Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167313
Title: REGISTRATION OF 'HORIZON' PROSO MILLET

Author
item BALTENSPERGER, D - UNIV OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN
item FRICKEL, G - UNIV OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN
item KRALL, J - UNIV OF WYOMING LARAMIE
item Vigil, Merle
item HAIN, J - COLO STATE UNIVERSITY
item JOHNSON, J - COLO STATE UNIVERSITY
item STYMIEST, C - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item RICKERTSEN, J - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2003
Publication Date: 3/1/2004
Citation: Baltensperger, D.D., Frickel, G.E., Krall, J.M., Vigil, M.F., Hain, J., Johnson, J., Stymiest, C., Rickertsen, J.R. 2004. Registration of 'horizon' proso millet. Crop Science. v. 44 p. 688.

Interpretive Summary: Proso-millet is an economically viable, drought tolerant alternative crop to winter-wheat. Proso is grown on 800,000 to 1,000,000 acres of cultivated dryland in the Central Great Plains region (CGPR). In this research, a new variety of Proso-millet was selected and released to the public for seed production in February of 2003. Horizon is an F4 selection from a bulk proso population that included the varieties: Sunup, Rise, Dawn, Cope, Earlybird, Sunrise, and Huntsman. Researchers selected Horizon from several random crosses made between the parent populations for two generations. Then single-seed selection of promising individuals was continued for three more generations. Horizon was then evaluated for 8 years in yield nurseries in Nebraska and in regional trials in Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota. Horizon is similar in maturity to Sunrise and Earlybird but later that Dawn. Horizon finishes grain fill 2-3 days earlier than either Sunrise or Earlybird.. Yield, and disease resistance is comparable to the best varieties in current production and insect avoidance due to relative maturity differences is slightly better than varieties used in the parent population. Horizon is a good varietal option for Proso-millet growers in the CGPR.

Technical Abstract: Proso-millet is an economically viable alternative crop to winter-wheat and is grown on 800,000 to 1,000,000 acres of cultivated dryland in the Central Great Plains region. In this research, a new variety of Proso-millet was selected and released to the public for seed production in February of 2003. Horizon is an F4 selection from a bulk proso population that included the varieties: Sunup, Rise, Dawn, Cope, Earlybird, Sunrise, and Huntsman. The population was created using hot water emasculation of one half of the plants and random pollination for two generations followed by single-seed descent for three generations. Horizon was then evaluated for 8 years in yield nurseries in Nebraska and in regional trials in Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota . Horizon is similar in maturity to Sunrise and Earlybird but later that Dawn. Horizon finishes grain fill 2-3 days earlier than either Sunrise or Earlybird.. Yield, and disease resistance is comparable to the best varieties in current production and insect avoidance due to relative maturity differences is slightly better than varieties used in the parent population.