Khalid M. Orna¹, Ahmed M. El Naim^2,, Sheikh A. Ibrahim², Gamar Aldawla Abdel Motalib Ahmed³

Pearl millet is an important food and forage crop for Sudan. It has many uses in food products as well as a forage crop. It has become the staple food for millions of people in the Western Sudan (Darfur and North Kordofan) who live on a semi-desert fringes and arid region. It is the cereal crop that has a great potential for ensuring food security and income in marginal areas for its suitability to the extreme limits of agriculture. The study was carried out at the Crop Sciences Experimental Farm, University of Kordofan, Elobeid, Sudan, during 2020-2022 seasons to evaluate the agronomic and yield of some pearl millets local races of different genetic background and origin were collected from Darfur and Kordofan. The treatments consisted of twelve local races designated as P₁, P₂, ..., and P₁₂ and Three cultivars (Faris, Ombader and Ashana). The total number of treatments were fifteen. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Characters studied included: the number of productive tillers per plant, panicle length (cm), panicle width (cm), seed weight (g panicle^-1), 1000-seed weight (g), number of seeds panicle^-1, grain yield (Kg ha^-1), straw yield (kg ha^-1), threshing % and Harvest index. Data analysis showed that the local races had significant effect (P≤ 0.05) on the most of yield attributes. The local race P₃ had the highest panicle width (2.9 cm) and grain yield (540 kg ha^-1). The local race P₁₂ displayed the highest number of reproductive tillers per plant (7) and a highest harvest index (23%). The local races (P₃ and P₁₂) demonstrated superiority concerning some agronomic characteristics and grain yield. Henceforth the study recommended those local races to be used by millet breeders and growers of North Kordofan to attained highest grain yield.

dukhn, aish barno, grain yield, harvest index, millet