Sorghum’s alkaline tolerance can improve crop yields

Sorghum’s alkaline tolerance can improve crop yields

Subject : Geography

Section: Economic Geography

Concept :

• As the world’s soils continue to be impacted by salt, researchers have identified a protein that plays a crucial role in helping plants like sorghum grow in alkaline, salty soils.
• The findings could inform the design of crops better suited to grow in underutilised sodic lands.
• Researchers performed a genome ­wide association study of plant growth in alkaline conditions using sorghum and identified Alkaline Tolerance 1 (AT1) -a major locus specially related to the plant’s sensitivity to alkaline, sodic soils.

Sorghum Crop

• Sorghum, also called great millet, Indian millet, is cereal grain plant of the grass family (Poaceae) and its edible starchy seeds.
• Sorghum plants are very hardy and can withstand high temperature and drought conditions.
• The plant originated in Africa, where it is a major food crop. The variety of the crop found in India is called jowar that originated here.
• The grain is popular across the world because it has a low glycaemic index, is gluten-free and nutritious.
• Note: The lower the glycemic index of a cereal, the lower is the relative rise in blood glucose level after two hours of consuming it.
• The key varieties of millets include Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Ragi, Small Millet, Foxtail Millet, Barnyard Millet, Kodo Millet and others.
• Jowar has a dedicated All-India Coordinated Research Project since 1969.

Cultivation of Jowar/Sorghum in states

• Jowar is a tropical crop of Madhya Pradesh and is cultivated in the northwestern districts of M
• Kharif crop is cultivated in the districts like Ujjain, Morena, Ratlam, Shivpur, and Bhind. The Jowar Rabi crop is cultivated in the districts of MP like Chhindwara, Khandwa, Balaghat, Dhar, Jhabua, Khargone, and Seoni.
• In geography, it has been seen that Jowar/Sorghum is a kind of crop that can be raised in both Rabi and Kharif seaso It can be seen that regions having less than 100 cm rainfall is the proper place for the growth of this crop.
• It grows well in the dry regions where there is no irrigation for provision.

Different varieties of soil are needed for the cultivation of this crop and the district of MP has the variety of soil for the production of this crop. The growth of this crop can mainly happen in the plain regions of MP but it is also raised in the gentle slopes of 1200 meter height.