Genetics of charcoal rot resistance in rabi sorghum

Charcoal rot studies in a 10-parent diallel of sorghum revealed that two parents, E36-1 and M35-1, were resistant to the three charcoal rot related attributes, namely, lodging per cent, mean numberof nodes crossed and mean length of spread. The combining ability analysis has shown that the gca effects for the resistant parents, E36-1, M35-1 and CSV-5, were negative (desirable direction) and significant, while the susceptible parents CSV-8R and SPV-232 had positive and significant gca effects. Out of the 45 crosses evaluated, significant sca effects in the desired direction were observed in seven crosses for lodging, in three crosses for mean number of nodes crossed, and in two crosses for mean length of spread. Three crosses, i.e. M35-1 x CSV-8R, M35-1 x 36-1, and CSV-8R x E36-1, appear to be promising in obtaining desirable segregates in subsequent generations.