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Collaborating
Scientists:
U.S.:
Lloyd Rooney, Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M
University, Dept. of Soil and Crop Sciences, College
Station, TX 77843-2474, USA
Gary Peterson, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Texas AgriLife
Research & Extension Center, Lubbock, TX 79401-9757, USA
Gary Odvody, Sorghum and Corn Plant Pathology, Texas
AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Corpus Christi, TX,
USA
John Mullet, Molecular Biology, Dept. of Biochemistry, Texas
A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2128, USA
Patricia Klein, Molecular Geneticist, Dept. of Horticultural
Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843,
USA
Jurg Blumenthal, Sorghum Cropping System Specialist, Texas
A&M University, College Station,TX 77845, USA
Dirk Hays, Texas A&M University, Dept. of Soil and Crop
Sciences, College Station, TX, 77843-2474, USA
Tom Isakeit, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Texas A&M University,
College Station, TX 77843, USA
Joe Hancock, Dept. of Animal Science, Kansas State
University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Zambia:
Medson Chisi, Sorghum Breeding, Private Bag 7, Mt. Maknlu
Research Station, Chilanga, ZAMBIA.
El Salvador:
René Clara Valencia, Plant Breeder, Centro Nacional, de
Technologia, Agricola (CENTA) de El Salvador, San Salvador,
El Salvador
Nicaragua:
Rafael Obando Solis, Agronomist, CNIA/INTA, Apdo 1247,
Managua, Nicaragua
Honduras:
Javier Bueso-Ucles, Associate Professor, Escuela Agricola
Panamericano, Zamarano, Honduras
Summary:
Sorghum is an
important feed grain, food grain and forage in Central
America. In this region it is produced by a range of groups,
from subsistence fanners who consider sorghum as a food
security crop to commercial producers, who consider it a
cash grain or forage crop. There is substantial need to
improve the yield and quality of this germplasm and to
incorporate tolerance traits to minimize losses due to
drought, disease and insect pests. The overall goal of this
proposal is to enhance the genetic yield and quality
potential of sorghum genotypes adapted to Central America
for use as a feed grain, food grain and forage crop. To meet
this goal, previously established linkages with
collaborators in the Central American region will be used (i)
to coordinate in-country research studies and breeding
evaluations, (ii) to identify quality students for training
through involvement in ongoing projects at
Texas A&M
University, and (iii) to enhance technology transfer for
sorghum in the Central American region. The specific
objectives are: (I) to develop high-yielding,
locally-adapted sorghum varieties and hybrids with improved
grain and/or forage quality and stress resistance for both
Maicillo Criollos-type cultivars and photoperiod insensitive
sorghums, (2) to identify disease resistance genes for
important diseases in Central America and utilize these
sources in breeding, (3) to identify genes related to grain
quality and utilize them in breeding, and (4) to provide
technology transfer to promote the use of improved sorghums
in Central America. To accomplish these objectives,
germplasm will be developed at Texas A&M and by
collaborators in EI Salvador and evaluated across the region
to document improvements. Genetic characterization results
will be applied to the improvement process when feasible.
The success of this project will be measured by the
productivity of cultivars and hybrids in Central America
that were developed in this project. While the efforts of
this project are targeted to Central America, the technology
and personnel developed in this project will be useful to
sorghum programs around the world. This project will address
directly or indirectly all seven major goals of the Sorghum,
Millet and Other Grains CRSP.
Objectives:
Given the goals of
the Sorghum, Millet and Other Grains CRSP and the needs of
the Central American region, the overall goal of this
proposal is to enhance the genetic yield and quality
potential of sorghum genotypes adapted to Central America
for use as a feed grain, food grain and forage crop. To meet
this goal, we will use previously established linkages with
collaborators in the Central American region (i) to
coordinate in-country research studies and breeding
evaluations, (ii) to identify quality students for training
through involvement in ongoing projects at Texas A&M
University, and (iii) to enhance technology transfer for
sorghum in the Central American region.
The objectives, the
location of the research, and the collaborators include:
Develop
high-yielding, locally-adapted sorghum varieties and hybrids
with improved grain and/or forage quality, drought
tolerance, and disease resistance using both conventional
breeding techniques and marker-assisted selection
technology. Populations pertinent to this objective will be
created and then distributed segregating populations to the
international collaborators (Clara, Obando) for selection
and cultivar development.
Identify and
characterize genes related to disease resistance in sorghum
with specific emphasis in downy mildew, anthracnose and
grain mold. Utilize these sources of resistance inbreeding
improved cultivars and hybrids for Central America. Our
program has screened numerous accessions and identified
specific sources of resistance to anthracnose, downy mildew
and grain mold. These lines and populations derived from
them will be evaluated in domestic and Central American
sites to determine which sources will provide the most
stable resistance. Populations of these will be evaluated to
determine heritability and to transfer the resistance to
locally adapted sorghum. Phenotypic evaluation of these
lines and populations will occur in the appropriate domestic
(Texas with C. Magill, G. Odvody and T. Isakeit) and
international locations (René Clara in Central America and
Medson Chisi in Southern Africa).
Identify and map
genes related to grain quality such protein digestibility,
nutraceutical potential and grain quality parameters per se.
Variants that possess unique grain traits such as increased
protein digestibility and enhanced antioxidant characters
have been identified and characterized in our program. The
purpose of this project is to assess the feasibility of
producing cultivars that possess these characteristics. In
collaboration with the TAMU grain quality program (L.
Rooney, D. Hays), we are assessing the feasibility of
combining both grain mold resistance and enhanced
digestibility. Phenotypic evaluation of this material will
occur in Texas and international locations (Central America
and Southern Africa) in cooperation with the domestic (Gary
Peterson) and international (René Clara, Rafael Obando,
Medson Chisi) collaborators.
Provide technology
transfer and technical assistance in promoting the use of
improved sorghums as a feed grain, food grain and a forage
crop in Central America. The purpose of this objective is to
transfer the technology and knowledge needed to effectively
produce and utilize the forage and/or grain produced from
the improved sorghum cultivars (Maicillos Criollos, lines
and hybrids). As appropriate, our program will coordinate
these workshops with collaborating scientists in the
specific area of expertise, such as animal feeding (J.
Hancock) grain quality and utilization for human food (L
Rooney), and agronomy and forage quality (J. Blumenthal).
The technical assistance efforts will focus on industry and
academic leaders in El Salvador and Nicaragua.
These objectives
merge together to provide a project that will have both
short-term and long-term results.
Ultimately, the
success of this program will be measured by the productivity
of cultivars and hybrids developed in this project and how
effectively they are utilized throughout Central America.
For objectives I through 4, training of students from
cooperating countries will be an integral part of the
projects and potential students will be identified based on
recommendations from researchers in the region and the
in-country interaction of the PI with potential candidates.
Finally, objective 5 is crucial because if the first four
objectives are successful, additional sorghum (both forage
and grain) with improved quality will be produced. It is
imperative that there be the infrastructure (both
technological and scientific) to utilize this grain. The
efforts of this project are targeted to Central America, but
the technology, basic knowledge, and personnel developed in
this project will also be useful to sorghum and millet
improvement programs around the world. Because of these
factors and their interrelationships, this project will
address directly or indirectly all seven major goals of the
Sorghum, Millet and Other Grains CRSP. |
