Opportunities for biotechnology research on Sorghum Stalk Rot and virus diseases

Abstract

Although considerable progress has been made using conventional technology in identification and characterization of viral and stalk rot diseases of sorghum, there is still an incomplete understanding of the genetics of resistance, and many viral diseases remain uncharacterized. Biotechnology (cDNA) Will playa n increased role in virus detection and identification, and in marker assisted selection in breeding for sorghum virus resistance,and to discern the genetic basis of resistance to the stalk rot comlex quickly and more precisely. Biotechnology Will also aid in the identification of quantitave trait loci (QTL) associated with specific Fusarium and Macrophomina stalk rots responses and drought tolerance.

Bien que des progres considerables aient ete realises avec la technique conventionelle d'identification et de caracterization des maladies virales et de stalk rot de sorgho, il reste a comprendre la resistance genetique et a caracteriser beaucoup de maladies virales. La biotechnologie (DNA) jouera un role preponderant dans la detection et l'identification des viroses, dans l'amelioration de la resistance aux virus a l'aide de la selection, grace aux marqueurs et dans la determination rapide et precise des bases genetiques de resistance au complexe stalk rot. La biotechnologie aidera aussi a l'identification de traits quantitatifs (QLT) au loci associes au fusarium et au Macrophomia stalk rots et a la tolerance a la secheresse.