Variability and association studies among stover yield and quality related traits in sorghum

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is popular worldwide as a source of food, fiber, fuel and fodder. Sorghum is a grass plant related to Maize and Sugar cane (Paterson et al., 2009), also having great importance as fodder for cattle. Sorghum is a nutritionally rich fodder crop. For livestock production sorghum fodder usage is increasing extensively as it is a drought tolerant and water use efficient crop. Present study was aimed at studying the variation in traits related to stove yield and quality in sorghum. The recombinant inbred lines (RIL) of biparental cross CSV 20 X Pant Chari 5 were characterized for 16 traits in two seasons. All collected data pooled and statistically analysed for assessing the variation and association among traits. Plant height, seed yield, leaf length, leaf width, lignin content, fiber content, ash, digestibility and stoveryield showed increased variation. Significant association of fodder yield with days to flowering and plant height were noted. Fiber content were associated with stem girth. Lignin content was negatively correlation with digestibility. Digestibility and protein content were positively correlated. The parental lines were diverse for stover yield, lignin content and digestibility.