Potential for Enhancing Forage Sorghum Yield and Yield Components in a Changing Pannonian Climate

Anja Dolapčev Rakić (), Slaven Prodanović, Vladimir Sikora, Sanja Vasiljević, Vesna Župunski, Radivoje Jevtić and Ana Uhlarik
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Anja Dolapčev Rakić: Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, 21101 Novi Sad, Serbia
Slaven Prodanović: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, 11080 Zemun, Serbia
Vladimir Sikora: Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, 21101 Novi Sad, Serbia
Sanja Vasiljević: Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, 21101 Novi Sad, Serbia
Vesna Župunski: Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, 21101 Novi Sad, Serbia
Radivoje Jevtić: Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, 21101 Novi Sad, Serbia
Ana Uhlarik: Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, 21101 Novi Sad, Serbia

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: Climatic variability, particularly fluctuating precipitation and rising temperatures, poses a significant threat to crop productivity and stability. Forage sorghum hybrids are a promising alternative for fodder and bioenergy due to their high level of drought tolerance. This study evaluated genotypic variation and environmental adaptability of 60 forage sorghum genotypes: 13 parental lines, their 40 crosses and seven commercial hybrids, to identify high-yielding, stable hybrids for biomass production under changing agroecological conditions. Field trials conducted over two contrasting years revealed significant genotype-by-environment interactions ( p < 0.05), highlighting the need for multi-year evaluations. While favorable rainfall in 2020 enhanced vegetative traits (plant height, stem diameter, leaf area), biomass yield variability increased, emphasizing that favorable vegetative development does not necessarily correlate with yield stability. Principal component analysis indicated that plant height, stem diameter and leaf-related traits contributed most to genotypic differentiation. However, no single trait emerged as a reliable predictor of yield, suggesting complex trait interaction. These findings underscore the importance of integrative breeding strategies that combine phenotypic trait assessment with environmental adaptability to ensure sustainable biomass production. Sorghum’s drought tolerance and resilience make it a promising crop for future food and feed security in regions prone to climatic stress.

Keywords: forage sorghum; yield; climatic variations; combining abilities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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