Influence of Soil Parameters and Sowing Technics on Different Genotypes of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.). R. Br

Productivity improvement by adapting varieties to their environment was a major concern in the Sahel countries. Climatic constraints and low soil fertility are the main factors conditioning millet yield. The objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of edaphic parameters, sowing technics, and fertilization on the improvement of eight genotypes of millet. For this, a trial including eight varieties of millet in split plot was installed on the experimental station of CERRA in Maradi in 2020 during the rainy season. Soil samples at a depth of 20 cm were collected at the beginning and the end of experiment. Soil pH, organic carbon, and assimilable phosphorus were determined. Two sowing technics, seed balls, and direct sowing were applied. In seed balls, two types of fertilizer were used: the NPK (15-15-15) and ash. Phenology parameters and grain yield of each variety was measured. A statistical analysis of these data showed that edaphic parameters do not significantly influence yield. However, a significant variation in grain yield was observed among genotypes. Specifically, the variety ICMV IS 89305 exhibited a significantly higher grain yield (789 +/- 590 kg ha-1) compared to ICVH 18 (348+/-289 kg ha-1). Moreover, the different types of treatments applied to the seedlings showed a significant difference in terms of grain yield. The SSB treatments yielded more (1101+/-541 kg ha-1) than the BSC (480+/-463 kg ha-1) and BSE (317+/-322 kg ha-1) ball treatments. These results highlight substantial variability both within and between treatments. The positive effect of seed balls and fertilizer included vary according to the context. Specifically, when rainfall is scarce, seed balls prove to be non-efficient in improving the yield of millet.