Abstract

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an indigenous crop in Africa, primarily cultivated to meet the food and commercial needs of rural communities. In Burkina Faso, various types of sorghum are cultivated together, potentially increasing gene flow and influencing the evolution of key morphological traits of interest. This study compared the morphological variability of four types of sorghum cultivated under intercropping conditions using qualitative morphological traits. The variability within and between sorghum types was estimated using 130 accessions in an incomplete Fisher block experimental design with three replications. Twenty-five qualitative traits (such as seedling colour, leaf spot colour, midrib colour, peduncle shape, grain shape, glume appearance, botanical breed, etc.) were observed during the study. The results indicated a morphological similarity between sorghum types for most traits. All types of sorghum had an erect stem, red leaf spots, positively exerted erect peduncle, and grains that were not sweet in the dry stage. This morphological similarity was very high between grain sorghum and sweet grain sorghum, varying according to the village and agroclimatic areas. The findings of this study could help establish a sustainable strategy for the management of sorghum genetic resources in Burkina Faso.

Key words: Sorghum, genetic resources, morphological variability, intercropping.