TITLE:
Farmers’ Perception of Phenotypic Variation of Different Types of Sorghum Cultivated in Burkina Faso
AUTHORS:
Sévérin Tuina, Josiane Tiendrebéogo, Mariam Kiébré, Nerbéwendé Sawadogo, Romaric Kiswendsida Nanema
KEYWORDS:
Sorghum bicolor, Ethnobotanical Knowledge, Genetic Diversity, Burkina Faso
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.14 No.10,
October
11,
2023
ABSTRACT: Sorghum
bicolor is a multi-purpose species
adapted to many agroecological zones of Burkina Faso. In the local farming
system, different types of sorghum are cultivated together. Such farming
conditions could increase gene flow between the different types of sorghum and
contribute to the evolution of their main morphological characteristics.
Understanding the effect of the farming system on the characteristics of
different types of sorghum could contribute to building a strategy for the
management of its genetic diversity. A survey and accessions collection was
carried out in ten villages selected in two agroclimatic zones of Burkina Faso.
A total of 133 accessions were collected and thirty local names were recorded.
The results revealed a significant variability
within sorghum characteristics based on farmers’ descriptions. Four types of sorghum were identified by farmers based on their uses. These are
sweet grain sorghum, grain sorghum, sweet sorghum and dyer sorghum. Most of
farmers (54.6%) practised intercropping, and 28.86% of them intercropped
several types of sorghum in the same or nearby fields. A high coincidence of
the flowering period of the types of sorghum was observed by farmers in both
agroclimatic zones. The results also showed that most of the farmers (55.7%)
noted changes in the morphological characteristics of different types of
sorghum. These variations included the reduction in potential yields and
changes in grain taste and colour within the same type. Understanding
these variations could help conserve and sustain sorghum genetic resources
in Burkina Faso.