Genetic Variability for Agronomic Traits in Sorghum Minicore Collection

Sorghum is a major cereal crop globally with economically important uses such as food, feed, fodder, fuel, and fiber. Crop improvement and precision breeding can be achieved by understanding and utilizing the variability in sorghum germplasm collection. A total of 242 germplasm accessions of sorghum minicore were assessed for the extent of variability, trait associations and genetic diversity. Sorghum minicore collection was evaluated for agronomic traits in two post-rainy seasons at ICRISAT- Patancheru, India. Large variability was observed for agronomic traits and strong associations between the traits studied. The 242 minicore accessions were grouped into six clusters under a hierarchical dendrogram. Genotypes from diverse clusters can be used in crossing programs to combine desirable traits and can be used as donors in breeding programs