Morphoagronomics and Nutritional Profile of ‘Mara Guisseïré’ Sorghum Landrace from Chad

Abstract

Sorghum is the most consumed cereal in Chad. In rural areas, this crop is characterized by many variants among which the cultivar Mara Guisséïré. Lines of this cultivar were then obtained through selection work. The study aims to determine the main morphological traits, to evaluate their agronomic performance and nutritional profile. Six (6) lines were evaluated by 11 qualitative and 13 quantitative traits. The physicochemical constituents were determined by classical analytical methods. A low phenotypic variability was observed within the lines. However, highly significant differences were observed for several quantitative traits. MG-7 is the earliest (Heading stage : 55.00 days ; Maturity stage : 88.75 days), most productive (2168.25 kg.ha^-1) with highest Thousand-Seeds weight (TSw : 27.50 g). The moisture contents, protein, starch, tannin, ash and fiber vary from (9.44% - 10.40%), (8.75% - 12.00%), (58.75% - 68.20%), (62.00 mg CE/100 g -160.00 mg CE/100 g), (1.93% - 2.28 %), (2.44% - 3.25 %) respectively. The mineral contents vary from (11.27 - 18.59  mg/100g), (4.58 - 9.30 mg/100g), (4.73 - 6.35 mg/100g), (0.00 - 0.83 mg/100g) for calcium, iron, zinc and copper. This study shows the genetic importance of cultivars and their potential can be used in varietal improvement programs.