Farmers’ Perception of Phenotypic Variation of Different Types of Sorghum Cultivated in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Sorghum bicolor is a multi-purpose species adapted to many agroecological zones of Burkina Faso. In the local farming system, different types of sorghum are cultivated together. Such farming conditions could increase gene flow between the different types of sorghum and contribute to the evolution of their main morphological characteristics. Understanding the effect of the farming system on the characteristics of different types of sorghum could contribute to building a strategy for the management of its genetic diversity. A survey and accessions collection was carried out in ten villages selected in two agroclimatic zones of Burkina Faso. A total of 133 accessions were collected and thirty local names were recorded. The results revealed a significant variability within sorghum characteristics based on farmers' descriptions. Four types of sorghum were identified by farmers based on their uses. These are sweet grain sorghum, grain sorghum, sweet sorghum and dyer sorghum. Most of farmers (54.6%) practised intercropping, and 28.86% of them intercropped several types of sorghum in the same or nearby fields. A high coincidence of the flowering period of the types of sorghum was observed by farmers in both agroclimatic zones. The results also showed that most of the farmers (55.7%) noted changes in the morphological characteristics of different types of sorghum. These variations included the reduction in potential yields and changes in grain taste and colour within the same type. Understanding these variations could help conserve and sustain sorghum genetic resources in Burkina Faso.