Improving sorghum pollen resilience to high temperatures

Rising temperatures pose a growing threat to sorghum production, particularly during flowering, when the crop is highly sensitive to high temperature stress. Short periods of high temperature can reduce pollen viability, impair seed set, and decrease grain yield. With climate change expected to increase the frequency and intensity of high temperature events, improving high-temperature tolerance in sorghum is an important breeding objective.

This research investigates the genetic basis of high-temperature tolerance in sorghum and explores tools to support its improvement through breeding. The study examines the effects of heat stress on genetic inheritance patterns to identify genomic regions associated with tolerance, uses genome-wide association studies to detect genetic markers linked to high-temperature-stress response, and develops a simple, cost-effective field screening approach for evaluating large plant populations under natural high temperature conditions.

Collectively, this research advances understanding of the genetic basis of high-temperature tolerance in sorghum and contributes methodological frameworks for its evaluation. The outcomes are intended to support the development of sorghum varieties better adapted to warmer and more variable current and future climates.