Introduction

Pearl millet is undoubtedly an important crop and it has vast potential out of all the millets.it is cultivated for grain as well as for fodder in the arid regions. Genetic improvement of expression in quntitative character is depend upon genotypes with a range of genetically controlled variability for the character under consideration.the estimation  of genetic variability is a prerequisite as the variability in any population is a factor of genetic and enviornmental components.An attempt was made to evaluate the variability present in the available genetic material and determinations were made for coefficient of variation,heritability of traits and genetic advance for yield and yield attributing characters to formulate effective breeding programme.

 Material and Method

The experiment was laid out using 45F₁ hybbrids and their10 parents were grown is a randomized Block design with three replications at agriculture college farm gwalior during Kharif  2002.Observation were recorded on five randomly chosen compititive plants for eight quntitative characters Viz. Days to 50% flowering,plant height, effective number of tillers/plant, days to maturiety,length of panicle, girth of panicle,1000 grain weight and grain yield/plant. The statisticle analysis was performed on the mean data. Variability parameters were estimated as per the standared formula elaborated by the Johnson et al.(1955).genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were determined following the standred procedure (Burton 1951).heritability (h² bs)and genetic advance were estimated following respective methods elaborative by Allard(1960) and Robinson;Comstock and harvey(1949).

Table 1: Mean,range, coefficient of variation, heritability and genetic advance for  eight characters.

Results and Discusion

The mean, range, genotypic and phenotypic coefficient  of variation,heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean for eight characters of  pearl millets are presented in table-1.In this investigation analysis of variance revealed that the mean  squares due to entries were highly significant for all eight characters except effective tillers/plant indicating high amount of variability,which provided better scope for selection in further breeding programme.The highest range of observation was observed for plant height (159.00-190.66) followed by days to maturity(66.66-80.00),grain yield (12.91-29.56),panical length (13.88-25.77) and 1000 seed weight (4.46-11.33).Karale et al .(1998) also reported significant variability for grain yield and Tomar et al.(1995) also observed high variability of plant height, ear length.  The maximum genotypic coefficient of variation was observed for 1000 seed weight,grain yield/plant and penical length while phenotypic coefficient of variation was reported for effective tillers/plant followed by number of 1000 seed weight,grain yield /plant and penical length.the consistent behavior of both at phenotypic and genotypic levels observed for days to 50% flowering,days to maturity that these characters were least influenced by non genetic factors.while number of effective tillers/plant is more influenced non genetic factors.Vyas and Shrikant (1984) also observed maximum phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variations in grain yield followed by panical length and effective tillers/plant.High heritability was observed for all characters under stydy.Chaubey and Richharia (1993) were also observed high heritability or penicle length,plant height and grain density per square meter.greater genetic advance may be expected from population with high mean and wide range of phenotypic variability. The estimate of expected genetic gain among populations was high for 1000 seeds weight (42.42) followed by grain yield /plant (39.59) and penicle girth (23.20) while low advance for effetive tillers/plant(3.64).Kushwah and singh(1992) has been reported variable degree of expected genetic advance ranging from high to low different traits in pearl millet.

Refrences

1. Allard; R.W.(1960).principles of plantbreeding.John Wiley & Sons Inc.USA.
2. Burton; G.W. and De Vani;E.H.(1953).estimating heritability in tall fescue from peplicated and clonal material.Agron.J.,45:478-481.
3. Chaubey,P.K.and Richharia (1993). Genetic variability, Correlation and path coefficient in India rices.Indian J. Genet.; 53 (4):356-360.
4. Johnson; G.H. et al.(1955). Estimation of genetic and environmental variability in soyabean.   Agron.J.,47: 314:318.
5. Karale, M.U.; Ugale, S.D.; Suryanvanshi, Y.B. and Patil,B.D. (1998).Studies on combining ablity for  grain yield and its components in pearl millet.Indian J. Agric.Res.,32(1):1-5.
6. Robinson; H.F.,Comstock; R.E. and Harvey; P.H. (1949). Estimation of heritability and the degree of  dominance in corn. Agron.J., 41: 353-359.
7. Tomar, N.S.; Kushwaha, V.S. and Singh, G.P. (1995). Genetic variability in elite genotypes of pearl   millet(P. Typhoides S.& H.). J. Soils and Crops.5 (1) : 30-32.
8. Vyas and Srikant (1984). Variability in land races of pearl millet in Rajasthan. Madras Agri.J.78 (8): 504-507.