Screening of temperature tolerance and adaptive potential of Sorghum vulgare var. technicum Körn genotypes

Slaveya Petrova, Bogdan Nikolov, Plamen Marinov-Serafimov, Irena Golubinova and Ekaterina Valcheva

Abstract: Rising temperatures are proving detrimental for various agricultural crops. There is a need for heat tolerant crops with high adaptation capacity to the climate changes as an alternative of traditional cultivars. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of wide temperature range (10, 20 and 30°C) on water absorption capacity and seed germination of several Sorghum vulgare var. technicum Körn. genotypes. Based on the dynamics of seed imbibition observed, regardless of the temperature, the studied genotypes could be arranged into an increasing row as follows: G16V < GL16A < Szegedi 1023 < Mi16N < S14 < Prima = CR16LR < PL16. Peak values of water absorption by all tested seeds are found between 2nd and 6th hour at 10°C and 20°C, as well as between 2nd and 4th hour at 30°C (p<0.05). Significant relationships were observed depending on genotype reaction and differentiation under the temperature influence (P≥0.05). Seed germination at 10°C was found only at two of studied seven genotypes – GL16A (9.6%) and MI16N (38.0%). These two local populations of Sorghum vulgare var. technicum Körn. (GL16A and MI16N genotypes) demonstrated high germination rates at 10-30°C range and could be used as potential donors of thermotolerance toward low and high temperatures in a breeding program.

Keywords: broom corn; climate change; germination; seed imbibition; water absorption

Date published: 2021-09-15