Review of highland sorghum improvement research in Ethiopia

Abstract

Sorghum is the most well-known helpful cereal crop for poor farmers in Ethiopia’s dry lowland areas due to it’s a high yielding, drought tolerant, nutrient use efficiency crop that can be grown over 80 % of the worlds’ cultivated land. It has many advantages in the economic lives of the farmers in the highlands of the country. It is a source of food, feed, fuel, construction, fencing to poor farmers of Ethiopia. Though, many biological and environmental stresses are reducing grain yield increment. Foliar and grain diseases are one of the main biological stresses limiting sorghum production and productivity in the high and intermediate rainfall areas of Ethiopia. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the current state of highland sorghum improvement in Ethiopia’s highlands. Breeders, pathologists, agronomists, and research extension workers have all worked hard to overcome the constraints. In addition, the national sorghum research program is focusing on developing tolerant varieties that can withstand a variety of pressures by backcrossing tolerant characteristics into existing potential landraces and elite advanced lines. Due to many yield-limiting conditions, the crop’s production is well below its potential. Sorghum breeding began in Ethiopia in the early 1950s to solve important production difficulties that contributed to low productivity, and as a result, a number of improved varieties have been offered to farmers. Since 1978, research and development efforts previous to Ethiopian sorghum enhancement have been studied. Generally, believe that future productivity will most likely increase as a result of the integration of a diverse collection of mutually beneficial disciplines and organizations with varying priorities in technology development, advancement, promotion, and market/product production. Multidisciplinary methodologies, system sustainability with temporal and spatial intensification, and participation of essential stakeholders, including farmers, in the technological development, increase, promotion, and proper intervention in production are also of interest.

Economic Potentials and Use Dynamics of Sorghum Food System in Ethiopia: Its Implications to Resolve Food Deficit

“…As a similarity to Figure 5, sorghum has a great purpose for Ethiopian farmers, and Wako [52] and Semahegn [53] show that sorghum crop is no part of it should be through away. is plant is almost self-sufficient by farmers to meet the needs of food, income, animal feed, beer production, and construction [54].…”

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“…The commercial value of sorghum has increased considerably since it is processed into food product (Mundia et al, 2019;Sissoko et al, 2019). Sorghum consumption and utilization has increased in the developing world, and sorghum production has increased at an annual average rate of 2.5 % ( Sultan et al, 2019).Sorghum crop grown in almost all regions of Ethiopia and used as a staple food crop on which the lives of millions of Ethiopians farmers depend on it (Semahegn and Teressa, 2021). Other authors estimate that sorghum is used in a variety of methods, including traditional meals such as Injera, local bread, porridge, and beverages (Yali and Begna, 2022).…”

“…In 2020, out of the total grain crop area covered by cereals; i.e., 10.2 million hectares, 14.97% (1.88 million hectares) covered with sorghum, ranking third next to teff and maize (Teressa et al, 2021). Similarly, out of the total national grain production, cereals contribute to 87% (253 million quintals) with sorghum shares amounting to up to 16% (47 million quintals) (CSA, 2018).…”