Heterosis Studies in Sweet Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] for Bio-ethanol and Its Related Traits

Sweet sorghum is a potential multipurpose crop for food, feed, and fuel. The present investigation was conducted to study the possibility of exploiting heterosis in breeding for improved ethanol yield in sweet sorghum. A total of sixteen F1 hybrids crossed in L x T fashion, 8 parents (4lines x 4 testers) and check CSH-22S were evaluated in 3 locations of A.P namely., Agricultural college farm, Bapatla; Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, Guntur; Agricultural Research Station, Garikapadu in RBD fashion for days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of nodes per plant, stem girth, fresh stalk weight, panicle weight, 1000 grain weight, juice yield, brix %, total soluble sugars, ethanol yield and grain yield. The range of heterosis over mid parent, better parent and commercial check indicated that it was high with respect to ethanol productivity related traits particularly juice yield and brix per cent. However, it was deviating for days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of nodes per plant, plant height, and 1000 grain weight which has shown negative heterosis. In hybrids, there is an improvement in the juice, brix per cent and ethanol yield, but heterosis is limited for 1000 grain weight and ultimately grain yield. Out of 16 hybrids, six hybrids have performed well in respect of juice yield, brix and ethanol yield.