Morphological And Molecular Characterization Of Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench) Cultivars In Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is the fifth most important cereal crop of the world and second most important cereal crop grown in Africa. It is an important food and fodder crop in the semi-arid tropics of Africa, where it is used for making different kinds of food. In Ghana, it serves as a principal source of energy, protein, vitamins and mineral nutrients for the people in the Northern Regions. Having data on the existing diversity especially at the genotypic level in plant population is vital for the effective breeding, conservation, management and efficient use of plant genetic resources. Even though sorghum forms an important crop among the people of Northern Ghana with several uses and benefits, there is still more to be done in terms of research. This is because increases in yield in recent years is rather as a result of increase in cultivated land for sorghum and not an improvement in sorghum varieties available. The aim of this study was to characterize sorghum landrace accessions from the Northern Region of Ghana in order to generate information that could help design appropriate breeding and conservation strategies in the Region. Both morphological and molecular markers were used to study the genetic diversity of 40 accessions from the Northern Regions. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used to evaluate the morphological characteristics of the 40 accessions from this part of the country. Eight qualitative and five quantitative traits were studied. These morphological traits observed revealed variability among the accessions studied. For the molecular analysis, sorghum seeds were nursed and leaf samples taken for DNA extraction. A significant level of genetic variation was observed among 40 sorghum accessions from the Northern Region, when genetic diversity was assessed using ten (10) microsatellite (SSR) markers. The patterns of genetic diversity and relationships observed in this research provide insights for iii genetic resource conservation and utilization of sorghum germplasm in the Northern part of Ghana.