Understanding Genetic Diversity of Sorghum Using Quantitative Traits.

Sweta Sinha,N Kumaravadivel

doi:10.1155/2016/3075023

Abstract

Sorghum is the important cereal crop around the world and hence understanding and utilizing the genetic variation in sorghum accessions are essential for improving the crop. A good understanding of genetic variability among the accessions will enable precision breeding. So profiling the genetic diversity of sorghum is imminent. In the present investigation, forty sorghum accessions consisting of sweet sorghum, grain sorghum, forage sorghum, mutant lines, maintainer lines, and restorer lines were screened for genetic diversity using quantitative traits. Observations were recorded on 14 quantitative traits, out of which 9 diverse traits contributing to maximum variability were selected for genetic diversity analysis. The principle component analysis revealed that the panicle width, stem girth, and leaf breadth contributed maximum towards divergence. By using hierarchical cluster analysis, the 40 accessions were grouped under 6 clusters. Cluster I contained maximum number of accessions and cluster VI contained the minimum. The maximum intercluster distance was observed between cluster VI and cluster IV. Cluster III had the highest mean value for hundred-seed weight and yield. Hence the selection of parents must be based on the wider intercluster distance and superior mean performance for yield and yield components. Thus in the present investigation quantitative data were able to reveal the existence of a wide genetic diversity among the sorghum accessions used providing scope for further genetic improvement.

Highlights

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is the world’s fifth most important cereal, after wheat, rice, maize, and barley [1, 2]
Sorghum was domesticated in African continent, in Ethiopia, from where it was introduced to other regions of the world with diverse agroclimatic conditions [4]
Observations consisted of days to 50% flowering (DFL), days to maturity (DMY), plant height (PHT), panicle length (PNL), panicle width (PWD), leaf length (LFL), leaf breadth (LFW), number of leaves per plant (NPL), stem girth (SGT), number of primary branches per panicle (NPB), hundred-seed weight (HWT), yield per plant (YLD), panicle weight (PWT), and dry matter production (DMP)

Summary

Introduction

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is the world’s fifth most important cereal, after wheat, rice, maize, and barley [1, 2]. It is a major food crop in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia and is the staple food for the most food insecure people in the world [3]. Sorghum was domesticated in African continent, in Ethiopia, from where it was introduced to other regions of the world with diverse agroclimatic conditions [4]. A wide diversity is found within and among the sorghum cultivars at both phenotypic and genotypic level [5, 6]. Understanding the wealth of genetic diversity in sorghum will facilitate further improvement of this crop for its genetic architecture [7]

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion