Sorghum

Sorghum (ˈsɔːrɡəm) or broomcorn is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption, in pastures for animals, and as bristles for brooms. One species is grown for grain, while many others are used as fodder plants, either cultivated in warm climates worldwide or naturalized in pasture lands. Sorghum was domesticated from its wild ancestor more than 5,000 years ago in what is today Sudan. The newest evidence comes from an archaeological site near Kassala in eastern Sudan, dating from 3500 to 3000 BC, and is associated with the neolithic Butana Group culture. It was the staple food of the kingdom of Alodia. Sorghum is in the grass family, Poaceae, in the subfamily Panicoideae, in the tribe Andropogoneae the same as maize (Zea mayz), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi), and sugarcane (Saccharum spp.). Accepted species recorded include: Agrobacterium transformation can be used on this genus. Che et al., 2018 provides such a transformation system with a good success rate. Bekele et al., 2013 develops and validates an SNP array for molecular breeding. Seventeen of the 25 species are native to Australia, with the range of some extending to Africa, Asia, Mesoamerica, and certain islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Nigeria accounts for 12% of world sorghum production and the United States accounts for 10%. Other major sorghum-producing countries are Sudan, Mexico, Ethiopia, India, Argentina, China, and Brazil. In the early stages of the plants' growth, some species of sorghum can contain levels of hydrogen cyanide, hordenine, and nitrates, which are lethal to grazing animals. Plants stressed by drought or heat can also contain toxic levels of cyanide and nitrates at later stages in growth. The grains are edible and nutritious. It can be eaten raw when young and milky, but has to be boiled when older. One species, S. bicolor, native to Africa with many cultivated forms, is an important crop worldwide, used for food (in the form of grain or sorghum syrup), animal fodder, the production of alcoholic beverages, and biofuels.