Evaluating Early-Maturing, Cold-Tolerant White Sorghum Cultivars

Evaluating Early-Maturing, Cold-Tolerant White Sorghum Cultivars

Summary

University, NGO, and farmer partners in North Dakota evaluated an unreplicated screen of 106 sorghum lines in an effort to identify 20 for replicated evaluation in 2016.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. Plant an unreplicated screen of sorghum seeds from Mat Kolding near NDSU.
2. Collect basic agronomic data from each row.
3. Bag heads to increase pure seeds for the 2016 evaluations.
4. Hold a field day for participatory evaluation of the lines.
5. Share data with farmers in order to choose the lines used for further evaluation.

Accomplishments/Milestones

In 2015, 106 lines of sorghum, some directly from Mat Kolding of Oregon State University and some that he had sent to the National Plant Germplasm System for maintenance and evaluation, were evaluated in a screen conducted near Prosper, ND. Professor Burton Johnson established and maintained the unreplicated screen that consisted of single rows of up to 82 plants. He collected the basic agronomic data (plant stand, number of heads, seed yield per head, etc.), bagged heads for pure seed increase (sorghum is largely a self pollinated crop), and held a field day with NPSAS Farm Breeding Club in September. At the field day three NPSAS members (Edd Goerger, Owen Trangsrud, Martin Goter) joined Dr. Johnson and evaluated each line for head type (compact to loose on a scale of 1-5) and harvestability (likely ease of combine harvest on a scale of 1-5).

Two field days for 2016 have been set, the first an introduction to the project to be held during the organic agriculture tour at the Carrington Research Extension Center field day in mid July, and the second a participatory evaluation to take place at Carrington in early September just before harvest. Outreach for the project has been via eSprout notes to the NPSAS membership, short notes in our Germinator newsletter, and posts on our Farm Breeding Club Facebook page.  We will continue to use these forms of media, along with YouTube, in 2016.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

The data from 2015 were loaded into a spreadsheet and then shared with project team members at the NPSAS Farm Breeding Club Winter Meeting held in Medina, ND on 24 February 2016. FBC members and Dr. Johnson discussed the results and chose 20 lines for further evaluation in 2016. However, we are waiting for additional data from Dr. Johnson (seed size, flowering date) to be added to the spreadsheet so we can also consider these critical issues before making a final set of choices by later in spring of 2016. Until then the team is going to meet over the phone to discuss project organization, what do about Dr. Carr’s leaving to take a job in Montana, and our roles and expectations in 2016.

One especially huge crossbred plant was saved from one of the lines. It was red-seeded, but at least one of its parents was clearly white seeded. This seed may be used in further selection of a yieldy, early maturing variety for North Dakota. Seed for other lines has been set aside waiting for the final choices for further evaluation to be made. There were problems with bags breaking off in the wind, but enough seed was saved from enough rows to readily find 20 lines to work with during the second year.

Collaborators: