Sorghum Variety MRS 13 (SDSV 1513)

MRS 13 is originally a kafir germplasm line identified as IS 2391. From ICRISAT Asia Center (IAC), India, it was re-introduced into the southern Africa region by the Southern African Development Community (SADC)/ICRISAT Sorghum and Millet Improvement Project (SMIP), and indexed as SDS 1513. For two seasons, the line was observed together with other lines in the observation breeding nurseries at Malkerns Research Station in Swaziland. Individual head-row selections were made from the line bulks. Seed was increased during the 1985 and 1986 offseasons, and evaluated in a preliminary yield trial in 1985/86, in an advanced yield trial in 1986/87, and in multilocational national elite variety trials in 1987/88 and 1988/89. In winter 1988, single-plant progenies from the selected lines were sown for uniqueness purification tests and certification by the Swaziland Seed Quality Control authorities and the Swaziland Seed Multiplication Project. They were then bulked separately to comprise MRS 13. The varieties were finally evaluated in 1989/90-1991/92 under both on-station and on-farm conditions in six agroecological environments