0.85*** 33.9 33.2 24.8 32.8 37.2
21† - 3.3 - - - - 2.32** - - - - 17.5 - - -
22† 2.9 3.1 - - - - 2.87** - - - - 24.4 - - -
23† 4.3 4.0 - - - - 2.87** - - - - 17.9 - - -
24 3.2 3.2 2.8 3.3 0.88*** 0.75** 0.73** 0.50ns 0.5** 21.9 12.9 18.9 23.8 16.6
Key: Across-Across locations values, Loc 1-Alupe, Loc 2-Lanet, Loc 3-Kiboko, Loc 4-Mtwapa; 1-Culm thickness, 2-days to flowering, 3-Panicle exertion, 4-Fingers per panicle , 5-Longest finger length, 6-Longest finger width, 7-Flag leaf blade length, 8-Flag leaf blade width, 9-Grains per spikelet, 10-1000 grain mass, 11-Grain yield (t ha-1), 12-Leaf blade length, 13-Leaf blade width, 14- Number of leaves, 15-Leaf sheath length, 16-Leaf sheath width, 17-Peduncle length, 18-Plant height, 19-Threshing %, 20-Productive tillers/plant, 21-Leaf blast score, 22-Neck blast score, 23-Finger blast score, 24-Agronomic score. ***-significant at P<0.001, **-significant at P<0.01, ns-not significant, †-data at Alupe only
.
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Table 2.4-3. Twenty six accessions with the best blast tolerance at Alupe under natural infection ranked according to finger blast severity scores
Acc.
# Acc. Name Country
Grain yield (t ha-1)
Days to flower
Fingers /panicle
finger length (cm)
Finger width
(cm)
1000 grain mass (g)
Leaf blast score (1-9)
Neck blast score (1-9)
finger blast score (1-9)
Agrono mic.
score (1-5)
Plant height (cm)
Plant colour
Panicle shape
Grain colour
211 GBK-029673A Kenya 2.30 86 7 7.1 1.0 1.5 2.1 1.7 1.4 2.3 98.0 P SC B
311 IE 4797 Minicore 2.36 86 7 6.8 0.9 1.6 2.1 1.7 1.4 2.3 113.0 P SC B
351 Acc # 2968 Tanzania 1.77 81 8 8.1 1.1 2.2 2.1 1.7 1.4 2.8 106.3 P SC B
47 Cirogal Uganda 0.68 73 7 7.1 1.0 2.6 2.1 3.7 1.4 2.3 88.8 P C B
274 IE 2619 Minicore 1.41 69 9 6.9 1.0 2.6 3.9 3.2 1.5 3.1 101.5 T SC B
93 Otara chilgal Uganda 3.62 74 7 6.2 1.0 2.8 1.7 2.0 1.5 1.8 103.5 P C B
336 IE 7018 Minicore 2.83 74 8 7.1 1.0 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.7 2.9 113.9 P C DB
95 Kal Uganda 4.21 64 10 7.0 1.2 2.8 1.9 3.0 1.7 2.9 106.7 T C B
165 GBK-011136A Kenya 2.79 77 8 7.1 1.0 3.3 2.5 2.2 1.8 1.4 102.2 T C B
333 IE 6473 Minicore 2.36 80 10 4.7 1.0 2.1 1.3 3.0 1.8 3.3 106.3 T C DB
63 Kal atari Uganda 2.48 71 7 5.6 1.0 2.4 2.5 2.2 1.8 1.9 70.4 P C B
202 GBK-029650A Kenya 1.31 90 7 9.0 0.8 3.1 1.7 2.6 2.0 3.1 92.6 T SC DB
206 GBK-029667A Kenya 0.81 83 9 6.2 1.0 3.5 1.9 1.8 2.0 2.5 92.2 T C W
315 IE 5106 Minicore 2.38 84 8 4.3 1.0 2.9 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.9 89.2 P F B
287 IE 3392 Minicore 2.33 77 6 4.4 1.1 3.6 2.1 2.6 2.0 3.3 75.1 T C LB
298 IE 4121 Minicore 1.63 73 8 6.6 1.0 1.8 2.3 3.2 2.0 1.9 81.8 P C B
328 IE 6294 Minicore 1.37 87 8 5.6 1.0 1.4 1.9 2.8 2.0 2.5 78.0 T C B
324 IE 6154 Minicore 1.32 88 9 6.8 0.9 1.0 2.3 2.2 2.0 4.4 69.8 T SC B
335 IE 6533 Minicore 0.56 72 9 11.1 1.5 2.4 1.9 1.8 2.0 3.5 99.6 T D DB
408 Namakonta Tanzania 1.15 83 11 7.6 0.9 3.7 3.5 1.0 2.0 3.7 101.2 T SC B
96 Kal Uganda 3.11 68 8 6.2 1.0 2.4 1.7 3.6 2.0 2.1 96.6 P C B
1 Unknown Uganda 2.67 74 8 5.4 1.0 3.2 1.7 2.6 2.0 2.6 109.8 T C DB
105 RW 127 (IE 6613) Uganda 2.18 85 9 6.6 1.1 2.4 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.0 104.0 T C B
59 Kal-purple Uganda 1.87 73 7 5.8 0.9 3.2 1.9 2.8 2.0 2.0 109.6 P SC B
64 Kal atari Uganda 1.86 76 7 5.8 0.9 2.6 1.7 2.6 2.0 2.1 101.0 P C B
3 Purple Uganda 1.07 71 7 7.0 1.2 2.1 2.3 3.2 2.0 2.4 93.2 P C DB
Checks Nakuru FM1 3.18 81 6 8.2 1.3 2.9 4.1 4.1 4.4 3.1 97.1 P SC DB
U 15 2.14 75 9 7.0 1.1 2.5 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.0 74.6 P SC B
Kahulunge 2.37 90 8 7.0 1.1 2.8 2.6 2.2 3.2 3.0 83.4 T C B
KNE 479 1.70 67 7 6.1 1.1 2.5 5.3 7.3 7.0 3.8 81.7 P SC DB
KNE 814 2.05 86 7 7.4 1.1 2.6 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.9 90.3 P SC B
Mean (N=425) 1.84 80 8 6.2 1.0 2.5 3.3 3.1 4.0 3.2 92.7 - - -
SE± 0.57 3.44 0.76 0.51 0.08 0.48 0.58 0.79 0.71 0.42 7.24 - - -
LSD0.05 1.73 10.51 2.33 1.55 0.24 1.48 1.78 2.42 2.16 1.28 22.10 - - -
CV% 30.7 4.4 9.8 8.1 8.0 19.1 17.5 24.4 17.9 13.0 7.8 - - -
Acc. #-Accession number, Plant colour: P-Purple, T-Tan; Panicle shape: SC-Semi compact, C-Compact, D-Droopy; Grain colour: LB-Light brown, B-Brown, DB-Dark brown, W-White
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The genotype x environment interaction effects were significant (P<0.01) for all the quantitative traits studied. Accessions from Kenya had the highest mean values for six traits (grain yield 2.58 t ha-1), 1000 grain mass (2.6 g), leaf sheath length (11.6 cm) and plant height (88.8 cm). The highest mean values for days to flowering (92), finger width (7.1 cm), number of leaves per plant (16) and number of productive tillers per plant (5) were recorded by the Tanzanian accessions. Ugandan accessions had the highest mean values for panicle exertion (10.4 cm), finger width (1.2 cm), peduncle length (20.8 cm) and threshing percent (72.5%). The lowest mean scores were for leaf blast (2.7), neck blast (2.2), finger blast (3.3) plus best agronomic score of 3.0 (Table 2.4-4). The minicore accessions had the highest mean values for only two traits (flag leaf blade length-16 cm and number of grains per spikelet-5). However, mean number of fingers per panicle (8) and grains per spikelet (six) were relatively stable across environments. The widest ranges for grain yield (0.006-3.415 t ha-1), panicle exertion (3.1-335.2 cm), leaf sheath width (1.2-2.1 cm), agronomic score (2.0-5.0), threshing % (32.7-85.4) and finger blast score (1.3-7.8) were recorded in the Tanzanian accessions. The Ugandan accessions had the lowest range for all traits studied. Most of the accessions were classified in the medium maturity group for flowering in 81-90 days after sowing (Figure 2.4-2). There was high yield potential in the germplasm with 55.3% and 0.7% of the accessions attaining grain yields of 2.00-3.00 t ha-1 and > 4.00 t ha-1, respectively (Figure 2.4-3). A total of 54 accessions had grain yields higher than the best commercial check cultivar (Nakuru FM 1) and the top 20 of these are presented in Table 2.4-5.
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Table 2.4-4. Mean, minimum, maximum and ranges of 24 quantitative traits for three accession groups (based on country of origin) and the minicore across four test locations
Trait
Kenya Tanzania Uganda Minicore
Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range
Grain yield (t ha-1) 2.58 1.265-4.39 2.12 0.01-3.14 2.43 1.39-5.53 2.25 0.34-4.23 Days to flowering 84.0 41.0-105.0 92.0 66.0-114.0 81.0 72.0-95.0 85.0 59.0-109.0
Panicle exertion (cm) 9.2 3.9-15.0 8.7 3.1-13.4 10.4 6.3-13.7 8.6 4.2-13.6
Fingers per panicle 8.0 6-10 8.0 6.0-12.0 8.0 6.0-11.0 8.0 6.0-13.0
Finger length (cm) 7.0 4.6-9.5 7.1 4.4-12.7 6.5 4.6-8.5 6.6 4.6-17.2
Finger width (cm) 1.2 0.7-1.4 1.1 0.8-1.4 1.2 0.9-1.6 1.1 0.8-1.5
Flag leaf blade length (cm) 10.7 8.2-13.5 10.0 8.3-13.5 10.5 8.6-13.1 11.0 8.1-14.5 flag leaf blade width (cm) 1.2 0.8-1.6 1.1 0.9-1.4 1.2 1.0-1.4 1.2 0.8-2.0
Grains per spikelet 6.0 3.0-7.0 6.0 4.0-8.0 6.0 4.0-7.0 5.0 4.0-7.0
1000 grain mass (g) 2.6 1.6-3.6 2.5 1.9-3.4 2.5 1.8-3.1 2.5 1.8-3.4
Leaves per plant 14.6 10.3-18.4 15.6 10.2-19.7 14.0 11-17 14.1 6.7-19.4
Leaf sheath length (cm) 11.6 9.0-14.0 10.7 7.7-13.6 11.4 9.7-13.0 11.1 8.3-15.1
Leaf sheath width (cm) 1.6 1.2-2.0 1.5 1.2-2.1 1.6 1.3-2.0 1.5 1.2-2.0
Leaf blade length 49.2 38.1-58.9 45.9 40.3-55.8 49.1 40.0-58.2 45.3 26.3-59.1
Leaf blade width 1.3 0.9-1.9 1.3 0.9-1.7 1.3 1.0-2.7 1.3 1.1-2.7
Culm thickness 2.4 0.8-4.2 2.2 0.8-4.3 2.3 0.9-4.1 2.2 0.5-4.4
Leaf blast score (1-9)* 3.0 1.7-5.4 3.0 1.5-5.0 2.7 1.8-4.3 3.5 1.7-6.4
Neck blast score (1-9)* 2.5 1.0-6.9 2.4 0.9-5.0 2.2 0.9-5.2 3.0 1.1-7.7
Finger blast score (1-9)* 3.5 1.5-7.4 3.6 1.3-7.8 3.3 2.0-6.4 4.4 1.8-8.5
Agronomic score (1-5) 3.1 2.2-4.5 3.5 2.0-5.0 3.0 2.1-4.3 3.4 2.0-25.3
Peduncle length (cm) 19.7 13.2-27.0 18.6 12.6-25.7 20.8 15.4-26.6 19.4 12.7-25.3 Plant height (cm) 88.8 49.2-115.6 82.1 62.2-103.4 84.4 67.0-99.3 77.3 41.6-103.8
Threshing % 72.0 51.8-88.8 68.5 32.7-85.4 72.5 61.7-81.3 69.3 45.6-81.4
Productive tillers/plant 4.0 1.0-9.0 5.0 2.0-11.0 4.0 2.0-7.0 4.0 2.0-9.0
*-Data from Alupe location only.
Figure 2.4-2. Frequency of Days to flowering across four locations and four accession groups
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0 140.0 160.0 180.0 200.0
40-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100 101-110 111-120
Frequency
Days to flowering
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Figure 2.4-3. Frequency of grain yield classes across four locations and four accession groups 0
50 100 150 200 250
0.0-1.0 1.0-2.0 2.0-3.0 3.0-4.0 4.0-5.0 5.0-6.0
Frequency
Yield classes (t ha-1)
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Table 2.4-5. Top 20 accessions ranked for grain yield (t ha-1) and their leaf, neck and finger blast scores, threshing% and agronomic scores across four test locations
Acc # Name Country
of origin Sub-region Gyld Rank
% above best check
Daf LB† NB† FB† Thresh Ag.
score
31 Ekama-white Uganda eastern Uganda 5.53 1 43 85.0 2.6 1.9 3.0 78.7 2.7
299 IE 4329 Minicore Minicore 4.22 2 25 87.0 3.3 2.4 3.3 70.4 2.5
142 GBK-008328A Kenya western Kenya 3.78 3 16 101.0 2.5 2.3 2.4 74.9 2.8
144 GBK-008336A Kenya western Kenya 3.76 4 15 90.0 2.0 1.8 3.3 76.4 2.7
187 GBK-027165A Kenya Rift valley 3.69 5 14 97.0 3.6 3.2 3.6 80.0 3.3
254 Acc. # 76 Kenya Rift valley 3.68 6 14 94.0 2.7 2.0 3.3 88.7 2.8
103 Rwemereza (IE
6591) Uganda eastern Uganda 3.67 7 13 94.0 3.9 2.6 3.1 73.4 2.9
258 Acc. # 80 Kenya Rift valley 3.66 8 13 99.0 3.6 4.0 3.9 74.6 3.5
107 GBK-000349A Kenya Rift valley 3.66 9 13 97.0 3.9 2.8 4.0 75.7 2.9
334 IE 6514 Minicore Minicore 3.66 10 13 80.0 3.8 1.5 1.8 75.4 2.5
246 GBK-043165A Kenya western Kenya 3.60 11 12 82.0 2.6 2.4 3.8 71.4 3.0
53 Kal Uganda northern Uganda 3.56 12 11 89.0 2.4 2.0 3.2 75.2 3.2
136 GBK-008278A Kenya western Kenya 3.51 13 9 96.0 2.7 2.4 3.5 55.2 3.1
190 GBK-027189A Kenya Rift valley 3.41 14 7 93.0 3.1 2.2 3.1 75.4 2.9
301 IE 4497 Minicore Minicore 3.39 15 6 78.0 3.1 1.6 2.6 66.7 2.8
330 IE 6337 Minicore Minicore 3.39 16 6 72.0 2.7 1.3 2.5 68.1 2.7
146 GBK-008365A Kenya western Kenya 3.38 17 6 95.0 2.7 2.0 3.0 73.4 2.9
376 Acc # 3927 Tanzania northern Tanzania 3.38 18 6 96.0 3.5 2.3 3.0 79.0 2.9
217 GBK-029680A Kenya western Kenya 3.38 19 6 84.0 3.6 3.6 5.0 72.8 2.8
404 Kaulunge Tanzania southern Tanzania 3.37 20 6 80.0 2.5 1.8 3.1 69.2 3.5
421 Nakuru FM 1 Check 3.18 48 97 4.1 4.1 4.4 3.1 3.18
423 Kahulunge Check 2.37 197 83 2.6 2.2 3.2 3.0 2.37
425 KNE 814** Check 2.15 254 90 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.9 2.15
422 Seremi 2 (U 15) Check 2.14 261 75 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.0 2.14
424 KNE 479* Check 1.70 340 82 5.3 7.3 7.0 3.8 1.7
Checks Mean
(N = 425) 2.38 84.0 2.8 2.9 0.3 71.3 3.2
SE± 1.19 10.44 1.08 1.39 1.43 9.46 0.70
CV% 32.3 5.1 35.4 54.4 38.4 10.8 21.9
LSD0.05 1.6 15.8 1.7 2.5 2.4 14.5 1.1
Gyld-Grain yield (t ha-1), Daf-Days to flowering, LB-Leaf blast score (1-9), NB-Neck blast score (1-9), FB-Finger blast score (1-9), Thresh-Threshing%, Ag. score-Agronomic score (1-5). *-Susceptible check to the three blast types, **-Resistant check to the three blast types; †-Alupe location only
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