Planting Date and Genotype Effect On Morpho-agronomic Traits of Burkina Faso Sweet Grain Sorghum

Sweet grain sorghum is an under-exploited crop mainly grown around dwelling houses. Its production faces harsh environmental conditions. This study aims to assess sowing date effect on morpho-agronomical traits of sweet grain sorghum. Thus, 30 genotypes of sweet grain sorghum were assessed under 2 planting dates (June 26 and July 20) 24 days apart in a Randomized Complete Block Designs with 3 replications using 10 traits. The results showed a significant effect of sowing date on most of the traits, except internode length. All genotypes were sensitive to photoperiod variation by reducing their sowing-flowering cycle from 08 to 20 days, size and yield at the second planting date. Delayed sowing also resulted in a decrease in plant height (66.4 cm), 100 grain weight (8.3%), panicle weight (16.84%) and grain yield per plant (18.93%). The genotypes expressed a differential sensitivity to photoperiod variation with a mean coefficient of 0.59. Finally, a clustered flowering of all genotypes between September 11 and 27 was observed for both sowing dates. These results could be exploited by sweet sorghum breeding programme in the definition of the cropping calendar

Genotype x Environment Interactions and Stability of Grain Yield of Maize Hybrids across Sudanian and Sudano-Sahelian Agro-ecological Zones in Burkina Faso

Maize is an important staple crop for millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa and, particularly in Burkina Faso, where it ranks first among cereals since 2020. Available maize varieties are low yielding. To enhance maize production SEMAFORT, a seed company founded recently in Burkina Faso, introduced three-way hybrids. The present investigation was performed to assess 128 hybrids in 2018 and the best performing hybrids for genotype-by-environment (G×E) interactions in 2019. The study was conducted at one location (Farako-Ba) during the first year of evaluation using an alpha lattice design and in five locations during the second year using a randomized block design. The second year of the study was conducted in two different agro-ecological zones of Burkina Faso. The data were subjected to genotype and genotype by environment interaction (GGE) biplot analysis using GenStat statistical package. The analysis revealed four mega-environments which discriminated the hybrids according to yield potential. In each mega-environment, the best yielding hybrids were identified and will be further tested and possibly released for production in specific areas. The most stable genotype in the highest yielding and most stable environment was SX8-121. It could be grown across Sudan and Sudano-Sahelian zones of Burkina Faso