Grain mold, incited by several fungal species, is the most destructive sorghum disease worldwide. In this study, the interrelationships among 9 agronomic traits and grain mold resistance were determined for 24 sorghum lines from the USA and Senegal, planted in two locations in Senegal, West Africa. The study revealed several negative correlations among many measured agronomic traits and grain mold. Intact-panicle grain mold rating was negatively correlated with yield, 1000-grain weight, grain weight, panicle length, and plant height, while threshed grain mold rating was negatively associated with panicle width, plant height, maturity, and flowering date. Machine learning techniques were implemented to construct predictive models for grain yield using the collected phenotypic data. The study identified several traits influencing yield and grain mold response. The work also identified two lines, PI570841 and Nganda, that may possess genes for grain mold resistance with high yield potential. These lines could be utilized in breeding programs to develop resistant lines and hybrids. Also, the work revealed that certain yield-related traits could be useful in selecting lines in sorghum grain mold improvement programs.
KeywordsSorghumGrain MoldPlant HeightPanicle LengthYieldFungal Species
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