From ‘pearl’ of millet to ‘gold’ of desert: A popular hybrid emerges improved through genomics-assisted breeding
GHB 538, a popular pearl millet hybrid, was improved through genomics-assisted breeding. Named Maru Sona or desert gold, the revised hybrid has 82 % downy mildew resistance over the original hybrid. The improvement also resulted in an increase in grain (3.5%) and fodder (10.8%) yield, resistance to blast (28.6%) and rust (91.4%) diseases as well as grain protein content (12.5%) while maintaining GHB 538’s hallmark early flowering (44 days). Read more
More support coming farmers’ way in the ASAL parts of Kenya
When Betty Bondo, a farmer in Kenya’s Makueni County, started growing new green gram varieties introduced by ICRISAT, her yield tripled from Read more...
Bring back millets to the table
For building a common understanding on the activities for the upcoming International Year of Millets 2023, a team from FAO visited ICRISAT-India. Read more...
Capacity building for improved germplasm security in West and Central Africa
ICRISAT’s regional Genebank in Niamey organized a 30-day training program for national research staff in Central African Republic. Training in collecting, conservation, Read more...
Small millets make a big splash on germplasm field day at ICRISAT
To enhance the use of millets germplasm in India’s crop improvement efforts, ICRISAT’s Genebank recently showcased the genetic diversity in its small Read more...