Sorghum Diseases in India

Sorghum Diseases in India:
Knowledge and Research Needs
K.H. Anahosur 1
Abstract
India has the world's largest area devoted to sorghum cultivation. FAO reports world average yield
to be some 1.5 t ha -1 while the average yield in India is reported to be only about two-thirds t ha -1 .
Most of India's sorghum is found in eight states, where it is cultivated in rainy, postrainy, and
summer seasons. Of these, the rainy season is the most productive.
Sorghum-disease research in India has been underway, under the sponsorship of the All-India
Coordinated Sorghum Improvement Project (AICSIP), since 1970. Regional distribution of diseases
has been studied and reported, and responsibility for appropriate research assigned to AICSIP
research installations in seven states. Dharwad Centre in Karnataka is the major AICSIP installation.
Screening for disease-resistant material and development of resistant lines is a common
activity for all diseases. Crop-loss estimation, chemical control, and control by crop management
are studied.
Comparisons of chemical treatments for controlling grain molds, sorghum downy mildew,
ergot, and rust are reported. Multiple-disease and insect resistance is now an AICSIP goal, and
several lines resistant to several diseases have been identified. Of these, no line is more than
moderately resistant to ergot.
Introduction
Sorghum is an important grain and fodder crop,
ranking fourth after paddy, wheat, and maize in
the world. The grain is used as staple food by
humans in several forms—baked, cooked, or
fried. Fodder is used as cattle feed. The cereal is
grown in tropical and subtropical climates.
Worldwide, it is cultivated on 50 191 million
hectares, producing 77 452 million t—an average
yield of 1.54 t ha -1 . India, with the world's
largest sorghum area, sows 15.3 million ha and
harvests 10.3 million t, an average yield of 0.673 t
ha -1 . In
India, sorghum is grown where rainfall ranges
from 500 to 1000 mm and temperatures from 26
to 32°C. In some states, it is grown in rainy
(kharif), postrainy (rabi), and summer seasons. It
is cultivated in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Ra-
jasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
More than 90% of India's sorghum production is
in these states.
Disease Distribution
Sorghum is subject to several destructive diseases
that reduce grain and stover yields. Some
diseases are major and others are minor; some
are location-specific. Sundaram (1977) and Ravindranath
(1980) have reviewed sorghum pathology
research in India. The distribution in
India of sorghum diseases and their causal organism
is presented in Table 1. Grain molds,
charcoal rot, fusarium root and stalk rot, ergot,
downy mildew, and rust are most destructive
and research work on the control of these diseases
continues under the sponsorship of the All
1. Professor and Head, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Hubli, Dharwad, Karnataka 580 005,
India, and Principal Investigator (Sorghum Pathology), All India Coordinated Sorghum Improvement Project.
Anahosur, K.H. 1992. Sorghum diseases in India: knowledge and research needs. Pages 45-56 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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