Variability for Salt Tolerance in Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. under Hydroponic Conditions

The response of seedlings of 51 Sorghum bicolor accessions to 0, 50, 100, 150, 175, and 200 mM NaCl in solution culture was examined. Plant growth was measured as longest root lengths, maximum shoot lengths, and total plant dry weights after 14 days. Increasing NaCl concentration caused significant reductions in all three characters. Accession response to increasing NaCl also varied. The data suggest that increase in NaCl tolerance in this species through recurrent selection may be possible.     

高粱微卫星分析中遗传完整性样本量的确定

采用微卫星分析高粱不同样本量对遗传多样性指数的影响,从而确定最佳样本量,为遗传完整性研究奠定基础。试验设置了10个样本量梯度,对群体的等位基因数目、有效等位基因数目、香农指数、观察杂合度、预期杂合度、多态位点百分数和稀有等位基因频率的变化趋势进行了分析。结果表明,10～40个样本量范围内,等位基因数目、有效等位基因数目、香农指数、多态位点百分数随着样本量的增大而增大;在40个样本量时,等位基因数目、有效等位基因数目和香农指数达到较高值,分别代表了100个群体98.5%的等位基因数、99.1%的有效等位基因数和98.5%的香农指数,之后样本量继续增加,各指标变化不显著。稀有等位基因频率在40个样本量以上,随着样本量的增加数值变化很小。以稀有等位基因频率、等位基因数、有效等位基因数和香农指数为多样性指标,在高粱遗传完整性研究中样本量大小的确定上达到一致性。因此,建议在用SSR技术对高粱进行遗传完整性分析时,样本量要选择40个单株以上。     

Heritability estimates of variation for NaCl tolerance in Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench seedlings

Summary Data on root lengths of two-week-old seedlings of 51 Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench accessions germinated in 50, 100, 150, 175, and 200 mM NaCl solutions were used to estimate broad sense heritabilities of variation for salinity tolerance.Estimates of broad sense heritabilities ranged from 0.38 to 0.73, the highest being in 50 mM NaCl, suggesting that there is potential for improving salinity tolerance in the species through selection and breeding.     

Isozyme Analysis of Some Male Sterile Lines in Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

A comparative study of peroxidase and acid phosphatase of anthers was carried out on sorghum to characterize five male steriles and their maímainers. Differences in presence/absence and intensity of bands were observed for the isozyme patterns of all the male steriles and their corresponding maintainers. The better expression of enzymes in sterile anthers emphasized the role they play in breaking down various metabolites that are otherwise important for formation of fertile anthers.     

Intra-specific Variation for Salt Tolerance in Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Thirty-six accessions of linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.) were screened for salt tolerance at the seedling stage after 2 weeks growth in solution culture salinized with 150mol m⁻³ NaCL Considerable variation in salt tolerance was observed in this set of germplasm. Two salt-tolerant accessions, T-5(69-S9)B and LS-2 and two salt-sensitive accessions P-70 and Aver-Rer-Seic, selected at the seedling stage, were grown to maturity in sand culture salinized with 0 (control), 70, 140, and 210 mol m⁻³ NaCl. Both the salt-tolerant accessions exceeded the two salt-sensitive accessions in biomass production, seed yield, and yield components, but the accessions did not differ significantly in seed oil content in the salt treatments. The tolerant accessions accumulated greater amounts of Na⁺ in the shoots and less in the roots compared with the salt-sensitive accessions. The shoot K⁺, K: Na ratios, and K⁺ versus Na⁺ selectivity were lower in the salt-tolerant accessions compared with the salt-sensitive accessions; the reverse was true for their roots. Contributions of Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ to osmotic adjustment were much higher in the two salt-tolerant accessions than in the salt-sensitive ones.
It has been established that there is a great deal of variation for salt tolerance in linseed. The degree of salt tolerance of this crop does not vary during ontogeny. The physiological basis of salt tolerance of this species appears to be associated with the inclusion of Na⁺ in the shoots.     

Molybdenum Uptake and Nitrate Reductase Activity in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench). Evidence for Heterosis

The absorption of Mo by the roots and. transport to the shoot of intact seedlings of a sorghum hybrid and its parent cultivars were measured for 3 h from 10 to 100 μmol ammonium molybdate. The patterns of absorption revealed hybrid vigour and the hybrid followed the patterns of the male- parent 168. Studies on the effects of different amounts of Mo on the nitrate reductase activity also showed the occurrence of hybrid vigour in the- hybrid CSH-7.     

高粱与苏丹草杂种优势利用的研究

高粱与苏丹草杂种优势明显,F1单株生物产量性状高于双亲平均值,甚至超过或接近高亲。影响高粱-苏丹草杂交种单株茎叶鲜重的主要因素是主茎粗、叶长;决定单位面积鲜草产量的主要是密度、叶长和单株茎叶鲜重。多年随机区组试验结果表明,杂交种单位面积鲜草产量显著超过苏丹草,并以30万株/hm2为最适种植密度。杂交种营养品     

Studies on Seed Residues Following Carbofuran Application in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) with Reference to Viability

Soil application of different formulations of carbofuran at 3.0 and 1.5 g.a.i. metre row⁻¹ did not have any impact on vigour and viability of the resultant seeds of sorghum. Fresh seeds from encecap 'A', encecap 'B' and furadan treated plots contained higher residues than the permissible limits and in artificially aged seeds the quantities were below the permissible limits. The degradation was evident with the growth and development of seedlings grown from fresh and aged seeds. Residues from lower doses dissipated faster than higher doses. The general decline in percentage germination and vigour could not be attributed to the residual toxicity but only to the ageing phenomena.     

外源亚精胺对盐胁迫下甜高粱(Sorghum bicolor)幼苗的影响

为探究外源亚精胺(spermidine,Spd)对盐胁迫下甜高粱幼苗生长及生理生化的影响,以‘辽甜1号’甜高粱为试验材料,采用不同浓度(0.5 mmol/L,1.0 mmol/L,1.5 mmol/L)的Spd喷施处理165 mmol/L NaCl胁迫下的甜高粱幼苗,测定处理7 d和15 d后甜高粱幼苗的叶绿素、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白、脯氨酸(Pro)、丙二醛(MDA)含量和净光合速率(Net photosynthetic rate,Pn)、气孔导度(stomatal conductance,Gs)、胞间CO2浓度(intercellular CO2 concentration,Ci)、蒸腾速率(transpiration rate,Tr)以及超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase,SOD)、过氧化物酶(peroxidase,POD)、过氧化氢酶(catalase,CAT)和抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(ascorbate peroxidase,APX)活性等生理生化指标,测定处理15 d后甜高粱幼苗的株高、鲜重、干重及幼苗相对含水量。结果表明,盐胁迫显著抑制了甜高粱幼苗的生长及生理生化指标,喷施不同浓度Spd可提高盐胁迫下甜高粱幼苗叶片叶绿素含量、Pn、Gs、Tr,降低Ci,提高可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白和Pro含量,降低MDA含量,提高SOD、POD、CAT和APX活性。说明在盐胁迫下外源喷施Spd能够增强甜高粱幼苗的光合作用,促进幼苗生长,同时增加渗透调节物质含量,提高抗氧化物酶活性以稳定细胞内环境,从而增强甜高粱幼苗的耐盐性,其中1.0 mmol/L的Spd处理效果最佳。本研究为利用外源Spd缓解植物盐胁迫伤害提供科学依据,为提高甜高粱幼苗的耐盐性提供一种新的手段。     

QTL analysis of salt tolerance in Sorghum bicolor during whole-plant growth stages

To study the salt tolerance genetics of sorghum, 181 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were used to locate quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying salt stress adaptability. Six traits, namely, plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), total biomass (TB), stem fresh weight (SFW), juice weight (JW) and Brix, were investigated under normal and salt stress conditions in two years. A total of 53 QTLs for the six traits under both conditions and their corresponding salt tolerance index (STI) were detected and phenotypic variation explained (PVE) ranged from 4.16% to 20.42%. Six of the QTLs, qTB6, qSFW9, qJW9, qBrix2, qBrix10 and qSTI-Brix9, were the main effect QTLs controlling salt tolerance and had a PVE more than 10%. qSFW9 and qJW9 colocalized in the same marker interval as SB5069-UGSM18 and had PVEs of 17.70% and 14.20%, respectively, with positive effects from L-Tian. QTL clusters controlling PH, TB, STI-TB, SFW and JW were consistently mapped in the marker interval of Xcup19-SB4177 on chromosome 7. These locations might serve as target sites for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in improving salt tolerance of sorghum.     

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] landrace variation and classification in North Shewa and South Welo, Ethiopia

Fourteen phenotypic characters were chosen for the purpose of obtaining taxonomic evidence on the resemblances of 177 accessions of sorghum from North Shewa and South Welo regions of Ethiopia. Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA) and Modeclus cluster analysis were conducted to see if the 177 accessions could form clusters based on their morphological characters, and to test the consistency of farmers’ naming of the five most common Sorghum landraces represented by 44 accessions. Multivariate analyses grouped the 177 accessions into three clusters linked by a few phenotypic intermediate landraces. A botanical key was established for easy classification of the Sorghum crop plants grown in the study area. The number of accessions of the five most common landraces named by the farmers formed dissimilar groups, suggesting that farmers’ naming of these Sorghum landraces are consistent. Midrib color, grain color, grain size, glume color, glume hairiness, and grain shape were the leading morphological characters used by the farmers in naming these Sorghum landraces. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

不同类型高粱中胚轴伸长特性的研究

以84份不同类型高粱品种（系）为试验材料,研究高粱中胚轴伸长特性,并筛选不同中胚轴伸长特性种质,为进一步研究高粱出苗能力奠定基础。结果表明,所有参试材料中胚轴平均长度为6.5cm,不育系、保持系、杂交种、恢复系和地方品种中胚轴平均长度分别为4.7、5.1、5.8、7.0和8.4cm。不同类型高粱中胚轴伸长能力不同,其伸长能力表现为地方品种>恢复系>杂交种>不育系、保持系。以中胚轴长度为指标的UPGMA（类平均法）聚类分析结果显示,参试的84份种质可以分为5种类型,即极长中胚轴类型、长中胚轴类型、中胚轴长度中间类型、短中胚轴类型和极短中胚轴类型。杂交种中胚轴伸长的杂种优势属于负向中亲优势。     

Comparative genome mapping of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench using an RFLP map constructed in a population of recombinant inbred lines

A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) linkage map of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench was constructed in a population of 137 F_6-8 recombinant inbred lines using sorghum, maize, oat, barley and rice DNA clones. The map consists of 10 linkage groups (LGs) and 323 markers, 247 of which (76.5%) were ordered at a LOD score ≥ 3.0. The LGs comprise from 61 (LG A) to 13 markers (J), which range in length from 205 (A) to 55 cM (J) and have a combined total length of 1347 cM. Highly significant distorted segregation was detected at all of the 38 loci in a 103-cM segment of LG A, the allelic ratios in the segment ranging from approximately 3:1 (one end) to 19:1 (middle) to 2:1 (other end). Duplicated loci located in different LGs have been mapped with 55 of the 295 DNA probes used in the study (18.6%). The distribution of these loci does not provide support for the hypothesis that Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is of tetraploid origin. Comparison of the map with RFLP maps of maize, rice, and oat produced evidence for sorghum-maize LG rearrangements and homoeologies not reported previously, including evidence that: (1) a segment of maize 5L and a segment of 5S may be homoeologous to sorghum LGA; (2) maize LGs 4 and 6 are partly homoeologous to sorghum LGE; (3) the short arm of maize LG 2 is partly homoeologous to sorghum LGF; (4) maize LG 4 may be partly homoeologous to sorghum LG G; (5) maize LG 5 and sorghum LG G contain a larger amount of homoeologous genetic material than previously indicated; and (6) a short segment of maize LG 1 may be homoeologous to a short segment of sorghum LG I.     

Genetic and Phenotypic Association between Yield Components in Hybrid Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) populations

Summary The magnitude of genetic expression and associations among traits are important for the prediction of response to selection in diverse environments and provide the basis for planning and evaluating breeding programs. In this regard, a cross classification mating design was used to produce hybrid sorghum populations, which were evaluated in a randomized completed block design with three replications at four environments in Northern Cameroon. Data on grain yield, days to anthesis, plant height, inflorescence length, threshing percentage and seed mass were collected and subjected to statistical genetic analyses. Significant genotype × environment interaction effects were observed for all traits. Genetic variance was essentially attributed to additive gene effects, with dominance variance for grain yield being negligible. However, the reverse was observed for threshability. Genetic variance components were much higher for plant height and grain yield than for days to anthesis, seed mass and threshability. Heritability estimates for plant height and inflorescence length were high (77 and 54 percent respectively) while the estimates for grain yield and threshability were low (14 and 5 percent respectively). Grain yield had positive genotypic correlation with most of the traits. Days to anthesis were negatively correlated with vegetative and reproductive traits. These results suggest that improvement of days to anthesis, plant height, and inflorescence length should be faster because of higher heritabilities and greater phenotypic variation. However, selection for earliness and reduced plant height would not be possible without hampering grain yield. Selecting for yield primary components namely inflorescence length and seed weight would be effective for increasing production. In addition, optimizing agronomic practices and improved experimental design would increase the selection efficiencies.     

A genetic study of popping quality in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Summary Two crosses of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (IS 1054 × ICSV-1, and IS 5604 × IS 1054) were evaluated in parental, F1, F2, and backcross generations for the variation in their popping quality as measured by pop volume (ml). Dominance was in the direction of low pop volume. Dominance and additive gene effects, in that order, governed most of the variation, while significant dominance x dominance type of interaction effects could also be detected. There was no evidence for higher order gene interactions.Approved as Journal Article 630 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, P.O. 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India.     

Fluorimetric Determination of the Genetic Variability Existing for Chilling Tolerance in Sweet Sorghum and Sudan Grass

Chilling temperatures drastically inhibited the photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (q_Q) measured in intact leaves photosynthesizing under steady-state conditions. This effect appeared, however, to be characteristic of chilling-susceptible plant species and was not observed in plants which are known to be chilling-tolerant, indicating that the measurement of q_Q can serve in practice to estimate rapidly the relative chilling tolerance of crop plants. A large number (28) of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense) genotypes were screened for chilling tolerance using this rapid q_Q method. Although sweet sorghum and sudan grass obviously behaved as chilling-sensitive plants, a considerable variation for chilling susceptibility was observed among the different genotypes tested. Some sweet sorghum varieties, such as ‘Dale’ and ‘Keller’, and most of the sudan grass varieties appeared to possess a certain degree of resistance towards low temperature stress, indicating the existence of useful germplasms in Sorghum for improving stress tolerance.     

In vitro screening and field evaluation of tissue-culture-regenerated sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) for soil stress tolerance

Summary Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is generally quite sensitive to salt and acid (high aluminium) soil stresses, but quite tolerant of drought stress. As with any stress phenomenon, intra-specific variability exists within the genus. In vitro cell selection and somaclonal variation offer an alternative to traditional breeding methodology for generating improved breeding lines for hybrid development. A field selection protocol was developed for the three soil stresses and inter-stress evaluations were conducted in an effort to find multiple, stress-tolerant genotypes. The acid soil-drought stress, super-tolerant selections were located by the R₇ generation when exposed to a combined aluminium-drought stress field environment and when the regeneration population (number of regenerated lines from one callus source) was maintained at 15,000 plants or higher. A variant frequency of 0.1 to 0.2% for stress tolerance and acceptable agronomic traits among the surviving somaclones, provided an adequate number of phenotypes with desirable agronomic characteristics and a high level of soil stress tolerance. Subsequent research verified that the stress-tolerant regenerants had superior acid soil and drought stress tolerance to that of the donor parents, that their yield capabilities under stress were superior to their parents, and that their stress tolerance attributes were transferred in hybrid combinations. In vitro selection was not effective in increasing the number of field stress survivors. In fact, superior germplasms were developed from non-stressed callus or salt-stressed callus. In vitro selection reduced regeneration frequency and subsequent survival of plants under field stress. In vitro-stressed regenerants should be subjected only to non-stressed environments to maintain population numbers for field selection and thereafter should be subjected to stress environments during later (R₅₊) generations. The optimal strategy for the exploitation of somaclonal variation may be through short-term cell culture (< 12 months) with no attempt at in vitro selection.     

Geographical patterns of morphological variation in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) germplasm from Ethiopia and Eritrea: Quantitative characters

A total of 415 sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) accessions representing different regions of Ethiopia, Eritrea and a group of introduced lines were evaluated for 15 quantitative characters to determine the extent and geographical pattern of morphological variation. The extent of variation was highly pronounced for agronomically important characters for sorghum. These characters included plant height, days for 50% flowering, peduncle exsertion, panicle length and width, number and length of primary branches per panicle and thousand seed weight. Significant regional variation was also observed for most of the characters. The results implied that environmental factors such as altitude, rainfall, temperature and growing period are important in regional variation. Mean for plant height and for days for 50% flowering showed clinal variation along the gradients of rainfall pattern and growing period in Ethiopia. Moreover, there were significant positive correlation coefficients between most of the characters. This included the correlation between agronomic characters of primary interest in sorghum breeding such as plant height and days for 50% flowering and also between various characters and the altitude of the collection sites. The implications of the results in plant breeding, germplasm collection and conservation as well as the probable sources of the wide range of variation are discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Genotypic Variation for Cold Tolerance among Twelve Maize (Zea mays L.) Populations

The objectives of this study were (1) to ascertain the genetic differences for cold-tolerance traits in a series of diallel crosses among 12 maize populations grown in field experiments, and (2) to compare, in controlled environment rooms, the modification of various metabolic parameters of two sets of four F1 variety crosses which, according to the field experiments, differed largely in seedling early vigour (cold-tolerant [Ct] vs cold-sensitive [Cs] Fl sets). Under field conditions, cold-tolerance adaptability, as monitored by shoot dry matter accumulation, appeared genetically controlled; moreover, considerable differences existed among genotypes. Field data suggested that shoot dry weight was a good indicator of plant adaptability to periods of unfavorable cool conditions. The growth-chamber experiments showed that shoot dry weights of the two sets of hybrids (Ct vs Cs), were more uniform at the highest temperature regimes than under suboptimal temperatures. Moreover, the laboratory study indicated that the interval of time of attain a specific stage of development provided a meaningful and useful criterion for differentiating the capacity of maize plants to grow at low temperatures. Although a clear association between a particular metabolite and the capacity of plants to grow at low temperatures was not observed, it was of interest to note that the total N concentration in the shoot was significantly higher in the Ct plants compared to the Cs ones.     

Genetic analysis of threshability in grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

The ease with which seeds are detached from panicles is one of the early domestication traits. Genotypes with sticky panicles are hard to thresh, and whenever threshed, the grain tends to remain attached to the glume which reduces market value and processability. This study was conducted to determine the genetic mechanisms underlying the threshability trait in sorghum. Four seed parents and eleven pollinators differing for threshability were intercrossed in Design II mating scheme and the resulting hybrids and the parents were grown in four environments. Threshability was estimated as the ratio of seed yield to panicle weight (TW) and proportion of seeds without sticky glumes (TG). Variation was significant among the entries, inbreds and hybrids with GCA for TG and TW varying markedly. Mean TG for inbred and hybrids of low threshable genotypes was not markedly different indicating that threshability trait is under the control of additive genes with dominant or partially dominant effects. Segregation analysis indicates that the TG trait may be under the control of few major genes with approximately one to three loci affecting the trait.