The genetic architecture of phosphorus efficiency in sorghum involves pleiotropic QTL for root morphology and grain yield under low phosphorus availability in the soil.
Karine C BernardinoMaria Marta PastinaCícero B MenezesSylvia M de SousaLaiane S MacielGeraldo CarvalhoClaudia T GuimarãesBeatriz A BarrosLuciano da Costa E SilvaPedro C S CarneiroRobert E SchaffertLeon V KochianJurandir V MagalhaesPublished in: BMC plant biology (2019)
Genetic determinants conferring higher root surface area and slight increases in fine root diameter may favor P uptake, thereby enhancing grain yield under low-P availability in the soil. Molecular markers for SbPSTOL1 genes and for QTL increasing grain yield by non-root morphology-based mechanisms hold promise in breeding strategies aimed at developing sorghum cultivars adapted to low-P soils.