Exploring Genetic Variability, Path Analysis and Divergence in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Abstract

The grain crop known as sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], which belongs in the Poaceae family, is said to have evolved from Ethiopia or Sudan. This is a crucial crop for food security, especially within the tropical and semi-arid regions in African nations. By terms of long-term domestication and genetic diversity, this crop was native from Ethiopia. showed differences between the crop's cultivated and wild ancestors that gathered within the nation. Due to its enormous diversity of sorghum, which shows innate biological resistant to disease, dryness, and insects in addition to having large lysine content and excellent quality of grain, Ethiopia has become the world's top contributor of germplasm for the sorghum breeding programmes. Ethiopian landraces referred to as "zera zera" sorghum and the generations that sprang of those were used in ICRISAT along with other nations' contemporary sorghum breeding programmes for hybrids creation. Sorghum is at present Ethiopia's second most significant cereal crop after the tef with regard to of its combined area covered and productivity, which means it's used to make injera. Sorghum genotype from Ethiopia is varied and has responded to a variety of rainfall conditions and elevations. Plant breeding starts with the characterisation and recognition of sorghum seeds that offer desired features for improved genetics. When contrast with field trial evaluation, DNA-based molecular markers and PCR-based methods were most effective in characterising and identifying sorghum genotypes which offer desired features since they are unaffected by duration or climate. The most economical method of increasing sorghum production for many applications is genetic enhancement. Gaining more knowledge about sorghum's genetic diversity could be extremely beneficial for improving the crop in terms of quality of food along with other crucial agronomic characteristics. Sorghums from the Ethiopian Centre of Crop Diversity have a vast amount of genetic variety. To effectively gather and conserve this genetic variety before it is overrun and lost, some serious work is required.