Fertility restoration studies on A1 and A4 cytoplasmic-nuclear male sterility (CMS) systems of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.)

Agriculture in West and Central Africa is based on open-pollinated varieties. Hybrid pearl millet breeding is primitive in the Sahel, and efforts are being made to develop and release new high-yielding hybrids. The present study was undertaken to identify restorers and maintainers among pearl millet germplasm lines of Malian origin. Two cytoplasmic-nuclear male sterility (CMS) lines, ICMA 177002 (A1) and ICMA 177003 (A4), were used as female parents and crossed with 38 genotypes, resulting in 83 plant-to-plant F1 hybrids. Fertility/sterility testing of F1s revealed that genotypes PE00464, PE011325, and PE05303 restored fertility with ICMA 177002. All genotypes crossed with ICMA 177003 produced sterile hybrids, but genotype PE05660 exhibited a mixed response of sterility maintenance and fertility restoration. Comparative results on fertility restoration of various genotypes on ICMA 177002 and ICMA 177003 revealed that most lines consisted of male sterility maintainer nuclear genes. Genotypes PE05371, PE05676, PE05567, and IP 23050 were identified as common maintainers across CMS sources. The present study suggested that hybrids in pearl millet can be developed using A1 cytoplasm, while there is a need to identify restorers in the germplasm for A4 cytoplasm.