ABSTRACT
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is ranked ˜fth among cereals behind corn, rice, wheat, and barley.Itisthemajorcerealofrainfedagricultureinthesemiaridtropics(SAT).Grainsorghum isamajorcropgrownundersemiaridconditionsintheUnitedStatesandotherpartsoftheworld (Bandaruetal.,2006),anditisadietarystapleofmorethan500millionpeopleinmorethan30 countries(NationalResearchCouncil,1996).Over55%oftheglobalsorghumproductionisin the SAT; and of the total SAT production, Asia and Africa contribute about 65%, of which 34% isharvestedinIndia(Sahrawatetal.,1996).CultivatedsorghumoriginatedinnortheastAfrica, wherethegreatestdiversityoftypesexists.Themostlikelyareaoforiginisthatnowoccupiedby EthiopiaandpartofSudan,fromwhichsorghumprobablyspreadtoWestAfrica(Doggett,1970). ThereisevidenceofsorghuminAssyriaby700BCandinIndiaandEuropebyAD1(Eastin, 1983). Cultivated sorghums were ˜rst introduced to America and Australia about 100 years ago. Domesticationandcultivationofsorghumhasspreadthroughouttheworld,andthetop10sorghumproducingcountriesandtheirproduction(inmillionsofmetrictons)in2007weretheUnitedStates (12.6),Nigeria(9.1),India(7.2),Mexico(6.2),Sudan(5.8),Argentina(2.8),China(2.4),Ethiopia (2.2),BurkinaFaso(1.6),andBrazil(1.4)(FAO,2009).Sorghumisthebasiccerealfoodinparts of Asia and Africa, while in the United States and Europe it serves mainly as feed for poultry and livestock.Sorghumstemsandfoliageareoftenusedasanimalfodder,andinsomeareas,thestems areusedasbuildingmaterialandfuel.Somesorghumshavesweet,juicystemsthatcontainupto 10%sucroseandarechewedorusedtoproducesyrup.Sorghumisalsowidelyusedforbrewing beer,particularlyinAfrica,anditisamongthemostwidelyadaptedofthewarm-seasoncereals with potential for biomass and fuel production. High-energy sorghum consists of hybrids of grain andsweetsorghumtypesthatarecurrentlybeingdevelopedforbothgrainandbiomassproduction (Honsetal.,1986).Theygiveslightlylowergrainyieldsthanconventionalgrainsorghumsbutproduce large amounts of stover with high carbohydrate concentrations.
