Sorghum Diseases in India

Diseases of Sorghum in the Philippines
N.G. Tangonan 1 and S.C. Dalmacio 2
Abstract
Use of sorghum for human food is not yet widespread in the Philippines—rice and corn are the
preferred cereals. Efforts to promote sorghum in various food products are beginning, but the major
part of the crop goes into livestock feed. Production is not expanding, even though the crop is well
suited to Philippine conditions, in general, there has been little change in the disease situation in
the past 10 years. Research efforts have intensified; the government has provided legislation for
PHILCOSORI (Philippine Corn and Sorghum Research Institute) but not yet funded it. The
International Sorghum Multiple Disease Resistance Nursery (120 genotypes) was screened at the
University of Southern Mindanao Agricultural Research Center in 1987. Grain mold was the
most severe disease noted. The hybrid Pioneer 8258 with high resistance to target and gray leaf
spots, and some resistance to Rhizoctonia disease was released.
Introduction
In the Philippines, sorghum was introduced almost
20 years ago and is grown and used mainly
as grain to supplement the feed requirements of
the growing poultry and livestock industries.
The crop is well adapted to the agroclimatic
conditions of the country. As a source of carbohydrates
and protein, sorghum compares with
maize in nutritive value.
Rice is the main staple food of Filipinos;
many just now are developing a taste for sorghum.
Delicacies made from sorghum and/or
with sorghum as a main ingredient are taking
the form of fortified foods, rice-like products,
breakfast, and convenience foods. Notwithstanding,
Filipinos prefer rice and then maize
before sorghum as a cereal food.
As a feed-grain supplement, sorghum is used
more as an alternate or substitute for maize.
Lopez noted that commercial feeds contain only
2.8% sorghum (Oliva 1986).
Sorghum Production Trends and
Current Situation
Since the introduction of sorghum into the Philippines
almost two decades ago, neither hectarage
devoted to its production nor yield have
increased substantially. Total sorghum production
peaked from cropping season 1977/78 to
1978/79 but has since declined (Fig. 1). Ferrer
and Almeda (1986) reported that the farmer's
average hectarage in sorghum is 1.44; with corresponding
yield of 1.94 t ha- 1 . The general annual
cropping patterns followed are rice-maizesorghum
or rice-sorghum (Oliva 1986).
Although sorghum has been included in the
feed grains and maize production programs of
the Philippine government in past years, specific
program components and guidelines for its promotion
or support were absent (Oliva 1986). The
low status of sorghum could be attributed to
various problems, such as nonavailability of
seeds, very low support prices, and other mar-
1. Professor and Chairman, Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan,
Cotabato, the Philippines 9407.
2. Plant Pathologist, Pioneer Overseas Corporation, the Philippines, and Visiting Professor, Department of Plant Pathology,
University of the Philippines at Los Banos, College, Laguna, the Philippines 4031.
Tongonan, N.G., and Dalmacio, S.C. 1992. Diseases of sorghum in the Philippines. Pages 35-40 in Sorghum and millets diseases: a
second world review, (de Milliano, W.A.J., Frederiksen, R.A., and Bengston, G.D., eds). Patancheru, A.P. 502 324, India: International
Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.
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