Eighty-four sorghum lines, produced from parental lines of popular hybrids, cultivars, yellow endosperm lines, germplasm lines, lines characterized by high protein digestibility, lines with high lysine contents and waxy lines, were evaluated in Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India, during the post-rainy season of 2003-04. Significant genetic differences for Fe, Zn and phytate contents, and agronomic and grain traits were observed.

An experiment was conducted during 1990 and 1991 in Kenya, to study the reaction of 27 sorghum genotypes to stem borer Chilo partellus damage under irrigated and drought conditions. Crop growth was maintained at irrigated and water-stressed (non-irrigated) conditions. Data were recorded on deadheart formation due to stem borer, leaf area damaged, number of larvae per 5 plants, peduncle damage, and recovery resistance under natural infestation.

In this study, Sorghum bicolor cultivars CSV 15, PSV 16, CSH 16 and S 35 were supplied to farmers in Mahabubnagar and Ranga Reddy districts in Andhra Pradesh, India, in 2003 for poultry feed trials. Sorghum replaced maize at 0, 50 and 100% levels, including a 100% replacement + 3% Stylosanthes (Stylo) of the control diet. 500 chicks were divided into 42 groups with 6 treatments at 0, 50 and 100% sorghum diets in mash and pelleted forms.

Research on the identification of sources of resistance to insect pests of sorghum (i.e.cytoplasmic male sterile lines and wild relatives), and on the improvement and induction of insect pest resistance in sorghum by marker-assisted selection and genetic engineering is summarized. Future prospects are mentioned.

Twenty-eight advanced sorghum B-lines were evaluated for resistance to grain mould [caused by Cochliobolus lunatus] in Andhra Pradesh, India, during the rainy season of 2003, along with resistant (IS 14384) and susceptible (Bulk Y and 296B) controls. Significant differences were observed among the 28 lines for grain mould reaction at grain physiological maturity (PGMR) and grain mould reaction on threshed grain (TGMR) scores, number of days to 50% flowering, plant height, grain hardness, grain mass and grain yield.

This paper briefly describes the objectives, nature and mode of ICRISAT's partnership arrangements with the private sector in the areas of hybrid parents and sweet sorghum improvement research and development. The expected impacts of these partnerships on the livelihoods of farmers and consumers are also discussed.

Commercial sorghum samples from the USA that had been graded as containing more than 3% tannin sorghum were obtained for analysis. The samples included a red and a white pericarp sorghum. The kernels were subjected to a Clorox bleach test to determine the presence of tannin sorghum. Kernels that appeared dark were selected, sectioned and viewed using light microscopy to determine if a pigmented testa was present.

Seeds of 4 improved high-yielding sorghum cultivars (CSH 16, CSV 15, PSV 16 and S 35) were supplied to 48 farmers from 4 villages (Manmarry, Udityal, Ganagpur and Kandawada) in the Mahabubnagar and Ranga Reddy districts of Andhra Pradesh, India.

An experiment was conducted during the 2002 and 2003 wet, and 2003 post-wet seasons, in Andhra Pradesh, India, to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of sorghum cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines and their reaction to sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata. The experimental material consisted of 6 isonuclear lines in 6 cytoplasmic backgrounds (A1, A2, A3, A4G1, A4M and A4VzM) and 6 maintainer lines (B).