The aim of this study was to identify sorghum hybrids that have both high yield and phenotypic stability in Brazilian environments. Seven trials were conducted between February and March 2011. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with 25 treatments and three replicates. The treatments consisted of 20 simple pre-commercial hybrids and five witnesses of grain sorghum.
The breeding of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, aimed at improving its nutritional quality, is of great interest, since it can be used as a highly nutritive alternative food source and can possibly be cultivated in regions with low rainfall. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential and genetic diversity of grain-sorghum hybrids for traits of agronomic and nutritional interest.
Sorghum grain yield can be significantly affected by climatic changes, especially drought and high temperature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate hybrids of grain sorghum grown under normal irrigation conditions or water stress in order to select those likely to be more tolerant of drought. Forty-nine hybrids were grown in a randomized block design experiment, with three replications. The plots consisted of four rows of 5 m length. Grain yield, weight of 1000 grains, harvest index, days to flowering, and plant height were measured.
The genetic diversity of Saudi locally growing sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) cultivars has not been thoroughly characterized. To understand the genomic patterns of diversification in Saudi sorghum cultivars (N = 7), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used as a rapid, inexpensive method for providing information regarding genomic variability below the species level. Six commercially available primers were initially used to select a single primer based on availability, universality, and its use with standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions.
Sweet sorghum has considerable potential for ethanol and energy production. The crop is adaptable and can be grown under a wide range of cultivation conditions in marginal areas; however, studies of phenotypic stability are lacking under tropical conditions. Various methods can be used to assess the stability of the crop. Some of these methods generate the same basic information, whereas others provide additional information on genotype x environment (G x E) interactions and/or a description of the genotypes and environments.
