AbstractPrincipal component analysis has been used in this study to describe the associations among 17 traits measured on progenies developed from matings of two adapted pearl millet inbreds with three exotic pearl millets. The exotic parents were a primitive I and race, a weedy relative, and a wild relative. The first three components were calculated for these matings and the associations defined. Correlations between these components and grain yield and growth rate were also determined. The first principal component described a hybrid index in five of the six matings, and a number of other complexes of traits were determined by this component or the other two. Some were common to several matings. The first three components accounted for only 50–60% of the total variability; thus no strong association of trans was found that would hinder recombination of parental types to select agronomically desirable segregates with high grain yield or growth rat