ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

Sweet sorghum male-sterile line development: A total of 10 crosses were made involving lines with high Brix
(SSV 84, ICSV 700) and low Brix (ISIAP DORADO, BTx 623), and high-yielding lines (ICSB 52 and ICSB 101).
The 10 F 1 s are planted in 2006 postrainy season for advancement.
Milestone: 5A.6.1.2: Six new high-yielding sweet sorghum restorers identified (BVSR/HDU, 2008)
Sweet sorghum varietal and restorers trial: Based on the performance of sweet sorghum varieties and restorers in
the trial during the 2005 rainy season, 45 lines were selected and evaluated along with the checks SSV 74, SSV 84
and NSSH 104. Compared to the sugar yield in checks (SSV 74: 1.2 t ha -1 , SSV 84: 0.5 t ha -1 and NSSH 104: 1.1 t
ha -1 ), 14 varieties were significantly superior (1.67 to 3.0 t ha -1 ). Some of the lines had high brix reading but poor
juice yield. They include IS 21991 (21.2), SP 4511-3 (21.0) and SP 4511-2 (20.0). These lines will be used in
crossing program. The performance of the top five high-yielding lines for sugar yield is given in Table 3.
BVS Reddy
Table 3. Performance of selected sweet sorghum varieties/restorers (at maturity stage) - 2005
postrainy season at ICRISAT, Patancheru
Plant Cane Juice
height yield yield Brix reading
Variety/restorer
Days to 50%
flowering (m) (t ha -1 ) (t ha -1 ) at maturity
SP 4484-2 94 2.0 36.3 18.08 16.0 3.0
SP 4487-3 95 2.1 35.3 14.0 17.7 2.4
SP 4504-2 95 2.2 33.3 14.0 17.3 2.3
SP 4482-2 94 2.2 29.8 13.2 18.7 2.3
SP 4482-1 95 2.0 33.4 13.4 17.0 2.2
SSV 84 (Check) 86 1.5 10.7 2.7 17.3 0.5
NSSH 104 (Check) 86 2.0 19.5 7.6 14.2 1.1
SSV 74 (Check) 88 2.1 18.9 6.5 18.7 1.2
Mean 94 1.9 20.6 7.6 16.2 1.2
CV (%) 1.9 7.9 27.8 23.5 12.0 28.9
CD (5%) 2.85 0.24 9.28 2.90 3.15 0.57
Sugar yield based on
Brix reading and
juice yield (t ha -1 )
Output target 5A.7: Stay-green QTLs associated with improved fodder quality introgressed into elite
sorghum hybrid parents and their potential utility assessed (2010)
Activity 5A.7.1: Mapping and introgression of stay-green QTL into elite parental lines, and assessment of
their effects on hybrid performance
Milestone 5A.7.1.1: Assessment of near-isogenic BC 3 F 3 and BC 4 F 3 stay-green QTL introgression lines completed in
R 16 and ISIAP Dorado backgrounds (2010)
Evaluation of early-generation R 16 stay-green QTL introgression lines: We completed two years of field
evaluation of the initial (BC 1 and BC 2 ) stay-green (non-senescent) introgression lines with 1−4 QTL in the
background of the Indian postrainy season sorghum variety R 16. The primary objectives of the evaluation were to
(1) assess the phenotypic expression of various stay-green QTL under postrainy season conditions, when available
(stored) soil moisture is limited, and stress-induced crop senescence is the norm, and (2) assess the effects of staygreen
on the ability to maintain grain yield in moisture-deficit environments and on the ruminant nutritional quality
of stover. There were differences in the senescence patterns of the various QTL introgression lines, but in general,
across all test environments, the average percent green leaf area (% GLA) of all the introgression lines fell between
the values of the two parents. Even though a number of the introgression lines contained many of the putative staygreen
QTL from B 35, none demonstrated the same degree of stay-green as did B 35, especially in the latter part of
the grain-filling period. Nevertheless, the data indicated that the transfer of various stay-green QTL from B 35 to R
16 was successful in improving the stay-green character of the latter, in both stress and non-stress conditions.
There were significant, linear and positive (although somewhat variable) relationships of the ability to maintain
normal green leaf area, and normal grain filling with 100-grain mass (r 2 = 0.32 and 0.56) and grain yield (r 2 = 0.34
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