Agromonic characteristics of different cytoplasmic male-sterility systems and their reaction to Sorghum Shoot Fly, Atherigona soccata

M K Dhillon, H C Sharma, B V S Reddy, 'Agromonic characteristics of different cytoplasmic male-sterility systems and their reaction to Sorghum Shoot Fly, Atherigona soccata', International Sorghum and Millets Newsletter, vol. 46, pp.52-55, 2011

An experiment was conducted during the 2002 and 2003 wet, and 2003 post-wet seasons, in Andhra Pradesh, India, to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of sorghum cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines and their reaction to sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata. The experimental material consisted of 6 isonuclear lines in 6 cytoplasmic backgrounds (A1, A2, A3, A4G1, A4M and A4VzM) and 6 maintainer lines (B). Data were recorded on number of plants with shoot fly deadhearts in the central 2 rows at 14 days after seedling emergence, and expressed as percentage of plants with deadhearts. Data were also recorded on days to 50% flowering, plant height and agronomic desirability. The mean squares due to genotype x CMS systems for plant height, agronomic characteristics and shoot fly infestation were not significant. The isonuclear lines in A1, A2 and A3 cytoplasmic backgrounds flowered 1-2 days earlier than in other CMS backgrounds. The isonuclear lines in A2 cytoplasmic background (except in case of ICSA 26 and ICSA 38) were shorter than in other cytoplasmic backgrounds, but the differences among the CMS systems were not significant. Shoot fly deadhearts in different CMS systems varied from 69.9 to 88.7%. The male sterile lines showed more deadhearts (77.1 (A4M) to 81.0% (A4G1) compared to the maintainer lines (74.4%)). Among the cytoplasms tested, A4M suffered lower deadheart incidence than the other CMS systems