Plant Gene and Trait 2024, Vol.15, No.6, 295-304 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 295 Feature Review Open Access Current Status of Collection, Evaluation, and Utilization of Sorghum Germplasm Resources Chunxin Cao1,3*, NuanWang2*, Yubing Liu1,3, Hongming Huang2, Meijuan Wu2, Xinhua Liu1,3 1 Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, China 2 Lanxi Agricultural Technology Extension Center, Lanxi, 321100, Zhejiang, China 3 Key Laboratory for Innovative Utilization of Characteristic Food Crop Resources in Central Zhejiang, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Corresponding email: jhzjny@163.com Plant Gene and Trait, 2024, Vol.15, No.6 doi: 10.5376/pgt.2024.15.0029 Received: 30 Oct., 2024 Accepted: 02 Dec., 2024 Published: 10 Dec., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Cao 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: Cao C.X., Wang N., Liu Y.B., Huang H.M., Wu M.J., and Liu X.H., 2024, Current status of collection, evaluation, and utilization of sorghum germplasm resources, Plant Gene and Trait, 15(6): 295-304 (doi: 10.5376/pgt.2024.15.0029) Abstract Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is one of the most important food crops in the world, especially showing excellent resistance to adverse conditions such as drought and salinity, and has multiple uses. This study discusses the current status of global collections of sorghum germplasm resources, focusing on the main germplasm banks and their role in genetic diversity conservation. The phenotypic and genomic evaluation methods of sorghum germplasm were analyzed, and the application of these evaluations in breeding was demonstrated through specific cases. The discovery of sorghum drought resistance genes and their application in breeding were elaborated in detail, especially the accelerated development of stress-resistant varieties through gene editing technology. This study also looks forward to the impact of global climate change on the utilization of sorghum germplasm resources, and puts forward suggestions for strengthening international cooperation and using new technologies to meet the challenges in future agricultural production. Keywords Sorghum; Germplasm resources; Phenotypic evaluation; Genomics; Breeding for drought resistance 1 Introduction Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a vital cereal crop globally, ranking among the top five in terms of production and planting area. Its significance is particularly pronounced in regions with severe abiotic stresses such as drought and saline-alkali soils, where its excellent stress resistance allows it to thrive. Sorghum is a multipurpose crop, classified into grain sorghum, energy sorghum, and silage sorghum based on its domestication direction and utilization traits. This multifunctionality endows sorghum with broad breeding and economic value, making it an essential crop for food, feed, and industrial applications (Zheng et al., 2023). Sorghum grain is a rich source of nutrients and health-beneficial phenolic compounds, which have potent antioxidant activity and can improve gut health and reduce the risks of chronic diseases. Additionally, sorghum is used in the development of functional foods and beverages, and its phenolic compounds can be isolated for use as natural multifunctional additives in various food applications (Xiong et al., 2019). Germplasm resources play a crucial role in the genetic improvement and diversification of sorghum. Globally, over 236 000 sorghum germplasm accessions are conserved in genebanks, with significant collections held by institutions such as the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the USDA-ARS. These germplasm collections include core and mini core collections, as well as genotyping-based reference sets, which provide access to a large diversity of genetic material. The mini core collection at ICRISAT, for instance, is widely used for identifying sources of resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as for agronomic and grain nutritional traits (Upadhyaya et al., 2016). The diversity within sorghum germplasm, including wild and weedy relatives, offers valuable genetic resources for crop improvement, enabling the development of more resilient and productive sorghum varieties (Ananda et al., 2020). This study provides a comprehensive overview of the status, evaluation, and application of sorghum germplasm resources, emphasizing a multidimensional exploration from phenotype to genome, summarizing the phenotypic
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