Drought stress in sorghum: physiological tools, breeding technology, Omics approaches and Genomic-assisted breeding -A review


Liaqat W., Altaf M. T., BARUTÇULAR C., Mohamed H. I., Ali Z., Khan M. O.

Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Review
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s42729-024-01702-3
  • Journal Name: Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database
  • Keywords: Canopy temperature, Chlorophyll fluorescence, Genome editing, Quantitative trait loci, Stay green, Stomatal conductance
  • Çukurova University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a genetically diversified grain crop grown throughout the world's semiarid regions. It is a crucial food crop for millions of individuals in semi-arid regions of the world where drought stress severely restricts its production. Even though sorghum is widely regarded as drought resilient crop, drought stress continues to dramatically reduce its productivity and nutritional quality in its major growing regions. Understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning sorghum's drought tolerance is becoming more and more important as a result of climate change-induced increases in the frequency and severity of drought. Hence, to achieve food and nutritional security it is necessary to genetically enhance sorghum's drought stress resistance. A great deal of research has been conducted on drought tolerance mechanisms such as stay green and grain production under drought stress. However, novel drought-related traits such as canopy temperature, stomatal conductance, reflectance indices, and chlorophyll fluorescence must be investigated and employed in breeding. To produce drought-tolerant lines, breeding initiatives have targeted specific traits with limited genomic and genetic resources. It is possible to improve drought tolerance through integrating desirable traits into superior breeding lines, screening large sources of germplasm for resistant lines, and developing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind tolerance. Molecular techniques such as genome editing, next-generation sequencing, and transciptomics, among others could be utilized to boost drought tolerance in sorghum. This review is intended to broaden our knowledge of drought tolerance and provide new insights into developing drought-tolerant sorghum.