Erratum to: Diversity in Starch, Protein and Mineral Composition of Sorghum Landrace Accessions from Ethiopia

Abstract

Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world, after wheat, rice, maize, and barley (Bryden et al. 2009). The crop shows a higher tolerance to biotic and abio-tic stress factors that makes it a crop of preference in the tropical and subtropical areas (Hulse et al. 1980). In Ethiopia, every part of the sorghum plant is utilized: the grain for food, the leaves and stem for animal feed, the sweet stalk for chewing, the dry stalk for construction of huts, fences, shade as well as for fuel. Sorghum supplies important minerals, vitamins, protein, and micronutrients essential for optimal health, growth, and development (Chan et al. 2007; Salgueiro et al. 2002). Determination of nutritional composition in sorghum is of paramount importance for improving malnutrition caused by lack of mineral elements, protein, and vitamins in food stuff (Feil et al. 2005; Welch and Graham 2004). Feil et al. (2005) reported that breeding for higher concentrations of minerals in food crops is an alternative method for improving the health of humans suffering from the consequences of mineral deficiency. Identifying and manipulating the available germplasm accessions can improve yield and quality of sorghum vari-eties. Ethiopia is well known for the diversity of its indige-nous food crops, including sorghum. The chemical composi-tion of sorghum landraces collected from the western regions of Ethiopia has not yet been adequately studied to meet the needs of growers, consumers, and traders of sorghum for both food and industrial uses. Therefore, exploration of avail-able genetic variation in landraces for chemical composition requires the identification of sorghum accessions before inclusion in sorghum breeding programs. Selection of sorghum accessions for improved mineral elements, total Abstract Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important food crop in arid and semi-arid tropics where it is grown mainly due to its drought tolerance. In Ethiopia, sorghum is grown in different agro-ecological zones primarily for food. Landraces are widely cul-tivated in the region due to their adaptation to the growing conditions and other characteristics such as food quality, quantity, and quality of by-products. The objective of this research was to determine the genetic variation in protein, mineral composition, total starch and its components in sorghum landraces collected from the western regions of Ethiopia. Sorghum whole grains were ana-lyzed for crude protein, total starch and its components, and mineral profile (calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, man-ganese, zinc, and sodium). The analysis of variance showed significant differences among the sorghum landraces in nutritional com-position. There was highly significant correlation between phosphorus and magnesium, and between zinc and phosphorus and protein which indicated that some interaction existed in absorption and translocation between minerals and protein content. The genetic vari-ation found among the sorghum landrace accessions in chemical composition can be exploited in the breeding program.