Researchers in Kenya have examined the genetic diversity of local sorghum varieties, identifying adaptive traits and distinct subpopulations among samples from different sources, with implications for crop improvement in the face of climate change.
F-box gene Sobic.005G172300 regulates ascorbic acid to boost plant defenses against Colletotrichum sublineola. Expression is upregulated in the resistant sorghum line SC110 shortly after infection.
Sorghum accessions Macia (thermo-tolerant), SC224 (cold-tolerant), and RTx430 (heat-/cold-susceptible) respond to heat stress through gene regulation linked to the circadian clock. This linkage is stronger in the tolerant lines.
Africa’s high sorghum production and consumption, coupled with its low grain yield due to phosphorus deficiency in soil, could be improved by enhancing natural soil phosphorus utilization, as demonstrated by research on two sorghum genotypes in Ghana.
