Molecular breeding for combating salinity stress in sorghum: progress and prospects.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses current progress and prospects of molecular breeding and strategies for developing better saline-tolerant sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) varieties. Most molecular breeding techniques for salt tolerance have been carried out in controlled environments where the plants were not exposed to any variation of the surrounding environment, producing reliable results. Due to the polygenic nature of salt tolerance, the identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) could be false QTLs. Therefore, QTL validation is important in different plant populations and field conditions. Subsequently, marker validation is important before utilizing marker-assisted selection for screening salt-tolerant plants. Combining molecular breeding with conventional breeding can hasten the development of salt-tolerant sorghum varieties.