D3081: Utilizing genetic variation in perennial sorghum to improve host plant resistance to aphids

With the growing concern over the prevailing farming system, perennial crops have the potential to be an environmental savior. Breeding perennial grain crops is recommended for economically significant crops because of the ecological and monetary benefits. Sorghum is one of the most important monocot crops cultivated worldwide and is known for its versatility as a food, forage, and bioenergy crop. The sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari; SCA) is considered a major threat to sorghum production because it severely damages the plant by sucking sap from leaves, thereby reducing its photosynthetic ability. The significant economic losses incurred by the SCA on sorghum necessitate the search for novel sources of resistance. In this study, we screened the resistance levels of 50 perennial sorghum plants, formed by the cross between Sorghum bicolor and Sorghum halepense. No-choice (antibiosis) aphid bioassays identified X999<R485 and PR376<Tift241 as the most resistant and susceptible genotypes, respectively, compared with wild-type plants based on damage rating and aphid counts. In future studies, we will use the Electrical Penetration graph (EPG) technique to monitor SCA feeding behavior on resistant and susceptible sorghum plants. Identifying novel sources of sorghum resistance to SCA will have a broader impact on sorghum breeding programs.