Variability for grain iron and zinc contents in pearl millet hybrids

Dietary deficiency of mineral micronutrients such as iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) has been recognized as a worldwide human health problem, especially in the developing countries (Welch and Graham 2004). The pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) research program at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has undertaken to address this issue through the development of improved breeding materials with the elevated levels of these micronutrients for eventual use in cultivar development. Pearl millet, grown on 26 million ha in some of the most marginal arid and semi-arid tropical environments of Asia (11 million ha) and Africa (15 million ha), is a major source of dietary energy and nutritional security for a vast population in these regions