Sorghum Varieties Research Articles

Exploring the on-farm Potential of Improved Sorghum Varieties for Scaling in Dry Lowland Areas of Ethiopia

Feeding the world's growing population has become a global issue due to climate change, which has resulted in low agricultural productivity. Although an attempt has been made to feed this growing population by introducing improved agricultural technologies that boost productivity, the sustainability of these technologies is not promising as farmers insist to use traditional method of production. The study was conducted in the districts of Gololcha and Shanana Kolu to investigate the on-farm potentials of Melkam, Tilahun, and Argiti varieties. Melkam had a higher grain yield (3628 kg/ha) than Argiti (3234 kg/ha), Tilahun (3050 kg/ha), and the districts average sorghum productivity (2320 kg/ha). The mean yield comparison results of yield performances revealed a significant difference (p0.05). Melkam variety had the highest net benefit of 97,432 ETB. The higher gross margin (97,432 ETB per hectare) was received from Melkam with marginal benefit advantage of 57,306 ETB over the local, Argiti (44,698) and Tilahun (38,810 ETB) per hectare. The mean weight score of the selected traits revealed that grain yield and injera-making quality were the top priorities for women farmers, while grain yield and earliness were the top priorities for men farmers. The preference of the men and women found to be different which indicates considering gender needs during scaling of technologies. As a result, it is recommended that Melkam variety to be scaled up with the recommended production practices in the study areas and areas with similar agroecology to improve production and farmers' income.

Functional insight into multi-omics-based interventions for climatic resilience in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor): a nutritionally rich cereal crop.

Thearticle highlights omics-based interventions in sorghum to combat food and nutritional scarcity in the future. Sorghum with its unique ability to thrive in adverse conditions, has become a tremendous highly nutritive, and multipurpose cereal crop. It is resistant to various types of climatic stressors which will pave its way to a future food crop. Multi-omics refers to the comprehensive study of an organism at multiple molecular levels, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Genomic studies have provided insights into the genetic diversity of sorghum and led to the development of genetically improved sorghum. Transcriptomics involves analysing the gene expression patterns in sorghum under various conditions. This knowledge is vital for developing crop varieties with enhanced stress tolerance. Proteomics enables the identification and quantification of the proteins present in sorghum. This approach helps in understanding the functional roles of specific proteins in response to stress and provides insights into metabolic pathways that contribute to resilience and grain production. Metabolomics studies the small molecules, or metabolites, produced by sorghum, provides information about the metabolic pathways that are activated or modified in response to environmental stress. This knowledge can be used to engineer sorghum varieties with improved metabolic efficiency, ultimately leading to better crop yields. In this review, we have focused on various multi-omics approaches, gene expression analysis, and different pathways for the improvement of Sorghum. Applying omics approaches to sorghum research allows for a holistic understanding of its genome function. This knowledge is invaluable for addressing challenges such as climate change, resource limitations, and the need for sustainable agriculture.

Nutrient composition of Sorghum-Based Rations and their effect on growth of Improved Indigenous Chicken in Western Kenya

Improved indigenous chicken contributes to the nutrition of farmers in rural communities. The use of maize as an energy source in chicken diets is becoming unacceptable due to competition from humans, resulting in high feed costs. Alternative energy sources like low-tannin sorghum can be grown in Western Kenya. The objective of the study was to determine the nutrient composition of sorghum-based diets and the growth of improved indigenous chicken in Busia and Siaya Counties. Dietary treatments consisted of 50% (T1), 75% (T2) sorghum inclusion, and control (commercial diet) (T3). Farmers on semi-intensive were provided dietary treatments, and free-range (T4) was not provided. Feed samples were subjected to laboratory analysis for proximate composition, amino acids, and tannin content. Growth characteristics were collected biweekly. Data were subjected to analysis of variance, and then means that differed significantly were separated using Tukey’s test in Genstat 14th edition. For proximate composition, dry matter was significantly (p<0.05) higher in T2 (91.9%) and T3 (92.1%) compared to T1 (91.4%). Crude fat was significantly (p<0.05) higher in T2 (9.54%) than in T1 (6.84%) and T3 (6.57%). The crude fibre was significantly (p<0.05) higher in T3 (14.3%) compared to T1 (3.37%) and T2 (3.62%). Crude protein was significantly (p<0.05) higher in T2 (15.8%) and T1 (15.2%) compared to T3 (12.6%). Metabolisable energy was significantly (p<0.05) lower in T3 (2723 Kcal/Kg) compared to T1 (3569 Kcal/Kg) and T2 (3684 Kcal/Kg). Amino acids (lysine, methionine, cysteine, and tryptophan) content in diets T2 and T3 were significantly (p<0.05) higher than T1. The tannin content of the sorghum variety C26 was 1.24%. T1 had a significantly high (p<0.05) mean final weight (970 g), body weight gain (804 g), daily weight gain (14.4 g), and feed conversion ratio (5.57). Mortality was highest at T4 (17.1%). It was concluded that the inclusion of 50% low tannin sorghum meets chicken feed nutritional requirements and is best for growth performance. The study recommended that farmers rearing chicken should plant low tannin sorghum to be utilized as feed ingredient to cut the cost of production

Use of hybridization to develop new sorghum varieties and hybrids

Hybridization is the main method for developing new breeding material, obtaining genetic variability, and combining desired traits. The purpose of the current work is to characterize new promising varieties and hybrids of sweet and grass sorghum developed by the “ARC “Donskoy” because of hybridization on a sterile and fertile basis. The study was conducted on the breeding field of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”, Zernograd, Rostov region in 2021–2023. The zone is characterized by ordinary carbonate chernozem (3.2 % of humus, 10–40 mg/kg of phosphorus, 70–110 mg/kg of nitrogen, 300–500 mg per kg of soil of potassium). Meteorological conditions during the years of study (2021–2023) were contrasting: in 2022, HTC = 0.52 indicated average aridity and insufficient moisture with 0.81–0.82 in 2021 and 2023. The objects of the study were the varieties and hybrids of Sudan grass and sugar sorghum developed by the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”. As a result of hybridization on a sterile basis, there was developed a number of sorghumSudan hybrids (‘Jetta x Kudesnitsa’, ‘APV-1115 x Topolina’, ‘APV-1115 x FP’, ‘Dobrynya’, ‘Gordey’) and sweet sorghum hybrids (‘APV-115 x Yuzhnoye’, ‘Jetta x Severanay Vishnya’, ‘Duet’), allowing to obtain green mass yields of 51–63 and 47–49 t/ha, which was higher than the standard by 5–17 t/ha (10.8–37.0 %) and 5–7 t/ha (11.9–16.7 %) respectively. Using intervarietal hybridization, almost all varieties developed by the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” have been created. Among them there are the Sudan grass varieties ‘Alisa’, ‘Gratsiya’, ‘Anastasiya’, ‘Kudesnitsa’, ‘FP’ and the sweet sorghum varieties ‘Yuzhnoe’, ‘Feniks’, ‘Orfey’, ‘SK-20/334’, ‘Severanay Vishnya’ with a green mass yield of 40–48 and 34–38 t/ha, which is higher than that of standard varieties by 3–11 t/ha (8.1–29.7 %) and 7–11 t/ha (25.9–40.7 %), respectively. Thus, hybridization is the main method for developing new breeding material and combining the desired traits in new samples.

Effects of Soil Moisture Conservation and Nutrient Management on Soil Water Content and WUE of Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in Eastern Ethiopia

Water and nutrients are the most constraining factors in sorghum production in semiarids of eastern Ethiopia. Combining soil moisture conservation and nutrient management practices may reduce these limitations. The study was carried out to explore the effects of combining soil moisture preservation and integrated nutrient management practices on soil water content and water-use efficiency (WUE) of grain sorghum. A split plot experiment was conducted at Babile and Erer districts amid the 2017 cropping season. Main plots were assigned to soil moisture conservation practices (flatbed and tied ridge) and the sub-plots were assigned to six nutrient combinations of 0N0P kg + t FYM; 46N10P kg + t FYM ha-1; 0N0P kg + 5 t FYM ha-1; 23N5P kg + 2.5 t FYM ha-1; 46N10P kg + 2.5 t FYM ha-1 and 23N5P kg + 5 t FYM ha-1. Treatments were randomized in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The sorghum variety 'Teshale' was used as a test crop. The results uncovered that both biomass and grain water-use efficiencies considerably improved with tied ridges coordinates with NP and FYM than other treatments. Tied ridges combined with 46N10P kg + 2.5 t FYM ha-1 and 23N5P kg + 5 t FYM ha-1 were way better than those of tied edges. The tied edges with 46N10P kg + 2.5 t FYM ha-1 (M5) as compared to unfertilized flatbeds, had brought about approximately 110 and 99% increment in biomass WUE and around 114 and 124% increment in grain WUE at Babile and Erer areas, respectively. Essentially, soil water content was higher for tied ridges amended with FYM and integrated NP and FYM as compared to other treatments. We, hence, concluded that combining moisture conservation impacts with the integrated nutrient amendment would improve soil water content and water-use efficiency of grain sorghum in eastern Ethiopia.

THE EFFECT OF MOISTURE LEVELS ON PRODUCTIVITY INDICATORS OF SORGHUM VARIETIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF BUKHARA REGION

The article presents the data obtained based on the study of productivity characteristics of the Karabash, Massino, Samurai, Uzbek Pakana and Uzbek-18 varieties of sorghum under different moisture conditions. It was determined that some of the indicators that determine the productivity in different moisture conditions - the growth rate of the varieties, the expansion of the leaf surface, the net productivity of photosynthesis, etc., change at different levels in the cross-section of the varieties, depending on the level of their resistance.

Unmanned aerial vehicle imagery prediction of sorghum leaf area index under water stress, seeding density, and nitrogen fertilization conditions in the Sahel

AbstractSahelian Africa must meet the challenge of providing enough food to meet its growing population. Therefore, novel breeding and intensive production methods are needed to mitigate this challenge. The objective of this study was to calibrate and validate sorghum varieties leaf area index (LAI) values estimated from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at different growing seasons in Senegal and Mali. To achieve this objective, four experiments were conducted with 14 sorghum (sorghum bicolor) varieties between 2017 and 2019. At the study sites, LAI was measured and crop reflectance was measured with a multispectral camera mounted on a UAV. The study showed that normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and simple ratio (SR) were highly correlated to the area index. The results of validation model revealed a better prediction of measured LAI from NDVI (R2 = 0.92) and SR (R2 = 0.89) vegetation indices in 2019 dry season in Senegal. In addition, the LAI predictions for Mali from NDVI (p < 0.01) and SR (p < 0.01) were highly correlated. Findings showed that vegetation indices can be used to estimate LAI in Mali and Sahel.

Germination: A Powerful Way to Improve the Nutritional, Functional, and Molecular Properties of White- and Red-Colored Sorghum Grains.

This study explored the effects of the germination of red and white sorghum grains (Sorghum bicolor [Moench (L.)]) for up to seven days on various properties of the grain. Germination enriched sorghum's nutritional and sensory qualities while mitigating existing anti-nutritional factors. The study employed Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy techniques to support its findings. Germination increased protein and lipid content but decreased starch content. White sorghum grains showed elevated calcium and magnesium but decreased iron, potassium, and zinc. Red sorghum grains showed a consistent decrease in mineral content during germination. Germination also increased fiber and lignin values in both sorghum varieties. The results of the FT-IR analysis demonstrate that germination induced significant changes in the molecular structure of white sorghum samples after 24 h, whereas this transformation was observed in red sorghum samples at four days. Total phenolic content (TPC) in red sorghum ranged from 136.64 ± 3.76 mg GAE/100 g to 379.5 ± 6.92 mg GAE/100 g. After 72 h of germination, the germinated seeds showed a threefold increase in TPC when compared to ungerminated seeds. Similarly, the TPC of white sorghum significantly increased (p < 0.05) from 52.84 ± 3.31 mg GAE/100 g to 151.76 mg GAE/100 g. Overall, during the 7-day germination period, all parameters showed an increase, and the germination process positively impacted the functional properties that contributed to the health benefits of white and red sorghum samples.

Investigation of changes in the fine structure of sorghum starch in the baijiu fermentation process

In fermentation to produce the alcoholic liquor baijiu, sorghum starch is the main carbohydrate source, being hydrolyzed and converted into ethanol and aromatics. The mechanisms of starch hydrolysis which affect fermentation quality and efficiency are not fully understood. To investigate this, three sorghum varieties were used as fermentation material, with two fermentation methods. Changes in the amounts of various components and in starch molecular structure in lees (sediment) during fermentation were investigated. The lees from waxy sorghum had higher fermentation rates and saccharification power than those from normal sorghum in the early stage of fermentation, but decreased below those of normal sorghum in the end stage of fermentation, due to increased accumulation of acid, which inhibited enzyme activities, and even stopped fermentation. The chain-length distributions of both amylopectin and amylose in the lees did not show significant changes with fermentation, showing that starch in sorghum grain cannot be hydrolyzed directly, but only by hydrolysis of starch leached from the grain into the water; this is in accord with data from electron micrographs indicating that starch hydrolysis happened in the leachate rather than in the lees. This information can help manufacturers fine-tune their processes to improve production processes and product.

Monitoring Drought Tolerance Mechanisms of Sorghum and Maize Under Unevenly Distributed Precipitation

The study examines the morpho-physiological differences in leaf characteristics between two species of C4 plants: sorghum and maize. The research was conducted in field conditions where plants were rainfed. Both species different varieties were cultivated at two distinct sites that exhibited variations in soil texture and drought stress incidence according to the vegetation condition index (VCI). Samples were collected during various growth stages to analyze the relative water content (RWC), proline levels, and stomatal density. Sorghum plants displayed higher RWC, proline levels, and stomatal density than maize plants. In sorghum, the biochemical traits, such as the proline content, may play a more critical role in withstanding water-limited conditions than in maize in our experiment. Under the same water restriction period, sorghum showed higher RWC levels. Sorghum plants reduced stomatal density under more water-limited conditions, which proves its plasticity. Additionally, early maturation played a crucial role in both species. The early sorghum variety KWS Kallisto and maize variety Walterinio KWS had a more stable yield at both sites. Nevertheless, the highest yields were found in the later varieties, KWS Hannibal and KWS Inteligens. The higher proline levels and the relative water content are drought-tolerant mechanisms and may be used to indicate drought intensity in field conditions. Our findings spotlight the influence of genetic diversity and genotype-environment interactions in determining crop responses to drought stress, providing valuable information for future breeding programs to enhance drought tolerance in crops.

Perbaikan Retensi Air dengan Aplikasi Bahan Organik pada Pertanaman Sorgum

This study aimed to determine the role of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes Mart.) organic matter on water retention at pF 2.54 and pF 4.2, available water content, and bulk density (BD). The research method used was a factorial randomized block design. The first factor was the sorghum variety, which consisted of 2 levels, namely, V1 (variety) and V2 (Kawali). The second factor was the dose of water hyacinth organic matter, which consisted of 5 levels, namely P0 (without the application of water hyacinth organic matter), P1 (10 tons.ha-1), P2 (20 tons.ha-1), P3 (30 tons.ha-1), and P4 (40 tons.ha-1). Water retention was measured at pF 2.54 and pF 4.2 using a pressure plate apparatus and pressure membrane apparatus, respectively, and BD was measured using the ring method. The results showed that the treatment of organic matter application and varieties had a significant effect on water retention at pF 2.54, available water content, and BD with the best treatment of 40 tons of organic matter application and Kawali variety, but not affecting water retention at pF 4.2. There was no interaction between water hyacinth organic matter and sorghum varieties to improve water retention and BD. The highest water retention at pF 2.54 was 32.24% (P4), and the highest available water content was 11.67% (P4) but not significantly different from P3 (11.55%); the lowest BD was 1.11 g.cm-3 (P4) but not significantly different from P3 (1.13 g.cm-3). A very strong positive linear and negative linear correlation exists between available water content and BD with plant height, panicle length, and sorghum yield.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: bulk density, water hyacinth, water content, water retention, sorghum

Differential physiological and production responses of C3 and C4 crops to climate factor interactions.

This study examined the effect of the interactions of key factors associated with predicted climate change (increased temperature, and drought) and elevated CO2 concentration on C3 and C4 crop representatives, barley and sorghum. The effect of two levels of atmospheric CO2 concentration (400 and 800 ppm), three levels of temperature regime (21/7, 26/12 and 33/19°C) and two regimes of water availability (simulation of drought by gradual reduction of irrigation and well-watered control) in all combinations was investigated in a pot experiment within growth chambers for barley variety Bojos and sorghum variety Ruby. Due to differences in photosynthetic metabolism in C3 barley and C4 sorghum, leading to different responses to elevated CO2 concentration, we hypothesized mitigation of the negative drought impact in barley under elevated CO2 concentration and, conversely, improved performance of sorghum at high temperatures. The results demonstrate the decoupling of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation and production parameters in sorghum. High temperatures and elevated CO2 concentration resulted in a significant increase in sorghum above- and below-ground biomass under sufficient water availability despite the enhanced sensitivity of photosynthesis to high temperatures. However, the negative effect of drought is amplified by the effect of high temperature, similarly for biomass and photosynthetic rates. Sorghum also showed a mitigating effect of elevated CO2 concentration on the negative drought impact, particularly in reducing the decrease of relative water content in leaves. In barley, no significant factor interactions were observed, indicating the absence of mitigating the negative drought effects by elevated CO2 concentration. These complex interactions imply that, unlike barley, sorghum can be predicted to have a much higher variability in response to climate change. However, under conditions combining elevated CO2 concentration, high temperature, and sufficient water availability, the outperforming of C4 crops can be expected. On the contrary, the C3 crops can be expected to perform even better under drought conditions when accompanied by lower temperatures.

Действие биопрепаратов на ростовые параметры Sorghum sudanense (Рiper) Stapf

Abstract. The purpose of the study was to study the effectiveness of microbiological preparations on the growth characteristics of Sudan sorghum under the conditions of the Vologda region on the background with and without fertilizers. Methodology and methods. Research work was first carried out in the Vologda region in the experimental field of FSBSI “Vologda Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences” in 2022. Biopreparations based on living cells of microorganisms were used, the basis of the drug “Naturost-Aktiv” consists of cell culture Lactobacillus buchneri, “Naturost-M” – Bacillus megaterium. The object of the study was Sudanese sorghum variety Zemlyachka. Small-scale field experiment included the following variants: control (1 var.), control + fertilizer (2 var.), biopreparation (3 var.), biopreparation 1 + fertilizer (4 var.), biopreparation 2 + fertilizer (5 var.). Repetition of the experiment – 3 times, the area of recording plot 5 m2. Indicators are presented by 4 counts per season. Results. The total bushiness in the variant with the “Naturost-Aktiv” increases by 35.3 %, an increase of 29.4 % to the control is noted in the variant “Naturost-Aktiv” + fertilizer. Productive bushiness was fixed in each variant, the maximum increase to the control was 45.5 % in the variant control + fertilizer. The greatest gain to the control of 42.5 % in the average area of the leaf surface was determined in the variant with the use of the drug “Naturost-M” and fertilization. Scientific novelty. For the first time a study on Sudan sorghum variety Zemlyachka in the conditions of the Vologda region using the biopreparation “Naturost-Aktiv” based on the cell culture Lactobacillus buchneri and “Naturost-M” – Bacillus megaterium on the background with and without fertilizers, which then can be recommended to increase the adaptation of plants and increase productivity, in turn Sudan sorghum can be recommended as a basic or auxiliary element of crop rotation.

Analysis of projected climate change in sorghum growing semi-arid rift valley of Ethiopia

Global warming projected to have a significant impact on agricultural water availability for crops in Africa in particularly in Ethiopia. Therefore, the study was conducted to analyze the projected change of temperature and rainfall in sorghum growing semi-arid rift valley of Ethiopia. The weather data for 11 stations were generated using AgiMP5 technique for RCP 4.5 and 8.5 and for the period of 2050s and 2080s. MAKESENS employed for the detection of trend of extreme indices. InStat v3.37 were used for the analysis of start, end, and length of growth season. Under RCP 4.5, the projected mean annual minimum air temperatures in CRV, ERVE and NRVE could increase respectively by 1.9 °C (2050s) and 2.6 °C (2080s), 1.8 °C (2050s) and 2.5 °C (2080s) and 1.88 °C (2050s) and 2.69 °C (2080s). Under RCP 8.5, however, with same location it will projected to increase in both time frames (2050s and 2080s) in all studied sites. The mean annual maximum air temperature, projected under RCP 4.5 in the CRV, ERV and NRVE will increase by 1.59 °C (2050s) and 2.18°C (2080s),1.42 °C (2050s) and 2.08 °C (2080s) and 1.46 °C (2050s) and 2.09 °C (2080s) respectively. However, under the RCP 8.5, at same regions it projected to rise in both periods (2050s and 2080s). This will be convoy with increase of the hot and cold extremes’ indices in regions. The mean percentage change of annual rainfall is projected to decrease insignificantly in (0.6-5.5% and 2.6%) and increase (0.85-12.3% and 22.3%) in half of the stations located in CRV and ERVE, whereas, in NRVE it will projected to increase (6.1-14.6%) under RCP 4.5 in all stations in 2050s. Though the annual projected rainfall under RCP 4.5 in 2080s will decline in range of 2.1-10.1%, 3.12-4.5% and 0.9-4.6% at CRV, ERVE and NRVE respectively. In most of the location in CRV and ERVE stations growing season rainfall will projected to decline from 1.45% to 53.8% and 0.8 to 8.8%, whereas, in NRVE it will projected to increase in 9.2 to 19% under RCP 4.5 in period of 2050. The projected SOS will be changed in mixed pattern, whereas and LGP will prolonged in most locations. The findings indicated that there has been a change of projected climate change in semi-arid RV, which will be alter the agricultural practices in depletion of soil moisture. Therefore, in adjusting planting timing and using early/medium maturation sorghum varieties, may be necessary for farmers in the region. Soil and water management needs attention.

Studies on the physiological quality of stored sorghum seed concerning germinative parameters

Seed germination and the field crop stand that is necessary for the higher yield area ffected by the physiological quality of the seed i.e. the seed viability and vigor. The Rabi sorghum seed is considereda”moderate storer” as its viability fluctuates drastically under warm and humid storage conditions. In the present research,we evaluated the stored Rabi sorghum seed material for its physiological quality particularly vigor and viability as germinative evaluation criteria. The seeds of Rabi sorghum variety, SPV-1411, SPV-1595, CSV-22R, CSV-29R and SPV2407 were stored in air-tight plastic containers and kept under ambient laboratory conditions were evaluated for germinative criteria. The storage of seeds resulted in the deterioration of seed vigor as evidenced by the decline in the various parameters investigated.

Effects of supplementing &lt;i&gt;Masakwa&lt;/i&gt; creamy white sorghum with selected synthetic enzymes on the performance and cost benefit of broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted at the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi to investigate the growth performance and cost benefit of broiler chickens fed Masakwa creamy white sorghum supplemented with three selected synthetic enzymes: Natuzyme, Maxigrain and Phytase. Five experimental diets were formula ted for the broiler chickens at both the starter ( 23% CP ) and finisher ( 20% CP ) phases labeled as Diets 1: maize control, Diet 2: sorghum without enzyme, Diet 3: sorghum supplemented with Natuzyme, Diet 4: sorghum supplemented with Maxigrain and Diet 5: sorghum supplemented with Phytase. Three hundred (300) broiler unsexed “Marshal” chicks were randomly allotted to the dietary treatments with four replications each and 15 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period of eight weeks. Results showed that at the starter phase, daily feed intake (49.23-60.26g), daily weight gain (23.11-32.28g) and feed conversion ratio(1.87-2.13g); at the finisher (101.11-146.29g; 30.01-69.07g and 2.12-3.37), and the overall phases (75.17-103.22g; 26.57-50.68g and 2.00-2.75) were significantly (P&lt;0.05) different across the treatments. The best performance was obtained on maize diet closely followed by enzyme supplemented sorghum based diets, while the least was observed in unsupplemented sorghum diet. Based on the cost benefit analysis, Diet 1 (maize based diet) had the cheapest feed cost while the highest value was on Diet 2 (unsupplemented sorghum diet) for all the phases. It can therefore be concluded that Masakwa sorghum supplemented with different enzymes can be used in broiler chicken diets for better performance in comparism with the unsupplemented sorghum diet. It is economical to supplement Masakwa sorghum variety with any of the synthetic enzyme because the feed cost ₦/kg gain is lower than the values on unsupplemented sorghum diet.

Lodging Variability in Sorghum Stalks Is Dependent on the Biomechanical and Chemical Composition of the Stalk Rinds

Stalk lodging contributes to significant crop yield losses. Therefore, understanding the biomechanical strength and structural rigidity of grain stalks can contribute to improving stalk lodging resistance in crops. From the structural constituents of the stalk, the rind provides the principal structure, supporting cells against tension and bending loads. In this work, the biomechanical and viscoelastic behavior of the rind from the internodes of two sweet sorghum varieties (Della and REDforGREEN (RG)), grown in two different growing seasons, were evaluated by three-point micro-bending tests using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). In addition, the chemical composition of rinds and the microfibril angle (MFA) of the cell wall were determined using XRD. The results revealed that the biomechanical behavior of Della varieties was stiffer and more resistant to loads than that of RG varieties. Two features of the rind biomechanical properties, flexural modulus (FM) and flexural strength (FS), showed a significant reduction for RG. Particularly, a reduction in FS of 16–37% and in FM of 22–41% were detected for RG1. Changes in the stalks’ rind biomechanical properties were attributed to cell wall components. Total lignin and glucan/cellulose contents were positively correlated with the FM and FS of the rind. Subsequently, an increase in the two cell wall components drove an increase in stiffness. Furthermore, the MFA of the rind was also found to influence the rind strength.

The total phenolic compound and sorgoleone content as possible indirect indicators of the allelopathic potential of sorghum varieties ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

The total phenolic compound and sorgoleone content as possible indirect indicators of the allelopathic potential of sorghum varieties ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Assessment of Varietal Resistance and Fungicides on Management of Smut Disease of Sorghum in Central Tanzania

Sorghum smut disease caused by the fungus Sporisorium spp is one of the serious constrain on the productivity and quality of the sorghum grain yield especially in areas where farmers do not treat seeds before planting where grain yield loss of up to 80% is reported in different parts of the world. A Randomized Complete Block Design experiment was laid down to determine the relatively higher resistant sorghum variety and proper fungicide for management of smut disease in central Tanzania. The materials used in this experiment included some selected genotypes of sorghum (Wahi, Hakika, Macia, , Langalanga Gombela and one commercial variety). with different selected fungicides (Seed Watch 20WS, Apron Star WS 42% and Snow Angel W30% DS). Results revealed that, there was high significant difference among sorghum varieties tested (P&lt; 0.05) on disease incidence and severity whereby the lowest incidence and severity of 4.57% and 11.41% respectively were recorded on Commercial variety while highest incidence 22.18% and Severity 19.07% were in Langalanga landrace. Among fungicides the lowest disease incidence and severity (3.72 and 11.15 respectively) were observed on Apron stars fungicide (20% Metalaxyl-m, 20% Thiamethoxa and2% Difenoconazole) while the highest incidence (36.93%) and severity (26.68%) were recorded on control. From the present study, smut management using combination of improved sorghum varieties with the application of seed dressing fungicides especially with Metalaxyl-m, Thiamethoxam and Difenoconazole is recommended for use in central part of Tanzania.

Identification of heterosis and combining ability in the hybrids of male sterile and restorer sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] lines.

In sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], combining ability and heterosis analysis are commonly used to evaluate superior parental lines and to screen for strongly heterotic hybrids, which helps in sorghum variety selection and breeding. In this context, combining ability and heterosis analysis were assessed using 14 restorer lines and seven cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines in 2019 and 2020. The analysis of variance of all cross combinations had highly significant differences for all characters studied, which indicated a wide variation across the parents, lines, testers, and crosses. Combining ability analysis showed that the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) of the different parents were differed significantly among different traits. Most combinations with high SCA also showed high GCA in their parent lines. The heritability in the narrow sense of grain weight per panicle and grain yield was relatively low, indicating that the ability of these traits to be directly inherited by offspring was weak, that they were greatly affected by the environment. The better-parent heterosis for plant height, grain weight per panicle, panicle length, and 1000-grain weight was consistent with the order of mid-parent heterosis from strong to weak. The GCA effects of two lines 10480A, 3765A and three testers 0-30R, R111, and JY15R were significant for the majority of the agronomic traits including grain yield and might be used for improving the yield of grains in sorghum as parents of excellent specific combining ability. Seven strongly heterotic F1 hybrids were screened; of these, hybrids 3765A × R111, 1102A × L2R, and 3765A × JY15R showed significant increases in seed iristectorigenin A content and will feature into the creation of new sorghum varieties rich in iristectorigenin A.