Agronomic Performance And Correlation Analysis Of Finger Millet Genotypes (Elusine Corocana L.)

Considering the context of climate change and food security issues of the poor, marginalized and vulnerable farmers; there is urgent need of characterization of the traits and its correlation in the different genotypes of finger millet for development of elite variety in Nepal. A field research was carried out at agronomy field at hill crop research program (HCRP), kabre, Dolakha from June to November, 2017in order to identify the phenotypic variability of the trait in different Nepalese landraces and create to promote the production and stability of neglected crops, finger millet. The field experiment was conducted in random complete block design with two replications. The result revealed that the finger millet genotypes showed the significant differences for days to 50 % heading, plant height, plant stand per square meter, bearing head per square meter, number of finger per head, thousand grain weight and grain yield. The genotypes ACC#513 (3.68 t/ha) fallowed by ACC#2303(3.65t ha-1), ACC#2275(3.57t ha-1) and ACC#5434 (3.39 t ha-1) produces highest grain yield. Correlation analysis revealed that plant height fallowed by plant stand per square meter, bearing head, number of finger per head and straw yield with minimum lodging percentage were most yield determinative traits and simultaneous selection for these traits might brining an improvement in finger millet grain yield.