Morphological diversity and high-yielding potential of foxtail millet (Setaria italica): Insights from germplasm characterization

The morphological diversity of 50 foxtail millet accessions was assessed by evaluating ten morphological traits. Phenotypic scores for the 50 genotypes were provided based on the descriptor of Setaria italica. Based on the percentage of phenotypic variants, 84 % of the genotypes were not pigmented (green), 66 % were medium lodging, 88 % were essentially glabrous, 98 % with green leaf, 86 % were actively growing, 74 % with short inflorescence lobes, 42 % with medium inflorescence bristles, 54 % with medium inflorescence compactness and 86 % had ovate inflorescence shape. Only 2 % of the genotypes were pigmented with anthocyanin pigments on the leaf and none were found to have obovate inflorescence. The dendrogram generated indicated that the genotypes were grouped into 11 clusters at 0.74 co-efficient level. Maximum number of genotypes (13) was grouped in cluster XI. The genotypes in this cluster had similar morphological characters. The maximum number of 4 high yielding genotypes Kangani (22.25 g), Bhedi (19.54 g), SE 201 (10.38 g) and Navn (9.20 g) were found to be grouped under cluster X. All of these were non-pigmented, medium compact and ovate inflorescence with short inflorescence lobes. The findings provide crucial insights into the morphological traits that can be utilized in foxtail millet breeding programs. The identified high-yielding genotypes with favourable characteristics, such as compact and ovate inflorescence, can be valuable resources for developing superior varieties and hybrids, enhancing productivity and adaptability in diverse agro-climatic conditions.