Pearl millet is a major staple cereal crop worldwide and genetic biofortification with enhanced grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations are ongoing efforts to combat micronutrient malnutrition. There is limited information on the nature and magnitude of gene action for Fe and Zn densities, yield and its component traits in pearl millet. Therefore, generation mean analysis was carried out with six basic generations viz., P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁ and BC₂ derived from nine crosses using 18 parental lines of diverse pedigree. Analysis of variance revealed that genotypes were significant for days to flowering, days to maturity, panicle length, panicle girth, plant height, number of productive tillers per plant, grain yield per plant, 1000 grain weight, grain iron content and grain zinc content in all the crosses while, non significant for days to maturity and 1000 grain weight in crosses J 2340 × 30291 and ICMB 10444 × ICMB 97222, respectively. Generation mean analysis studies revealed that inheritance of grain yield per plant and contributing traits were governed by additive, dominance and varied types of nonallelic interactions. The additive and varied nonallelic interactions were observed in few crosses for days to maturity, plant height, panicle girth, 1000 grain weight and grain iron content. Similarly, dominance and varied types of nonallelic interactions were present in limited crosses for days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of productive tillers per plant, panicle length and panicle girth. The dominance gene action was observed in cross J 2372 × 30610 for number of productive tillers per plant and J 2454 × 30348 for panicle length while, additive gene action was exhibited in cross 30727 × J 2523 for days to maturity and J 2340 × 30291 for panicle length in pearl millet. Presence of duplicate epistasis in most of the crosses for all the traits except number of productive tillers per plant indicated prevalence of greater genetic diversity. While, complementary epistasis was restricted to limited crosses for days to flowering, plant height, number of productive tillers per plant, panicle length and grain yield per plant. For grain Fe and Zn content varied nonallellic interactions in combination with additive and dominance gene actions played a major role in influencing the trait. However, nonallelic gene interactions with only additive (d) gene actions played a major role in genetic control of grain iron content in crosses J 2340 × 30291, 30127 × J 2556, ICMB 10444 × ICMB 97222 and 30843 × ICMB 98222. Moreover, one cross 30725 × ICMB 05333 showed only additive gene effect and additive × dominance component of genic interaction for grain zinc content. This information can be utilized in developing pearl millet lines with high grain Fe and Zn content.

珍珠粟是世界范围内的主要谷物作物，通过提高谷物铁 (Fe) 和锌 (Zn) 浓度的遗传生物强化正在努力对抗微量营养素营养不良。关于珍珠粟中 Fe 和 Zn 密度、产量及其成分性状的基因作用的性质和大小的信息有限。因此，对6个基本世代进行世代均值分析，即P ₁、P ₂、F ₁、F ₂、BC ₁和BC ₂来自使用不同血统的 18 个亲本系的 9 个杂交。方差分析表明，基因型对开花天数、成熟天数、穗长、穗周长、株高、单株分蘖数、单株产量、千粒重、籽粒铁含量和籽粒锌含量均显着。所有的杂交，而分别在杂交 J 2340 × 30291 和 ICMB 10444 × ICMB 97222 中对成熟天数和 1000 粒重不显着。代均值分析研究表明，单株谷物产量和贡献性状的遗传受加性、显性和不同类型的非等位基因相互作用的控制。在成熟天数、株高、穗周长、1000粒重和粒重铁含量的少数杂交中观察到加性和不同的非等位基因相互作用。类似地，在开花天数、成熟天数、植物高度、每株植物分蘖数、穗长和穗周长的有限杂交中存在优势和不同类型的非等位基因相互作用。在单株分蘖数 J 2372 × 30610 和穗长 J 2454 × 30348 中观察到显性基因作用，而在成熟天数和 J 2340 × 30291 中对成熟天数和 J 2340 × 30291 表现出加性基因作用。珍珠粟的穗长。除了每株植物的多产分蘖数外，所有性状的大多数杂交中都存在重复上位性，表明遗传多样性较高。而互补上位性仅限于有限的杂交数天到开花、植物高度、每株植物的生产分蘖数、穗长和单株籽粒产量。对于谷物 Fe 和 Zn 含量，不同的非等位基因相互作用以及加性和显性基因作用在影响性状方面发挥了主要作用。然而，仅具有加性 (d) 基因作用的非等位基因相互作用在杂交 J 2340 × 30291、30127 × J 2556、ICMB 10444 × ICMB 97222 和 30843 × ICMB 98222 中谷物铁含量的遗传控制中起主要作用。此外，一个cross 30725 × ICMB 05333 仅显示出籽粒锌含量的加性基因效应和基因相互作用的加性 × 优势成分。该信息可用于开发具有高颗粒 Fe 和 Zn 含量的珍珠粟生产线。然而，仅具有加性 (d) 基因作用的非等位基因相互作用在杂交 J 2340 × 30291、30127 × J 2556、ICMB 10444 × ICMB 97222 和 30843 × ICMB 98222 中谷物铁含量的遗传控制中起主要作用。此外，一个cross 30725 × ICMB 05333 仅显示出籽粒锌含量的加性基因效应和基因相互作用的加性 × 优势成分。该信息可用于开发具有高颗粒 Fe 和 Zn 含量的珍珠粟生产线。然而，仅具有加性 (d) 基因作用的非等位基因相互作用在杂交 J 2340 × 30291、30127 × J 2556、ICMB 10444 × ICMB 97222 和 30843 × ICMB 98222 中谷物铁含量的遗传控制中起主要作用。此外，一个cross 30725 × ICMB 05333 仅显示出籽粒锌含量的加性基因效应和基因相互作用的加性 × 优势成分。该信息可用于开发具有高颗粒 Fe 和 Zn 含量的珍珠粟生产线。