Researcher in a finger millet field. Photo courtesy of ICRISAT X
Researchers at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have developed improved hybridization techniques for finger millet, a breakthrough that could speed up the development of high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties for millions of smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia.
The findings, published in the journal Plant Methods, overcome one of the biggest barriers that has long hindered breeding efforts in finger millet — the crop’s tiny flowers and highly self-pollinating nature.
Finger millet, scientifically known as Eleusine coracana, is widely grown in semi-arid regions because of its ability to withstand drought and harsh climatic conditions. The crop is also highly nutritious, containing high levels of calcium, dietary fibre, minerals and essential amino acids, making it increasingly important in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition.
Despite its importance, breeding improved finger millet varieties has remained difficult because the crop naturally self-pollinates. Researchers noted that spontaneous cross-pollination occurs in less than two percent of plants, limiting breeders’ ability to create superior hybrids with desirable traits such as higher yields, drought tolerance and disease resistance.
To tackle the challenge, the scientists evaluated three emasculation techniques — methods used to prevent self-pollination and allow controlled crossing between plants. The study tested a modified hot water treatment and two chemical agents, trifluoromethanesulfonamide (TFMSA) and gibberellic acid (GA3), alongside molecular marker technology to verify successful hybridization.
The researchers found that dipping finger millet panicles in hot water at 52 degrees Celsius for two minutes achieved up to 83 percent successful hybridization. Likewise, applying TFMSA at 10 milligrams and GA3 at 1500 ppm during the crop’s booting stage produced hybrid success rates of around 80 percent.
“The study revealed a successful emasculation rate of up to 80% using modified hot water treatment at 52 °C for 2 min,” the researchers said in the paper.
To confirm the purity of the hybrids, the team used 10 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, which enabled them to distinguish true hybrids from self-pollinated plants. The molecular tools provided quicker and more accurate verification compared to traditional visual methods.
The research was conducted at ICRISAT in Hyderabad, India, using diverse finger millet germplasm sourced from Asia and Africa. Scientists said the improved methods could significantly accelerate recombination breeding by enabling breeders to combine valuable traits more efficiently.
Finger millet is considered the world’s third most important millet crop after sorghum and pearl millet. It is cultivated on about 2.2 million hectares globally, with annual production estimated at 3.7 million tonnes.
The study also pointed to earlier breeding successes, including India’s Indaf finger millet varieties developed from Indian and African genetic crosses, which increased productivity by more than 50 percent. However, limited hybridization techniques have slowed the release of new improved varieties in recent decades.
Researchers believe the latest breakthrough could help unlock the crop’s untapped potential as governments and scientists increasingly promote climate-smart and nutrient-rich crops to strengthen food systems in dryland regions affected by climate change.
The scientists concluded that combining improved emasculation techniques with molecular marker technology represents “an important step forward in finger millet crop improvement.”
