2011 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) The objectives of this cooperative research project are to: a) evaluate sorghum germplasm in several locations in Mexico for resistance to anthracnose, grain mold, head smut, and downy mildew; and b) determine the races of head smut, anthracnose, and downy mildew pathogens in the region. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Exotic and adapted sorghum accessions will be planted in several locations in Mexico and evaluated for disease reaction. Standard sets of sorghum differentials will be provided by the ARS cooperator to identify the pathotypes of anthracnose, head smut, and downy mildew in Mexico. These sets of differentials will be open ended. Data will be analyzed and comparison among the accessions based on maturity groupings and other agronomic traits will be recorded. 3.Progress Report The goal of this project is to identify new sorghum germplasm that is resistant to important fungal diseases of sorghum in the U.S. and Mexico. In FY 2011, 12 sorghum accessions from Sudan, 10 from Mali, and 12 from Uganda were evaluated for grain mold resistance at Oxaca, Mexico. Three of the Sudanese accessions showed the least amount of fungal contamination (and thus the highest disease resistance) and the highest number of healthy seeds. Three accessions from Mali and one from Uganda also exhibited low incidence of fungal contamination. As work under this project continues, it is expected that additional sources of disease-resistant sorghum germplasm will be identified that can be exploited by sorghum breeders and other scientists to develop new disease-resistant cultivars for productive use by sorghum growers worldwide. The ADODR of this project and the cooperator maintain regular communications by e-mail, where progress of the work is discussed and evaluated, and where solutions to work impediments are developed. The ADODR and the cooperator meet periodically (at scientific meetings, annual visits to experimental sites, etc.), where the work is discussed and evaluated.