Sweetfuel

Specific objectives are as follows:

1. Investigate carbohydrate accumulation in sweet sorghum stems in the context of whole-plant functioning, and characterize its trade-offs with grain and biomass production. This work includes regulatory processes and the action of key enzymes.

2. Investigate the phenotypic relationships among traits for sugar accumulation, plant phenology (including photoperiod sensitivity), stay-green (or leaf longevity) and late-season drought tolerance.

3. Translate these results into ideotype concepts combining useful traits in a biologically compatible and agro-ecologically coherent way. Ideotypes may target single-purpose (bio-fuel) or pluri-purpose (bio-fuel, grain and forage) applications.

4. Translate the ideotype concepts into practical phenotyping methodologies for large populations, including model-assisted measurement of relevant physiological (process-based) traits.

5. Identify candidate genes/gene sequences for drought tolerance from (1) subtractive cDNA microarray analysis for stress and control treatment pairs, and (2) association mapping using SNPs.

6. Identify useful markers for MAS from results obtained for objective 5.

7. Provide to Consortium breeders novel traits and trait combinations, as well as suitable phenotyping methodologies; and molecular markers for MAS for enhanced and accelerated selection, specifically for drought tolerance

WP4 tasks are:

Task 4.1. Detailed phenotypic analysis of physiological traits

Task 4.2. Field drought testing of reference materials in Mexico

Task 4.3. Model improvement and application for ideotype definition

Task 4.4. Investigation of enzymatic and metabolomic traits

Task 4.5. Develop molecular markers for drought tolerance