Sorghum - icrisat

Races unique to sorghum
Harlan and deWet (1972) developed a
simplified classification of cultivated sorghum
(Sorghum bicolor (L.) Monech) into five basic,
and ten hybrid races that proved to be of real
practical utility for sorghum researchers. The
basic races are bicolor, caudatum, durra,
guinea and kafir (Figure 1). The hybrid races
are intermediate as expected. The 15 races of
Figure 1. Sorghum classification by basic spikelet
type.
Production constraints
The yield and quality of sorghum produce in Group
I countries is affected by a wide array of biotic
(pests and diseases) and abiotic stresses (drought
and problematic soils). These are shoot fly (India
and eastern Africa), stem borer (India and Africa),
midge (eastern Africa and Australia) and head bug
(India and western and central Africa [WCA])
among pests; grain mold (all regions), anthracnose
(WCA and northern India) and Striga (all regions
in Africa) among diseases; drought (all regions) and
problematic soils – saline (some parts of India and
Middle-East countries) and acidic (Latin America)
– which together (except saline and acidic soils)
cause an estimated total yield losses to the tune of
US$3032 million (www.agbiotechnet.com/pdfs/
0851995640).
In Group I countries the sorghum grain productivity
was dismally low (0.7 t ha -1 ) because of these
production constraints and the use of traditional
cultivars (low-yielding) and production practices
when the ICRISAT was established. ICRISAT targeted
its research primarily in Group I countries, although
it had spillover effects in Group II countries as well
by improving sorghum productivity through genetic
and natural resources management that directly
cultivated sorghum are identified by mature
spikelets alone, although head type is
sometimes helpful. The International Plant
Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) Advisory
Committee on Sorghum and Millets
Germplasm has accepted and recommended
this classification to be used in describing
sorghum germplasm (IBPGR/ICRISAT 1980).
translates into food security in Africa and income
gains through improved competitiveness for
sorghum in Asia’s sorghum-based industrial markets.
We, at ICRISAT describe in this proposal how
ICRISAT’s partnership sorghum research turned
around the fortunes of millions of resource-limited
farmers in world’s SAT through significant
improvements in realized incomes not only from
the higher productivity (thus assuring food security)
of commercial crop, but also from hybrid seed
production activities and broadened utility of
sorghum.
ICRISAT’s strategy and mission
The International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) was established in
1972 with its headquarters at Patancheru, Andhra
Pradesh, India. Sorghum is one of its five mandate
crops. The low productivity levels in sorghum were
due to the several reasons mentioned above.
ICRISAT through crop improvement, natural
resources management and socio-economic
research aims to improve the living standards of
the poor in marginal environments in SAT regions
by increasing agricultural productivity and food
security, and by reducing poverty and protecting
the environment in partnership with national
agricultural research systems (NARS) (Annexure I).
Breeding processes
The breeding processes involving partners have
undergone changes at ICRISAT because of changes
in external environment, donors’ perceptions, NARS
capacity and ICRISAT research management
structures. The identification of geographic
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