Presented by Michael Blümmel, ILRI, at the Sorghum Scientist Field Day, Patancheru, 14-15 February 2019

1. Opportunities for maximizing feed value of
sorghum
Michael Blümmel, ILRI
Sorghum Scientist Field Day, Patancheru, 14-15 February 2019

2. Structure of Presentation
• Feed – supply demand scenario, valuation of sorghum
stover and implication for sorghum
improvement
• Variations in stover fodder (and grain) quality, responses
in livestock productivity
• Available and proposed phenotyping infrastructure for
mainstreaming multidimensional crop
improvement

3. Feed resource supply - demand scenarios in
India
Feed resource Contribution to overall feed resources
(%)
Greens from CRP, forests, grazing 8.0
Planted forages 15.1
Crop residues 70.6
Concentrates 6.3
Deficit: feed availability versus feed requirement (%)
Dry matter (i.e. crop residue quantity) -6
Digestible crude protein -61
Total digestible nutrients -50
(NIANP 2012; Blümmel at al. 2014)

4. Crop residues are becoming more
important as feed resources
Kahsay Berhe (2004) study in Yarer Mountain area
 Cultivated land has doubled at the expense of
pasture in 30 years
 Switch in source of nutrition for livestock from
grazing to CR

5. Sorghum stover trading in
Hyderabad

6. Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Ju Jul Aug Sep Oc Nov
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Sorghum grain
Sorghum stover
3.4
6.5
Month of trading
IndianRupeeperkg
Yearly mean
2004 to 2005
Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Ju Jul Aug Sep Oc Nov
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Sorghum stover
Sorghum grain
6.2
10.2
Yearly mean
2008 to 2009
Month of trading
Comparisions of average cost of dry sorghum stover traded in Hyderabad and average of cost of
sorghum grain in Andhra Pradesh 2005 to 2005 and 2008 to 2009
Changes in grain: stover value in sorghum traded in
Hyderabad from 2004-5 to 2008-9
Sharma et al. 2010

7. Relation between digestibility and
price of sorghum stover
44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
2.8
3.0
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4.0
4.2
y = -4.9 + 0.17x; R2
= 0.75; P = 0.03
Stover in vitro digestibility (%)
Stoverprice(IR/kgDM)
(Blümmel and Parthasarathy, 2006)

8. Long term survey of two contrasting sorghum stovers traded
in Hyderabad: costs per kg (Rs)

9. Long term survey of two contrasting sorghum stovers traded
in Hyderabad: in vitro digestibility (%)

10. Fodder N (%) IVOMD (%) Price (CFA/kg)
Cowpea Haulm 2.22 61.3 164
Groundnut Haulm 1.66 58.4 119
Sorghum Stover 1.03 52.2 31
Pearl Millet Stover 0.98 47.2 24
Comparisons of pricing and quality of some leguminous
and cereal crop residues in fodder
markets in Niger
Modified from Jarial et al. (2016)
Price variations accounted for by laboratory fodder quality traits (R2 > 0.92)

11. Trading of sorghum stovers from modern cultivars (MC) and
land races (LOC) in 4 districts in Maharashtra in 1985 to 1989
(calculated from Kelley et al., 1991)

13. Feed–supply demand scenario, valuation of sorghum
stover and implication for sorghum
improvement
• High strategic importance of crop residues as livestock feed, likely
to increase (feed demand, scarcity of land and water)
• Ratio of sorghum stover to sorghum grain prices narrows, now 0.5
to 0.6
• Significant price premiums for sorghum stover quality
• Stover significantly contributes to income from sorghum cropping

14.  Phenotyping new cultivars
submitted for release testing
for fodder traits
 Phenotyping during crop
improvement for fodder
traits
Exploit existing cultivar variations and
targeted genetic enhancement
 Conventional breeding,
recurrent selection,
hybridization
 Molecular breeding, QTLs,
genetic selection
Exploit variation Targeted enhancement

15. Relationship between stover IVOMD and grain yield in 244 Kharif
sorghum cultivars submitted to IIMR for cultivar release
testing during 2002 to 2017
3 5 3 6 3 7 3 8 3 9 4 0 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 4 9 5 0 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 5 5
1 0 0 0
1 5 0 0
2 0 0 0
2 5 0 0
3 0 0 0
3 5 0 0
4 0 0 0
4 5 0 0
5 0 0 0
5 5 0 0
6 0 0 0
In v itro o rg a n ic m a tte r d ig e s tib ility (IV O M D ; % )
Grainyield(kg/ha)
r= 0 .1 3 ; P = 0 .0 4 ; N = 2 4 4

16. Relationship between stover protein content and grain yield in 244
Kharif sorghum cultivars submitted to IIMR for cultivar release
testing during 2002 to 2017
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
1 0 0 0
1 5 0 0
2 0 0 0
2 5 0 0
3 0 0 0
3 5 0 0
4 0 0 0
4 5 0 0
5 0 0 0
5 5 0 0
6 0 0 0
P ro te in c o n te n t (% )
Grainyield(kg/ha)

17. Relationship between stover IVOMD and grain yield in 156 Rabi
sorghum cultivars submitted to IIMR for cultivar release
testing during 2002 to 2011
4 2 4 4 4 6 4 8 5 0 5 2 5 4 5 6 5 8 6 0
0
5 0 0
1 0 0 0
1 5 0 0
2 0 0 0
2 5 0 0
3 0 0 0
3 5 0 0
4 0 0 0
4 5 0 0
5 0 0 0
In v itro o rg a n ic m a tte r d ig e s tib ility (IV O M D ; % )
Grainyield(kg/ha)
r= -0 .2 2 ; P = 0 .0 0 0 6 ; N = 1 5 6

18. Relationship between stover IVOMD and grain yield in 156 Rabi
sorghum cultivars submitted to IIMR for cultivar release
testing during 2002 to 2011
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
0
5 0 0
1 0 0 0
1 5 0 0
2 0 0 0
2 5 0 0
3 0 0 0
3 5 0 0
4 0 0 0
4 5 0 0
5 0 0 0
P ro te in c o n te n t (% )
Grainyield(kg/ha)
r= -0 .2 8 ; P = 0 .0 0 0 5 ;N = 1 5 6

19. Staygreen QTL’ associated stover digestibility across
2 years and 2 treatments and grain yields
Bl
Blummel et al. (2015)

20. Variations in some grain traits in 18 Rabi sorghum cultivars grown
under diverse management conditions
Trait-1 Mean Minimum Maximum Broad-sense h2
Crude protein (%) 8.6 7.9 10.2 0.58
Total amino acids (%) 7.1 6.6 8.0 0.57
Lysine 0.20 0.18 0.24 0.64
Polyphenols (mg/g) 12.4 10.8 14.4 0.67
-1 NIRS based analysis

21. Relation between digestibility and
price of sorghum stover
44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
2.8
3.0
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4.0
4.2
y = -4.9 + 0.17x; R2
= 0.75; P = 0.03
Stover in vitro digestibility (%)
Stoverprice(IR/kgDM)
(Blümmel and Parthasarathy, 2006)
High quality cultivar
Low quality cultivar

22. Feed block manufacturing: supplementation,
densification
Ingredients %
Sorghum stover 50
Bran/husks/hulls 18
Oilcakes 18
Molasses 8
Grains 4
Minerals, vitamins, urea 2
Courtesy: Miracle Fodder and Feeds PVT LTD

23. Comparisons of feed blocks based on lower (47%) and higher (52%)
digestible sorghum stover and tested with commercial
dairy buffalo farmer in India
Block Premium Block Low
CP 17.2 % 17.1%
ME (MJ/kg) 8.46 MJ/kg 7.37 MJ/kg
DMI 19.7 kg/d 18.0 kg/d
DMI per kg LW 3.8 % 3.6 %
Milk Potential* 15.5 kg/d 9.9 kg/d
Modified from Anandan et al. (2009a)
* 21 and 14 kg/d in crossbred cattle

24. Variations in stover fodder quality, responses in livestock
productivity, variations in stover and grain quality
Structure of Presentation
• Livestock nutritionally significant variations exist in sorghum
stover quality among cultivars
• No, or manageable trade-off exist between stover fodder quality
traits and grain yield
• “Intuitively” small difference in stover fodder quality traits
translate into substantial difference in
livestock performance

25. Phenotyping for feed and fodder quality by
Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)
Non-evasive
c. 200 samples/d
>30 traits
Physico-chemical
c. 60 000 US $
Calibration
Validation
NIRS equations sharable across
compatible instruments
At current: ILRI

26. Available FOSS-based NIRS Hub Infrastructure
India: ILRI, ICRISAT, private sector
Ethiopia:
ILRI, EIAR,
private sector
Uganda:
NARES
Tanzania:
NARES
Nigeria:
ILRI, ICRISAT, IITA,
NARES
private sector
Mali:
ICRISAT, NARES
Burkina Faso:
Coming, ILRI-
INERA

27. From stationary to mobile handheld NIRS?

28. Available and proposed phenotyping
infrastructure
Broad-brush summary of multi-dimensional
crop improvement
• FOSS type NIRS ready for networking in South Asia, East
Africa and West Africa
• NIRS equations for all key cereal and legume crops
available for sharing
• ILRI platform for NIRS equations being migrated from
WiKi to pCloud
• Suitability of diverse mobile NIRS being explored

29. Profiling: groundnut varieties Malawi
Variety Country NDF ADF ADL IVOMD Me NDM
ICGV-SM 02724 Tanzania 28.561 46.033 8.82 47.69 5.41 1.414
ICGV-SM 99541 Mozambique 40.561 38.97 3.39 50.34 6.37 2.03
Manipinter Malawi 37.685 38.214 9.179 50.85 6.3 2.035
Chalimbana Malawi 28.97 40.853 8.22 49.88 5.9 2.08
ICGV-SM 99551 Tanzania 43.885 37.88 8.72 50.18 6.56 2.12
ICGV-SM 01514 Malawi 37.627 42.513 9.85 45.89 5.59 2.13
ICGV-SM 99568 Malawi 42.459 38.375 9.38 49.92 6.46 2.19
CG7 Malawi 35.542 36.769 8.1 51.78 6.54 2.194
ICGV-SM 99557 Tanzania 42.543 37.41 9.17 50.43 6.53 2.26
RG1 Malawi 37.414 36.33 8.15 50.53 6.38 2.27
Chitembana Malawi 34.597 37.499 8.37 50.02 6.1 2.31
ICGV-SM 01731 Malawi 40.451 37.414 9.067 49.98 6.34 2.31
ICGV-SM 99555 Malawi 43.885 36.755 8.76 51.46 6.55 2.32
ICGV-SM 90704 Malawi 30.887 37.55 8.2 50.29 6.01 2.35
ICGV-08503 Malawi 37.617 35.9 8.15 50.64 6.38 2.4
JL24 Malawi 37.141 34.854 7.9 53.68 6.87 2.46
ICGV-SM 01513 Mozambique 36.883 36.065 8.32 53.23 6.75 2.47
ICG 12991 Malawi 43.165 35.042 9.199 51.16 6.61 2.54
Malimba Malawi 30.143 30.913 7.023 54.17 6.86 2.79
ICGV-SM 01711 Tanzania 33.515 25.664 5.24 62.19 8.44 3.25
P Value <.0001 <.0001 <.0001 <.0001 <.0001 <.0001
LSD 3.8 2.13 0.35 2.2 0.37 0.19
CV 6.27 3.49 2.52 2.6 3.44 5.1

30. Profiling: Sorghum varieties Malawi
Variety NDM NDF ADF ADL ME IVOM
IESV 92036 SH 1.055 57.23 37.57 5.17 7.31 50.14
E 36-1 0.97 57.58 39.31 5.45 7.07 48.67
Kari Mtama 1 0.95 57.71 39.31 5.68 7 48.22
IESV 92037/2 SH 0.94 59.56 39.81 5.8 6.89 47.24
IESV 214009 DL 0.95 60.43 41.55 5.83 6.7 46.29
IS 8193 X GADAM 1.05 60.46 41.73 6.26 6.44 44.73
GADAM X IS 8193 0.97 60.47 42.33 5.83 6.4 44.17
IESV 92028 DL 0.99 60.81 40.26 5.52 6.83 47.07
Khalid 0.93 61.18 41.06 5.71 6.63 45.74
GADAM 0.97 62.86 45.62 6.54 6.17 43.13
LSD 0.25 3.82 3.67 0.83 0.53 3.26
P Value NS NS 0.016 NS 0.007 0.005
CV 15.27 3.78 5.28 8.38 4.61 4.11

31. Relations between straw in vitro digestibility
and grain yields in 130 NRRI rice cultivars
National Rice Research between food-
fodder traits in NRRI rice cultivars
3 8 3 9 4 0 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7
2 0 0 0
3 0 0 0
4 0 0 0
5 0 0 0
6 0 0 0
7 0 0 0
8 0 0 0
S tra w in v itro organic m atter digestibility (% )
Grainyield(kg/ha)
r= -0 .2 ; P = 0 .0 2
(Prasad et al. 2019)

32. Key findings
• Rice cultivar with high grain yield and high
straw quality identified
• Straw quality in cultivars targeting upland,
lowland, irrigated and saline/coastal areas
described
• Identification of genomic regions linked with
straw quality through mapping panels
initiated

33. This presentation is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
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