Assessment of global sorghum production, tolerance, and climate risk

Abstract

Some cereal crops can withstand harsh growing conditions, and, hence, can be considered an important line of defense against food shortage under climate change. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Monech) is the main food crop for millions of people, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This crop performs well under input constraints (e.g., limited water) and exhibits high resilience to adverse climate conditions (e.g., high temperature, drought, and waterlogging), making it a star crop for combating hunger under climate change. However, sorghum and other similar crops are not tolerant in absolute terms. Climate change could push the growing conditions of these crops beyond the limits they can tolerate, jeopardizing the food security of millions of people around the world. In this research, we analyzed the current status of sorghum production, trends, and factors controlling sorghum yield using empirical approaches. Especially in sub-Saharan Africa, this crop is cultivated widely under unfavorable climate conditions and sub-optimal input levels. Our findings raise multiple concerns as well as highlight opportunities for the sustainability of sorghum cultivation in a future with climate change. Sorghum yield seems to increase persistently despite global warming due to an improved inputs approach, offering hope that similar adaptation approaches can be fruitful, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. A combination of interventions including adequate use of fertilizers and technology adoption (e.g., tolerant cultivars), efficient management (e.g. improved irrigation), and better agronomic practices, is the key to boosting sorghum yield and ensuring the sustainability of this important crop under a warmer climate.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Seed Morphology-Related TRAITS in Sorghum Mini Core and Senegalese Lines

“…Due to its high nutritional content, drought tolerance, minimal input requirements, and remarkable environmental adaptability, sorghum is a crucial crop for food security [3][4][5]. This versatile crop is a widely cultivated crop grown in over 100 countries, particularly in dry, hot, and arid regions [6]. The largest sorghum producers are the U.S., Nigeria, Sudan, Mexico, Ethiopia, and India [7].…”

Non‐destructive, whole‐plant phenotyping reveals dynamic changes in water use efficiency, photosynthesis, and rhizosphere acidification of sorghum accessions under osmotic stress

“…As a proof‐of‐concept of this approach, we sought to compare genotype‐specific variation in biomass accumulation, water use, and whole‐plant WUE of various sorghum accessions when grown either in soil or using our closed‐system hydroponic approach. Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) is a highly productive and relatively stress‐resistant C 4 crop (Ananda et al, 2020 ; Khalifa & Eltahir, 2023 ). It is among the world's most important cereal crops and is utilized for both food and bioenergy (Ananda et al, 2020 ; Khalifa & Eltahir, 2023 ).…”

“…Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) is a highly productive and relatively stress‐resistant C 4 crop (Ananda et al, 2020 ; Khalifa & Eltahir, 2023 ). It is among the world's most important cereal crops and is utilized for both food and bioenergy (Ananda et al, 2020 ; Khalifa & Eltahir, 2023 ). Genotype‐specific variation exists in whole‐plant WUE in soil‐grown sorghum (Balota et al, 2008 ; Xin et al, 2008 ).…”

Non-destructive, whole-plant phenotyping reveals dynamic changes in water use efficiency, photosynthesis, and rhizosphere acidification of sorghum accessions under osmotic stress

“…As a proof-of-concept of this approach, we sought to compare genotype-specific variation in biomass accumulation, water use, and whole-plant WUE of various sorghum accessions when grown either in soil or using our closed-system hydroponic approach. Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) is a highly productive and relatively stress resistant C 4 crop (Ananda et al, 2020; Khalifa and Eltahir, 2023). It is among the world’s most important cereal crops and is utilized for both food and bioenergy (Ananda et al, 2020; Khalifa and Eltahir, 2023).…”

“…Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) is a highly productive and relatively stress resistant C 4 crop (Ananda et al, 2020; Khalifa and Eltahir, 2023). It is among the world’s most important cereal crops and is utilized for both food and bioenergy (Ananda et al, 2020; Khalifa and Eltahir, 2023). Genotype-specific variation exists in whole-plant WUE in soil-grown sorghum (Balota et al, 2008; Xin et al, 2008).…”