Downy Mildew Reactions of Pearl Millet Lines With and Without Cytoplasmic Male Sterility. K. Anand Kumar, Principal Plant Breeder, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Centre Sahelian, Niger. R. P. Jain, Principal Millet Breeder, ICRISAT/Agricultural Research Corporation, P.O. Box 126, Wad Medani, Sudan; and S. D. Singh, Plant Pathologist, ICRISAT, Patancheru P.O., Andhra Pradesh 502 324, India. Plant Dis. 67:663-665. Accepted for publication 29 November 1982. Copyright 1983 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-67-663.

A total of 2,976 breeding progenies of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) from four different sources possessing male-sterile and normal cytoplasm of the A₁ sterile system were evaluated for susceptibility to downy mildew (caused by Sclerospora graminicola) employing an effective field-screening technique. Lines carrying male-sterile cytoplasm were found to be not more susceptible than those with normal cytoplasm, indicating that in pearl millet the A₁ male-sterile cytoplasm is not involved in determining susceptibility to downy mildew.