Global Status of Sorghum Genetic Resources Conservation

Abstract

Sorghum genetic resource conservations involve multiple strategies and collaboration to ensure the continued safeguarding of this valuable genetic resource. Curations of such worldwide collections require commitments to the acquisition, maintenance, distribution, evaluation, and utilization of such collections. In sorghum, a major challenge to its curation has been the standardization of protocols and techniques that each country deploys in evaluating their own collections. Information and documentation of these various collections has been a challenge; however, the two largest collections from the USA and ICRISAT have attempted to update their databases to reflect the rich sources of information available on their collections. In 2007, a panel of sorghum experts met to develop a “Strategy for the Global Ex Situ Conservation of Sorghum Genetic Diversity” and from this a review of the various collections is presented within this chapter. This review looked at various collections and evaluated the collections based on passport and characterization data. Collections reflected sorghum accessions from many different parts of the world and highlight some of the genetic stocks and phenotypic information available for utilization. As world populations increase and climate change challenges our ability to feed our population, the safety and curation of these types of collection allow us to respond to both biotic and abiotic stresses that will put pressure on the world’s population to feed itself. These irreplaceable collections are in greater need of curation than ever before, but in order to understand the needs, one must first understand what is already present in these collections.