Molecular Plant Breeding 2024, Vol.15, No.6, 362-370 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 362 Research Insight Open Access A Review of Breeding Strategies for New Hybrid Sorghum Varieties Xuegao Lv, Limin Shi, Feicui Zhang, Zhengmei Zhu, Huabing Lu Institute of Maize and Featured Dryland Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Dongyang, 322100, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: lu1978lu@163.com Molecular Plant Breeding, 2024, Vol.15, No.6 doi: 10.5376/mpb.2024.15.0034 Received: 23 Oct., 2024 Accepted: 25 Nov., 2024 Published: 03 Dec., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Lv et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Lv X.G., Shi L.M., Zhang F.C., Zhu Z.M., and Lu H.B., 2024, A review of breeding strategies for new hybrid sorghum varieties, Molecular Plant Breeding, 15(6): 362-370 (doi: 10.5376/mpb.2024.15.0034) Abstract This study reviewed recent advances in the development of hybrid sorghum varieties in recent years, evaluated their yield performance under different environmental conditions, and explored how conventional and molecular breeding methods can improve sorghum productivity, adaptability, and stress resistance. The results showed that modern crossbreeding programs significantly improved the yield and stability of sorghum under optimal and stress conditions, and molecular breeding, especially marker-assisted selection techniques, accelerated the development of hybrids with excellent traits. The introduction of these hybrids has improved the productivity of crop systems, the efficiency of resource use, and brought economic benefits to farmers. This study highlights the importance of continuous innovative hybrid breeding strategies to meet the needs of global food security, and aims to provide a scientific basis for the development of future sorghum varieties that can meet environmental challenges and have sustainable production capacity. Keywords Hybrid sorghum varieties; Yield performance; Drought tolerance; Molecular breeding; Sustainable agriculture 1 Introduction Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a vital cereal crop, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, due to its resilience to harsh environmental conditions. The primary objective of sorghum hybrid breeding is to develop new varieties that exhibit superior yield performance, adaptability to diverse environments, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Hybrid breeding leverages the genetic diversity within sorghum to combine desirable traits from different parent lines, resulting in hybrids that outperform traditional varieties in terms of yield and stability (Kante et al., 2019; Maulana et al., 2023; Otwani et al., 2023). Research on sorghum yield improvement has focused on several key areas, including the development of hybrids with enhanced heterosis, the use of genomic selection to predict hybrid performance, and the evaluation of genotype by environment (G×E) interactions. Studies have shown that sorghum hybrids can achieve significant yield advantages over local varieties, with heterosis levels ranging from 20% to 80% under various environmental conditions (Rattunde et al., 2013; Kante et al., 2019; Otwani et al., 2023). Genomic prediction models have been developed to improve the efficiency of hybrid selection, demonstrating that incorporating both additive and dominance effects can enhance prediction accuracy (Hunt et al., 2020; Kent et al., 2023; Maulana et al., 2023). Additionally, research has highlighted the importance of understanding G×E interactions to select hybrids that perform well across different environments (Ndiaye et al., 2019; Kumar et al., 2021; Otwani et al., 2023). This study will evaluate the yield potential of sorghum hybrids under different environmental conditions, analyze genetic and environmental factors affecting yield, identify hybrids with better yield stability and adaptability, and use multi-environmental experiments to capture variability in yield performance across locations and seasons. By integrating quantitative genetic analysis and genomic prediction, this study aims to provide comprehensive insights into breeding strategies to improve sorghum yield and sustainability. 2 Genetic Basis and Breeding Strategies for Hybrid Sorghum 2.1 Sorghum genetic diversity and heterosis Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) exhibits significant genetic diversity, which is crucial for hybrid breeding programs (Eniola et al., 2019). This diversity is often assessed using phenotypic traits and molecular
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