Background: Drought, posing a risk to agriculture, threatens the food security of society and has long been a significant environmental crisis in Iran. There is a pressing need to focus on low-water-demand crops such as sorghum.
Objective: The main objectives of the project were to study the extent and structure of phenotypic and genetic diversity of sorghum germplasms using multivariate statistical methods and molecular techniques, and to understand the relationships between morpho-agronomic traits. The aim was to utilize findings in sorghum breeding programs in Iran, particularly in the Bushehr province if feasible.
Methodology: Sixty-two sorghum plant germplasms were subjected to morphological evaluation, and one sample with 24 genotypes was randomly selected for genetic experiments using RAPD markers with five primers.
Findings: The results from correlation matrix indicated a positive correlation between phenology-related traits (days to greenness, days to panicle initiation) and yield-related traits (cluster weight, number of grains per cluster). Stepwise regression justified that thousand grain weight, number of grains per cluster, and stem diameter accounted for a major portion of grain yield variation. Path analysis showed that thousand grain weight and number of grains per cluster were the most influential traits directly affecting grain yield. Principal component analysis identified five principal components explaining a total of 18.76% of phenotypic diversity, with the first component being related to yield-related traits. Factor analysis identified five factors labeled based on associated traits. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes into five clusters, with no evident geographical origin and clustering relationship observed. Shannon's diversity index indicated high and relatively stable genotype diversity in traits. Principal coordinate analysis explained 24.66% of total variation across three principal coordinates. Molecular variance analysis revealed the