Molecular Plant Breeding 2024, Vol.15, No.6, 362-370 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 366 5.2 Case study: drought-resistant hybrid sorghum Drought resistance is a critical trait for sorghum varieties cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions. Research has identified several genotypes with superior drought tolerance and high yield performance under drought conditions (Prasad et al., 2021). For example, a study on African sorghum genotypes found that genotypes G114 and G56 were well-suited for both non-stressed and drought-stressed conditions, while G72 and G75 performed best under pre-anthesis drought stress (Yahaya et al., 2023). Another study highlighted the development of drought-tolerant sorghum varieties with high protein content and grain mold tolerance, such as the yellow pericarp sorghum variety PYPS 2, which demonstrated stable performance and adaptability across multiple environments (Figure 2) (Kumar et al., 2021). Furthermore, research in West Africa identified elite sorghum varieties that exhibited promising behavior under early drought stress, with varieties V1, V2, V8, and V9 showing potential for further application in breeding programs (Gano et al., 2021). Figure 2 A flow diagram showing the development of sorghum varieties utilizing landraces through a pedigree selection (2010~2015) followed by multi-environment trials (2016~2018) (Adopted from Kumar et al., 2021) 5.3 Insights from case studies The case studies on high-yielding and drought-resistant hybrid sorghum varieties provide valuable insights into the potential of these hybrids to enhance sorghum production in Africa. The development of hybrids with Guinea-race parents has shown significant yield advantages, making them suitable for low-input farming systems in West Africa (Rattunde et al., 2013; Kante et al., 2019). Additionally, the identification of drought-tolerant genotypes and the incorporation of traits such as high protein content and grain mold tolerance have further strengthened the resilience of sorghum varieties to environmental stresses (Gano et al., 2021; Kumar et al., 2021; Yahaya et al., 2023). These findings underscore the importance of targeted breeding programs that focus on both yield performance and stress tolerance to ensure sustainable sorghum production in diverse agro-ecological zones.
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