International aspects of Sorghum Research

Abstract

The contrast in productivity is very great between areas in which sorghums and millets have been rather recently introduced, mainly for stock feed, and traditional areas where these cereals are mainly used for human food. The 8.8 million hectares in America Yield from 16- 33 q I ha the 70 million hectares in Africa. Near East and Far East, yield 4.6 to 10.6 q/ha with a mean of 7.7 q/ha. That is a measure of the improvement than can be made in these crops, while the success of plant breeders in the United States in reshaping the crop into dwarf, day length insensitive. Highly productive hybrids has pointed the way to make these improvements. The example is already being followed in several countries, notably in India, where three hybrids have already been released.