Breeding Grain Mold Resistant Sorghum Cultivars

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth important cereal crop after wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in the world. It is cultivated in about 46 million ha with a total production of 62 million t (FAO 1998). Asia and Africa account 86% of the total area under sorghum, but their contribution towards total production is only 58% (FAO 1998). Nearly 90% of sorghum is grown in rainy season while postrainy season sorghum in India accounts for the remaining area. Sorghum grain yield potential is high. However, there is a gap of about 3 t ha-1 in yield between research station yield trials and farmers’ fields in India (AI