Identification of Stable Resistance to Ergot in Pearl Millet

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Abstract
More than 2,500 germ plasm accessions and about 7,300 advanced breeding lines were screened to identify resistance to ergot [caused by Claviceps fusiformis] in pearl millet. At advanced breeding lines were highly susceptible and only very low levels of resistance were detected in a few germ plasm accessions from India, Nigeria, and Uganda. Ergot-resistant lines, developed by intermating relatively less-susceptible plants and pedigree selecting for several generations under high disease pressure, were evaluated through a cooperative international multilocational testing program, the International Pearl Millet Ergot Nursery (IPMEN), to determine their resistance stability. Seven inbred lines (ICMPE numbers) and six sib-bulk populations (ICMPES numbers) evaluated at eight to 12 locations for 2-3 yr in India and West Africa showed consistently high levels of ergot resistance. Mean ergot severities in these lines across locations ranged from < 1 to 7% compared with 30-65% in the susceptible check. These lines were also resistant to smut and downy mildew at ICRISAT Center, Patancheru [India].