New Breeding Trends in Sorghum

Sorghum, a versatile cereal crop, serves as a staple food for millions and is increasingly recognized for its resilience to climate adversities. This chapter provides an encompassing overview of the current status of sorghum breeding, discussing the achievements, challenges, and future prospects. Historically, breeding efforts have primarily targeted yield improvement, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, and quality enhancement. With the advent of molecular breeding tools, there has been a paradigm shift toward genomics-assisted breeding, which holds promise in accelerating the development of superior sorghum varieties. We also shed light on the integration of high-throughput phenotyping and advanced genomics, which are playing pivotal roles in understanding the genetic architecture of complex traits. The future of sorghum breeding is anticipated to be dominated by precision breeding, where the amalgamation of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, artificial intelligence, and digital agriculture will redefine the conventional breeding pipelines. Challenges persist, particularly in bridging the gap between research advancements and their translation to smallholder farmers’ fields. It is imperative for the global community to foster collaborations, ensuring the benefits of advanced breeding technologies reach all, sustaining food security and agricultural sustainability in the face of a changing climate.