Year: 2008
Type: book
Abstract: Sorghum is one of the most important cereal crops in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) of Asia, \nAfrica and Latin America. Traditionally, it is grown for food, feed and fodder needs and of \nlate it is emerging as an important bioenergy crop. Sorghum production is constrained by \nseveral biotic and abiotic stresses depending on the production environment. Although \nit is predominantly self-pollinated, the discovery of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and \ngenetic male-sterility (GMS) has enabled easy cross-pollination in sorghum. The case \nof pollination control in sorghum has become a boon for sorghum researchers, thus \nenabling development of both pure-line varieties (as in self-pollinated crops) and hybrids \nand open-pollinated populations (as in cross-pollinated crops). Genetic enhancement \nof sorghum for economic traits per se and plant defense traits that stabilize the crop \nperformance requires thorough knowledge about different end uses, nature and \nintensity of different production stresses, and sound theoretical and applied knowledge \nof genetic and crop breeding principles. Rapid progress in biotechnology research \nhas provided powerful tools to sorghum researchers, which complement conventional \ncrop improvement efforts to develop desired products. Production of pure and high \nquality seeds of genetically improved cultivars and their delivery to the target farmers in \nrequired quantities at the right time is the key for achieving high productivity in farmers’ \nfields. The 32 chapters contributed by 37 specialists in this book is based on a joint \ntraining course on a range of topics including importance of sorghum, pollination control \nmechanisms, phenology of crop growth, germplasm diversity and utilization, genetic \nmale sterility (GMS) and cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) systems and their utilization, \ndevelopment of CMS-based male sterile lines (seed parents) and their fertility restorer \nlines (R-lines), development of GMS facilitated open-pollinated populations, heterosis \ntheories and their harnessing, techniques to screen insect pests and diseases, seed \nproduction principles and practices, alternative uses of sorghum, linking producers and \nprocessors. This book serves as a valuable resource and will be of significant interest \nto those working on sorghum improvement.
Authors: B V S Reddy, S. Ramesh, A Ashok Kumar, C. L. L. Gowda
Language: English
Topic: Genetics and Plant Breeding
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W8624688