Sorghum

About this book

The "Tropical Agriculture Series" is directed towards research workers, agricultural advisors and all those professionally involved in tropical agronomy. The books are also intended to provide a review of the field for university teachers and students of agriculture. The present volume deals with sorghum, which is now a major food crop in Africa and India, and an important livestock feed in the Americas. In this work, the author has provided basic informaion on the crop from both an agricultural and a botanical point of view, covering the world production, classification and probable history of the crop. Morphology, reproduction, development, cytology, genetics and physiology are all covered together with information on crop improvement. Doggett cites achievements both in national programmes and in plant breeding. An explanation of crop loss, witchweeds, birds, pests and diseases is given, and the utilization of the sorghum plant and grain is also described. The work is intended to be a reference guide for plantation owners and extension workers as well as for students of botany and agriculture.

Contents

The sorghum crop - world statistics, origin, habitat and classification; the history of cultivated sorghum; morphology and reproduction; physiology; cytology and genetics; sorghum improvement - national programmes (including sorghum improvement in Ethiopia, by Brhane Gebrekidan); sorghum improvement - methodologies; agronomy; methodology for research on traditional small-farmer (greatly influenced by Gordon Banta's early work at the International Rice Research Institute); sorghum insect pests; sorghum diseases, striga; birds; utilization of the plant; utilization of the grain, foods and history.

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