International Journal of Molecular Evolution and Biodiversity, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 73-83 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmeb 75 2.2 Sorghum’s ecological adaptability and importance Not all grains can survive in high temperatures, drought, or poor soil, but sorghum is an exception. This adaptability is not just summarized by the “drought tolerance”. What truly supports its growth in various extreme environments is the vast genetic diversity behind it. The presence of some key genes enables it to complete its growth cycle even under unfavorable conditions such as water shortage and high heat (Girma et al., 2020). In order to understand where this ability comes from, scientists have conducted extensive comparisons. They conducted genetic analysis on sorghum samples from different environments and ultimately identified the core genes that are truly related to climate adaptation. These findings make us see more clearly that the survival of sorghum is not accidental, but the result of long-term natural selection and genetic accumulation. In contrast, many common cereal crops have already withered under similar conditions, while sorghum can still produce ears normally. This stability makes it particularly promising in crop breeding to cope with future climate change - not only can it survive, but it may also live better. It is precisely because of its strong adaptability that sorghum is regarded as a "seed player" in the breeding field to cope with climate pressure. Sorghum also plays a big role in feeding people. In parts of Africa and Asia, it is a major food source. Even when the weather is bad, it can still produce stable harvests. That’s especially important now that climate change is making farming harder. Sorghum is also used to make clean fuel. So it’s not just important for food, but also for energy. All of these things show why sorghum matters so much. 2.3 Sorghum in farming and food security In water scarce and barren land, many crops find it difficult to grow, but sorghum can take root and sprout, ensuring a stable harvest. It is not an emerging crop, but a staple crop that has long been relied upon in arid regions. It can not only be eaten, but also fed to livestock, and even used to produce biofuels. It relies not on luck, but on its own strong genetic foundation, which can support continuous improvement in yield, nutrition, and stress resistance (Salih et al., 2016). These advantages are not obtained out of thin air. Scientists have used techniques such as genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) to identify gene loci associated with high yield and other important traits (Enyew et al., 2022). These achievements provide people with a clearer direction in breeding and offer the possibility of growing high-quality sorghum in harsher environments in the future. Sorghum is also good for the environment. It can grow in poor soils without extensive irrigation or fertilizer, making it more sustainable than some other crops. Researchers have long collected a variety of sorghum types and established a variety of research tools. These resources help breed better sorghum varieties to meet the growing global demand for food and energy (Cuevas et al., 2016). By continuing to leverage its genetic diversity, sorghum is expected to continue to play an important role in agriculture and food systems. 3 Global Collection and Conservation of Sorghum Germplasm 3.1 Major seed resource banks and their work In many parts of the world, sorghum seeds have been systematically collected and preserved. These germplasm resource banks are silently guarding the genetic diversity of sorghum. Their existence may not be noticed in ordinary times, but once it comes to crop improvement, they are the foundation of the foundation. The largest collection system currently exists, established by the National Plant Germplasm System (USDA NPGS) of the United States Department of Agriculture. Among them, there are over 7 000 samples from Ethiopia alone - which happens to be one of the origins of sorghum. These samples are not "dormant" in the library. Scientists have conducted in-depth research on them and the results show that they contain extremely rich genetic variations, which have high development value in the future, whether for improving yield or enhancing environmental adaptability (Cuevas et al., 2016).
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