Research and Corporate Profile Transforming Dryland
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18 | Research and Corporate Profile 2024
Research and Corporate Profile 2024 | 19
Sorghum
Sorghum is a climate-resilient cereal and staple food for hundreds of millions of people in the arid and semi-arid
countries of Asia and Africa. Globally, sorghum is cultivated on 45 million ha in 110 countries, including in developed
countries, mainly for food, feed and fuel.
Pearl Millet
Among millets, pearl millet is the most widely grown type of millet. It has been grown in Africa and the Indian
subcontinent since prehistoric times. Pearl millet is well adapted to growing in areas characterized by drought, low
soil fertility, and high temperature. Due to its tolerance to difÏcult environmental conditions, it can be grown in areas
where other cereal crops, such as maize or wheat, cannot survive.
Potential yield:
Varieties: 3.0 t/ha
Hybrids: 4.0 t/ha
Normal duration – 100 - 120 days to maturity
Current yield:
Varieties: 0.8 t/ha
Hybrids: 1.2 t/ha (hybrids)
366 varieties in 46 countries
(Figures as of 2023)
Short duration –
<100 days to maturity
Forage sorghum hybrid
CSH 24 MF recognized as
‘landmark forage hybrid’ in India
Three dwarf sorghum varieties
SAMSORG 52, 53, and 54 released
in Nigeria for high grain and fodder
yields and 7 varieties in India
2019
2023
First ICRISAT variety, Moti
released for farming in India
1978
ICSV 112 released in India and
eventually released in 9 countries
1987
1999
Large-scale adoption of high-
yielding hybrid JKSH 22 by the
private sector in India
First marker-assisted bred sorghum
varieties that are Striga tolerant
released in sub-Saharan Africa
2012
World’s fi rst ethanol from
sweet sorghum - ICSV 25308
and RVICSH28 - produced
from ICRISAT-bred cultivars
2007
High biomass sorghum
hybrid, ICSH 28 for production of
biofuel in India
High iron and zinc variety
Parbhani Shakti released in India
3 high-yielding varieties, Pilira 3,4
and 5 released in Malawi
2016
2022
2020
World’s fi rst high-iron varieties -
SAMSORG 45 & SAMSORG
46 - released in Africa
2017
First ICRISAT variety, Hageen Dura
released for farming in Sudan
Short-duration variety
Yield potential in rainfed areas
Key Traits under Research
Crop Improvement
Milestones
Varieties released from
ICRISAT-origin material
1983
Countries where the
varieties (including
hybrids) are released
• Grain yield
• Drought tolerance
• Grain mold, leaf
diseases & shoot fl y
resistance
• Forage yield and quality
• Maturity duration
• Striga weed resistance
Open Pollinated Variety - 1.5 - 1.7 t/ha
Hybrids - 4 t/ha
65-72 days to maturity
65 - 72
80 - 90
India
Africa
Yield gap
Average yield
Yield potential
Yield gap
4 t/ha
1.2 t/ha
4.5 t/ha
0.6 t/ha
2000
Hybrid Parents Research
Consortium formed
2005
Marker-assisted hybrid for
downy mildew resistance
(HHB 67-Improved 2) released
2021
• TAAW, a top cross hybrid,
seed parents from
ICRISAT-West Africa,
released in Senegal
• HHB 67-Improved 2, a
downy mildew resistance
variety released in India
2023
• Maru Sona (meaning desert
gold) a downy mildew
resistant marker-assisted
selection (MAS) hybrid
released in Gujarat, India
• Three high-yielding pearl
millet varieties, Chakti,
ICMP 1970115 and ICMP
187093 released in Nigeria
Bred through marker-assisted
selection, GHB 538 Improved
hybrid released and notifi ed
for the dry A1 zone of India.
2014
• Smart breakfast (millet/
sorghum fl akes) launched
• Salinity tolerant OPV,
Hashaki 1 released in
Uzbekistan
• Pearl millet genome sequenced
• Heterotic gene pools defi ned
• Downy mildew pathogen
genome sequenced
1982
First ICRISAT-bred Open
Pollinated Variety, WC-C 75,
released in India
1987
Popular ICRISAT variety
GB 8735 released in Niger
2013
First iron biofortifi ed
variety Dhanashakti released in
India
2020
• Nafagnon, the fi rst commercial
single cross hybrid released in
Burkina Faso
• Open pollinated pearl millet
varieties, TSFB 15-4 and TSFB
15-8 released in South India for
superior forage
2017
2018
Chakti, a high Fe-Zn pearl
millet and 5 high grain yielding
OPVs released in Niger
314 varieties in 26 countries
Varieties released from
ICRISAT-origin material
Crop Improvement
Milestones
Short-duration variety
Potential of high-yielding varieties
Key Traits under Research
Countries where the
varieties (including
hybrids) are released
(Figures as of 2023)
Two pearl millet varieties TSFB 17-7
and TSFB 18-1 with superior forage
qualities released in India.
2022
2024
• Maturity duration
• Grain yield
• Stover yield
• Digestibility
• Downy mildew resistance
• Blast resistance
• Iron and zinc levels
• Flowering stage heat tolerance
• Forage yield and quality
• Rancidity
Normal duration – 80 - 100 days to maturity
Short duration –
•
ICRISAT works to develop and enhance resilient, climate-smart and nutritious legume and cereal crops including chickpea,
pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet and small millets. These crops are fundamental to food security in
the drylands. At the systems level, ICRISAT also works on other important crops such as soybean, sunflower, sesame, mustard,
and rapeseed. ICRISAT also collaborates with partners on a wide range of cropping systems, agroforestry and livestock.
Our Specialty Crops
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