Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #285768
Title: Development and genetic analyses of early season cold tolerant sorghum germplasm

Author
item Burow, Gloria
item Xin, Zhanguo
item Hayes, Chad
item Huang, Yinghua

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/28/2012
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sorghum is one of the most versatile & resilient crop species with vast genetic diversity. To date sorghum provides commodity products for grain, forage & bioenergy industries. It is also well-known for excellent drought and high temperature tolerance; and is considered as water and climate sustainable commodity crop. However, it is highly “vulnerable“ to cool, low temperature (chilling temp of 50-55°F) @planting and reproductive stages. Cold tolerant sorghums provide improved germination and reliable stand with cold soil (55-60°F) planting, improve competitiveness alongside other grain crops and confer drought avoidance mechanism through utilization of spring moisture. Cold tolerance could also extend growing season or alternately facilitate cultivation of two sorghum season for improved productivity. This presentation report on three new recombinant inbred (RI) populations with enhanced field germinability, and robust seedling vigor that were developed and characterized in the program. Molecular genotyping indicated introgression of specific genome regions associated with cold tolerance (inherited from cold tolerant parent) in best RI lines. Further evaluation of fertility reactions (B or R state) were performed and RIL lines were utilized as pollinators of A lines. The cold tolerant germplasm/genetic stocks with acceptable agronomic traits generated from this study will be made available for collaborative studies.