Sorghum is a water-efficient crop with growing importance for food, feed, and bioenergy, but its wider use in the northern great plains is limited by a short growing season, delayed canopy closure,…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded South Dakota State University $300,000 under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) on September 15, 2026, to evaluate sorghum genetics and physiology across developmental stages and environmental conditions in the Northern Great Plains.

The project addresses limitations to sorghum adoption in northern regions, including shortened growing seasons, delayed canopy closure, and weed-management challenges. South Dakota State University will conduct repeated field measurements, drone imaging, portable sensor readings, and biomass sampling of diverse sorghum genotypes in South Dakota and Nebraska through September 14, 2028. The research will compile and standardize existing public sorghum datasets, apply genetic analyses to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with dynamic, environment-dependent traits, and develop integrated field and public-data resources. Deliverables include evaluated methods for describing plant changes over time, models connecting aerial and field measurements, improved understanding of physiological trade-offs between resource-producing and resource-consuming plant tissues, and prioritized genomic regions for future breeding work.

Performance occurs in Brookings, South Dakota. The project is classified as a Project Grant, an assistance type under AFRI's Foundational and Applied Science Program track, which funds competitive merit-reviewed research to advance agricultural productivity and sustainability.

Sorghum is a water-efficient crop with growing importance for food, feed, and bioenergy, but its wider use in the northern great plains is limited by a short growing season, delayed canopy closure, weed-management challenges, and imperfect alignment between crop development and available light and nutrients. Most crop genetic studies measure plants only once or near maturity, even though plant growth and physiology change continuously and may respond differently to the environment at different developmental stages. The goal of this project is to improve understanding of how sorghum genetics, physiology, development, and environment work together to control growth dynamics, canopy development, biomass, grain production, and the balance between plant tissues that produce resources and those that use or store them. A large and diverse set of sorghum genotypes will be evaluated in south dakota and nebraska using repeated field measurements, drone imaging, portable sensors, biomass sampling, and harvest measurements; compile and standardize existing public sorghum data; and use genetic analyses to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with dynamic and environment-dependent traits. Expected results include integrated field and public-data resources, evaluated methods for describing plant changes over time, models that connect aerial and field measurements, improved understanding of physiological trade-offs, and prioritized genomic regions for future study. These products will fill an important knowledge GAP between single-time-point crop measurements and the dynamic processes that determine crop performance, providing a foundation for future research and breeding aimed at improving sorghum adaptation, resource use, canopy development, and productivity in northern and water-limited agricultural regions.