Evaluation of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) varieties for resistance to striga (striga hermonthica) in Northern Guinea Savanna of Ghana

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2016-03-17
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Sorghum is an important food crop in Ghana and its production is mainly concentrated in the three northern regions (Upper East, Upper West, Northern regions). Its production is negatively influenced by Striga. In the objective to increase sorghum production in these areas fourteen progenies was assessed for their resistance to striga.The resistance study was carried out in infested field and pots at Savana Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) in northern Ghana. The experiment was Randomized complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replication. Data collection was done on: plant height, days to 50% flowering, striga counting on each experimental unit. GNSTAT 2013 version 12 was used for data analysis and LSD at 5% to compare different means. In the infected field mean data of the sorghum progenies across the two parents (Framida, SRN 39) were presented since analysis of variance revealed significant differences for somes of the traits studied. Sorghum progenies under striga infestation showed reduced plant height, 50% flowering, panicle length, and grain yield by 9%, 8%, 9%, 13% respectively. Analysis of variance showed that for 50% flowering there were highly significant differences among the sorghum F4 (p< 001) and the two parents. The first early maturing genotype (70 days) was SRN 39. Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences among sorghum F4 and two parents for striga emergence. The first germination of striga was observed in Framida plot (61 DAP) and the last germination of striga (73 DAP) was observed in the plot of 013-KE-F3T-208 (G8). Analysis of striga counts showed that there were significant, highly significant differences among sorghum F4 and the two parents at the fourth and fifth counts respectively. The lowest means (1.36, 1.04) were recorded respectively for 013-KE-F3T-208 (G8) at the fourth count and Framida for the fifth count. Plant height showed significant differences (P< 0.05) among sorghum F4 and two parents, 013-KE-F3T-205-P2 (G6) was recorded as the tallest (2.25 m) and SRN 39 the shortest (1.25 m). For grain yield one of sorghum progenies 013-BE-F3P-219-P2 (G3) recorded the heigher grain yield (1324Kg/ha) than the resistant parents Framida and SRN 39 which recorded 1320 and 1030 Kg/ha respectively. Sorghum progenies G3 recorded highly resistant to Striga hermonthica. The yield was negatively correlated to striga damage rate (SDR) and different striga weekly counts. Some of the sorghum F4 progenies (013-BE-F3P-194 (G1), 013-KE-F3T-205-P3 (G7), 013-KE-F3T-235-P1 (G11), 013-KE-F3T-235-P2 (G12)) that showed appreciable levels of tolerance to Striga also recorded a excellent grain quality.
Description
A Thesis presented to the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of Mphil/ Plant Breeding, 2015
Keywords
Citation