A Critical Review: Breeding Objectives, Genomic Resources, and Marker-Assisted Methods in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)

Sorghum plays a pivotal role as a dietary staple for a significant population in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA) regions. Projected climate variations in these major sorghum production zones are expected to give rise to irregular instances of abiotic stressors, posing a substantial risk to crop production. Breeding strategies tend to be geographically specialized, focusing on enhancing responses to specific biotic and abiotic challenges prevalent in distinct regions. This necessitates the development of adaptations to factors such as day-length patterns. The article presents a summary of the main breeding goals for sorghum, followed by an overview of essential genetic and genomic resources. It further analyzes the current and potential marker-assisted approaches in sorghum breeding. Advancements in sorghum breeding are moving beyond traditional techniques, incorporating a diverse range of methodologies. The integration of genomic selection and other marker-assisted breeding approaches is facilitated by the comprehensive genotyping of important germplasm collections, made possible through the utilization of cost-effective single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping platforms. Furthermore, the inclusion of pertinent sociological perspectives on demand-driven breeding, which acknowledges the significance of local value chains involving farmers, dealers, retailers, and consumers, plays a crucial role in the progress of sorghum breeding approaches.