Diversity of Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] germplasm from Gujarat, India.

Abstract

Landraces are the varieties nurtured and cultivated by the farmers through traditional method of selection over the decades. The “landrace” is a primitive cultivar grown by farmers and their successors since ancient times. Directorate of Sorghum Research (DSR), Hyderabad and Sorghum Research Station, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU), Deesa, Gujarat has explored different areas of Gujarat state and collected 147 sorghum accessions. The important landraces are Chachadia, Char, Deshi, Deshi Malwan, Gundri, Jawari, Kamal Parva, Maklani, Malwan, Poru, Rajka Jowar, Solapuri, Sundi jowar, Sundia, Utavali and Wagad. Forty-six accessions were collected from Kutch district, followed by Banaskanta (30), Patan (13), Surat, Surendrapur, Ahmednagar (each 7), Bhavanagar, Junagadh, Mahesana (each 6), Jamnagar, Sabarkantha (each 4), Bharuch, Dang (each 3) Vadodara, Porbandar (each 2) and Marilia comprisiong only one accession. These accessions were classified into basic races viz., bicolor (18), durra (67), bicolor-guinea (1), caudatum (1), durra-bicolor (19), durra-caudatum (2) and guinea-caudatum (1). Variability among the collections is very high. Farmers mainly use their traditional deshi sorghum. Most of the accessions are tall (88) in plant height, semi compact ear head (79), bold seeded (126) and white coloured seed (61) to pearly white (40). Out of these E 182 (IC 568399), E 183 (IC 568400), E 184 (IC 568401), E 160 (IC 568377), E 161 (IC 568378), E 162 (IC 568379), E 163 (IC 568380), ERN 26 (IC 568541), ERN 27 (IC 568542) and ERN 28 (IC 568543) accessions are identified as salinity tolerant. EJN 4 (IC 585174) is very early flowering and matures at 75 days with tolerant to disease and drought. ERN 1 (IC 568516) is dual type and E 173 (IC 568390) and E 158 (IC 568375) are sweet sorghum type. Majority of the accessions are used as fodder.