Abstract

                                An investigation was carried out to study the correlation of germinative and non-germinative parameters with vigour and viability of seeds in pearl millet. Seeds of four hybrids of pearl millet viz., GHB 719, GHB 905, GHB 744 and GHB 732 along with their parental lines, totaling 10 entries, were stored and utilized for this study. The relative importance of the germinative and non-germinative criteria was judged by employing simple linear correlation and regression analysis, as well as stepwise multiple regression analyses; where field emergence (final count) was considered as the dependent parameter and rest of all as independent parameters. The prediction of the variation based on the environment, the genotypes and the interaction means based model is most suitable. In this case, qualitative tetrazolium test and vigour index I were the major predictors and the levels of prediction were almost 88 per cent and 90 per cent in Model No.1 and Model No.2, respectively. It is well justified that simply the standard germination test (SGT) (germination percentage at final count after 7 days) cannot predict the actual field performance, as there is always an over prediction. In view of above, the other important and vital parameters to be considered include tetrazolium test, vigour index and mobilization efficiency. These parameters as well as those found in the linear model, predicted the field performance not only precisely, but also well in advance in a shorter time.

Key words : Correlation, Germination, Pearl millet, Regression coefficient, Viability, Vigour