Breeding strategies to improve sorghum quality

Abstract

Sorghum is an important grain crop grown for human consumption worldwide. The crop is classified into various races with the wild and cultivated sorghums included. The cultivated sorghums have a great phenotypic diversity which breeders can exploit for further improvement. The exploitation of the genetic diversity requires effective characterization of the genetic pool. The genotypes can be characterized using morphological, molecular markers, and analysis of nutritional quality traits. Characterization is performed with the purpose of sourcing new genes for crop improvement to combat hunger and malnutrition in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Attempts were made to improve sorghum protein quality through mutation and genetic engineering but information on the use of classical breeding methods to improve sorghum protein quality and the combining ability of parental lines for improved protein quality is still limited. The effects of gene action on sorghum for yield and protein quality are essential for researchers and plant breeders for their breeding programmes aiming to develop hybrids and for further genetic improvement. Moreover, outcomes of nutritional quality studies are of paramount importance to scientists in various research disciplines. This article reviews the characterisation, combining ability and efforts for improving sorghum protein quality.