Phenotypic and molecular diversity-based prediction of heterosis in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L. (R.) Br.)

Genetic distances between hybrid parents based on phenotypic traits and molecular markers were investigated to assess their relationship with heterosis for grain and stover yield and other traits in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.). Fifty-one hybrids developed using 101 hybrid parents (B and R lines) and showing a wide range of genetic distance between their parents based on eight phenotypic traits and 28–38 SSRs were evaluated in two sets for two seasons. The correlation between Euclidean distance (phenotypic distance, ED) and simple matching distance (molecular distance, SM) for parents of both sets was low but positive and significant (r = 0.2, P < 0.001).The correlation of ED in parents with better-parent heterosis for grain yield was similar in both sets (r = 0.38, P < 0.05). SM was not correlated with heterosis for grain yield in either set of hybrids. The results showed that phenotypic distance could be a better predictor of heterosis than molecular distance. The correlation between phenotypic distance and heterosis was not strong enough to permit the use of phenotypic diversity among parents as a major selection criterion for selection of parental lines displaying high levels of heterosis for grain and stover yield in pearl millet.