colour served as a marker for the identification of hybrid seedlings, as distinct from seedlings with light green plumules as a result of possible selfing that occurred on the pearl millet panicles. The identified purple seedlings were subsequently moved into seed boxes in the nursery on the eighth day. Preliminary screening was conducted in the screenhouse of the Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Wooden boxes with inside measurements of 50 × 40 × 15 cm with perforations at the base were filled with sieved topsoil and placed on a supporting metal stand at 100 cm above ground level for proper aeration and drainage. The soil in the boxes was manually irrigated till saturation before the seedlings were places at 10 × 5 cm distance. Wetting of the soil was carried out twice daily, in the morning and evening, using 2000 ml of water. This lasted for 21 days. The observed vigorous seedlings were earmarked for transplanting.