This document discusses techniques for emasculation and pollination in pearl millet. It notes that pearl millet is cross-pollinated to about 80% due to its protogynous condition where stigmas emerge before anthers. For controlled cross-pollination, the female spikes are bagged before stigma emergence. The pollen from the desired male parent is then collected and dusted onto the emerged stigmas. The crossed spikes are labeled. For self-pollination, spikes are bagged before stigma emergence and the older spike will shed pollen to pollinate the younger spike.

1. EMASCULATION AND POLLINATION
TECHNIQUES IN PEARL MILLET
Athira Rajan
athirarajanmt@gmail.com

2. PEARL
MILLET Botanical Name Pennisetum glaucum
Family Poaceae
Chromosome No. 2n = 14
Centre of Origin West Africa
Mode of pollination Cross pollination
Percent cross pollination 80 % (Protogynous condition)
Related wild species (1)Pennisetum pupureum
(2) Pennisetum squamulatum

3. FLORAL BIOLOGY
• The inflorescence is a cylindrical spike
tapering towards the end
• Stigma begins to appear 2-3 days after
emergence of spike

4. ANTHESIS
• The stigmas begin to appear two to three days
after emergence of the spike.
• The anthers emerges after the stigma dry
up, thus it is protogynous in nature which
induce cross pollination even though bisexual
flower
• Anther emergence occur in two phases
• Style divides in two branches in its upper part
• Stigma takes 12 to 24 hours to protrude and
open out, and remains receptive for one to two
days.

5. EMASCULATION
Emasculation is not required in pearl millet due to
its protogynous nature
The head is covered with glassine bag before style
appears.
When styles are exerted then pollination is
performed with desired male parent.
However, the emergence of the stigmas before
emergence of the anthers is used for artificial
cross-pollination.

6. POLLINATION
SELF POLLINATION
• Bag the spikes before the emergence of stigma.
• Length of bag must be such that lower most spikelets,
which will be emerging later, could be covered.
• These spikes are such that the older one sheds Pollen
when the stigma emerges in the second spike.
• Label it with lead pencil.

7. CROSS POLLINATION
Crossing can be done without the necessity of emasculation with the advantage of protogynous
condition of bajra.
Being sure that anthers of a spike will not ripen at the time of stigma receptivity we can select a
spike
About four-fifth of the upper spikelets of the inflorescence are removed.
The remaining spike of spikelets is enclosed in a bag before the stigma emergence.
Bag the spikes to be used as pollen parents and collect the shedding pollen dust.
In the morning dust the pollen grains on the stigmas.
Bag the spike after Cross pollination has taken place.
Label the necessary information

8. CONTROLLED
CROSS
POLLINATION
The female line will be covered before stigma
emergence with butter paper
After most of the stigma have emerged. Pollen
from desired male parent is collected and
dusted on to the female line.
Care should be taken to cover pollen parent
previous day with butter paper bag.
The crossed heads are labeled

9. OTHER
METHODS
❖ Use of male sterility
• Male sterility (CGMS) may be incorporated
for genetic emasculation of bajra:
• The male sterility conditioned by recessive
genes is introduced in to plants to be used as
females by back crossing and the genetic
emasculation is completed.
❖ Hot water treatment
• Dip the spike in hot water having a desired
temperature of 45-50oC for 1 to 10 minutes
depending up on the variety

10. THANK YOU