Evaluation of yield potential and nutritional quality of various cultivars of barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea L.) grown under subtropical India

A field experiment was carried out during kharif season 2013 at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad to study the performance of different cultivars of sawan millet with respect to yield and nutritional quality.The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates.The treatments comprised of 10 germplasms viz., NDS-1, NDS-2, NDS-3, NDS-4, NDS-5, NDS-6, NDS-7, NDS-8, NDS-9, NDS-10 and one control i.e., T-46 (Popular variety of eastern U.P). Results revealed that the germplasm NDS-9 recorded significantly higher grain yield followed by NDS-10.The highest protein content was recorded in germplasm NDS-6 followed by NDS-2.The highest tryptophan was recorded in germplasm NDS-6 followed by NDS-3 and the highest lysine was reported in germplasm NDS-6 followed by NDS-5 and NDS-3.The total mineral content was highest in NDS-8 followed by NDS_7 and NDS-1.The higher crude fiber was recorded in germplasm NDS-9 followed by NDS-10 and NDS-7.The lowest values of phytic acid and tannin content were also noticed in NDS-6 followed by NDS-3.