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Dwarf grain pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] seed parents NM-A^sub 1^ (Reg. no. PL-37 cms A^sub 1^, PI 613101), NM-1A^sub 4^ (Reg. no. PL-37 cms A^sub 4^, PI 613102 ), and NM-1B (Reg. no. PL-37, PI 613103); NM-2A, (Reg. no. PL-38 cms A^sub 1^, PI 613104 ), NM-2A^sub 4^ (Reg. no. PL-38 cms A^sub 4^, PI 613105 ), and NM-2B (Reg. no. PL-38, PI 613106); NM-3A, (Reg. no. PL-39 cms Al^sub 1^, PI 613107), NM-3A^sub 4^ (Reg. no. PL-39 cms A^sub 4^, PI 613108) and NM-3B (Reg. no. PL-39, PI 613109); NM-- 4A^sub 1^, PL-40 cms A^sub 1^, PI 613110), NM-4 A^sub 4^ (Reg. no. PL-40 cms A^sub 4^, PI 613111), and NM-4B (Reg. no. PL-40, PI 613112); NM-- 5A^sub 1^ (Reg. no. PL-41 cms A^sub 1^, PI 613113), NM-5A^sub 4^ (Reg. no. PL-41 cms A^sub 4^, PI 613114), and NM-SB (Reg. no. PL-41, PI 613115) were released by the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, in May 1998. Each seed parent is available in both the A^sub 1^ (Burton, 1958) and A^sub 4^ (Hanna, 1989) cytoplasmic-nuclear male sterile (CMS) systems. The same B line maintains the male sterility in both systems. These seed parents provide new genetic diversity for producing early pearl millet grain hybrids and the A^sub 1^ and A^sub 4^ CMS seed parent options provide access to a wider range of male parent diversity. The A^sub 4^ CMS system also has advantages for developing parental lines, production of hybrid seed, and consistency of pollen production in hybrids (Rai et al., 2001).
NM-1B (90PV0293B) and NM-2B (92M59022B) were both derived from F^sub 2^ selections made in 1984 at the Department of Agronomy Farm at the University of Nebraska's Agricultural Research and Development Center (ARDC), Mead, NE, from the cross ICMB 81/KS 79-2068B. ICMB 81 is a dwarf B-line from ICRISAT, India, that has resistance to downy mildew [caused by Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) J. Schrot.]. KS 79-- 2068B is a B-line donated by W.D....