Book Description

Significant progress has been made in developing highly effective and reliable laboratory/greenhouse and field screening techniques and in using them to identify resistance, and to develop cultivars resistant to downy mildew (Sclerospora graminicola). Using these techniques, 4771 accessions of pearl millet, 50 accessions of intermediate weedy forms, and 534 accessions of wild relatives, originating from 40 countries, have been screened in India and/or western Africa, and a large number of resistant sources identified. More than 20 breeding products have been developed and released for cultivation in India and Africa. Similar progress in developing cultivars resistant to rust (Puccinia spp.) has been made. This bulletin describes allthe currently known screening techniques and provides relevant information on important sources of resistance to these two diseases. It is expected to be useful to breeders and pathologists involved in improving pearl millet for genetic resistance to these two important diseases.