Characterization of Sorghum Germplasm Collected from Gujarat

The preliminary characterization of 107 accessions of sorghum landraces was carried out at DSR, Hyderabad and SDAU, Deesa (Gujarat) during kharif 2008 to 2010. The data on qualitative and quantitative descriptors were recorded using minimal descriptors. The accessions studied, exhibited good variability in both qualitative and quantitative traits. The preliminary characterization of sorghum landraces revealed that stem fresh and dry weight, plant height, ear head length and width, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity are the most variable characters. The qualitative characters have also shown high variability. High positive and significant correlation was observed among days to flowering, plant height, number of leaves/plant, stem thickness, stem fresh and dry weight, leaf length and days to maturity which help to identify early genotypes with high biomass. The positive significant correlation of grain yield/plant with 100-seed weight may help to select the high grain yielding genotypes. Based on the results of the mean over the environment (location x year) some potential accessions identified for significantly high brix per cent (E 147, E 151, ERN 22, E 148 and E159) for sweet sorghum breeding, the fodder lines with high stem fresh and dry weight (ERN 9, ERN 11, ERN 17, ERN 7 and ERN 16), for high grain yield (E 145, EJN 13, ERN 31 and EJN 31) and early maturity (EJN 7, EJN 9, EJN11, EJN 15 and EJN 24). These potential germplasm may be used in the forage, dual purpose, grain and sweet sorghum varietal improvement programme.