Variability and correlation studies for charcoal rot (stalk rot) and yield components in recombinant inbred lines of sorghum

Abstract

Sorghum is an important food crop for a large section of people in the sub-tropical part of Asia and Africa, and a good source of feed for cattle. Charcoal rot (stalk rot) of sorghum, caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, is a weak fungus, causes disintegration of the pith of roots and lower internodes during grain filling, leading to wide spread lodging and poor grain fill. The expression of the disease (lodging following pith degradation) is highly dependent on soil moisture status (low), sink strength (high), leaf nitrogen status (low) among other factors [1]. The disease has a great destructive potential on sorghum especially under post-flowering receding moisture stress conditions, in many parts of the world [2].