Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis ›› 2026, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (3): 428-439.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-1524.20250438

• Crop Science • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Genetic analysis of yield and phenotypic traits in new foxtail millet hybrid lines

MA Huifang(), WANG Juanfei, XUE Hongli, REN Guoxiang, SHI Guanyan()   

  1. Industrial Crop Institute, Shanxi Houji Laboratory, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030031, China
  • Received:2025-06-15 Online:2026-03-25 Published:2026-04-17
  • Contact: SHI Guanyan

Abstract:

To investigate the correlation between phenotypic traits and yield in foxtail millet hybrid lines, a genetic analysis was conducted on yield and major phenotypic traits of 23 new foxtail millet hybrid lines derived from parental lines of different genotypes. Based on yield traits, the tested lines were divided into two major groups, which exhibited significant differences in weight per panicle, grain weight per panicle, 1 000 grain weight, and yield. Coefficient of variation analysis indicated a range from 5.79%to 25.38%, with tiller number showing the largest variation and plant height the smallest. The average plant height was 141.75 cm, indicating that all hybrid lines fell within the ideal plant height range. Correlation analysis revealed that weight per panicle strongly influenced grain weight per panicle, and 1 000 grain weight greatly affected yield. Plant height had a relatively strong influence on tiller number, weight per panicle, and grain weight per panicle. Principal component analysis extracted four main components with a cumulative contribution rate of 86.09%, all with eigenvalues greater than 1, indicating that these components represented most of the information from the quantitative traits in foxtail millet hybrid lines and could serve as comprehensive indicators for trait evaluation. The first principal component primarily controlled yield-related traits, with tiller numbers and grain output rate scoring relatively high and showing a significant positive correlation with yield. For different genotypes of millet, targeted selection can be made when matching two-line hybrid combinations based on breeding objectives.

Key words: foxtail millet, hybrid, genetic analysis, phenotype, yield, cluster analysis

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