Evaluation of Sorghum Germplasm from China against Claviceps africana, Causal Agent of Sorghum Ergot

Abstract

Forty Chinese sorghum landraces maintained by the USDA-ARS Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit, Griffin, GA were evaluated for ergot resistance at the Texas A&M Research Farm, College Station, Texas, during the 2005 and 2006 growing seasons. The male sterile line, ATx623, was included as a susceptible control and three IS8525 derived lines were included as resistant controls. The disease infection level was low in the susceptible check in 2005 due to unfavorable environmental conditions, but the majority of the Chinese accessions showed a higher level of tolerance than the resistant controls and in contrast, infection severity was high in 2006. The IS8525 resistant controls averaged 25% infection compared to an average infection of 18% for the 40 Chinese accessions. Four Chinese accessions, PI63923, PI511832, PI610749, and PI610688, recorded less than 10% ergot infection and thus, these four accessions may possess genes for ergot resistance. Further research is underway to evaluate these accessions under multi-environments to confirm resistance and to determine if the resistance is associated with pollination characteristics. Accepted for publication 19 February 2008. Published 19 May 2008.