The effect of semi-dwarf genes on root system size in field-grown barley

Root system size (RSS) was measured in 12 diverse barley genotypes and 157 double-haploid lines (DHs), using electric capacitance. The parents of the DHs, Derkado and B83-12/21/5, carry different semi-dwarfing genes, sdw1 and ari-e.GP, respectively. Estimates of RSS were taken in the field thrice during plant development: stem elongation (RSS1), heading (RSS2) and grain filling (RSS3). The 12 barley genotypes were assessed over 3 years and at two or three locations each year; the DH mapping population was assessed at two locations in 2002. Among the 12 barley genotypes, those with the semi-dwarf genes had greater RSS values in all 3 years (28.9, 24.6 and 15.0% in years 1, 2 and 3, respectively) compared to non-semi-dwarf controls. The DH population showed transgressive segregation on both sides of the parent means, indicating polygenic control of RSS. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for RSS were found on five of the seven chromosomes: 1H, 3H, 4H, 5H and 7H and these were compared with previously mapped agronomic traits. The TotalRSS QTL on 3H was associated with sdw1 and QTLs for height, plant yield and plant weight. The RSS3 QTL on 5H was associated with ari-e.GP and QTLs for height, plant yield, plant weight, harvest index and tiller number. The RSS3 QTL on 7H was also associated with a TotalRSS QTL and QTLs for plant weight and harvest index. Other RSS QTLs were not associated with any other trait studied. RSS is considered to be a polygenic trait linked to important traits, in particular to yield. The study highlights the effects of semi-dwarfing genes and discusses the potential for breeding for root traits.     

Phenotype/genotype associations for yield and salt tolerance in a barley mapping population segregating for two dwarfing genes

Barley traits related to salt tolerance are mapped in a population segregating for a dwarfing gene associated with salt tolerance. Twelve quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected for seven seedling traits in doubled haploids from the spring barley cross Derkado x B83-12/21/5 when given saline treatment in hydroponics. The location of QTLs for seedling growth stage (leaf appearance rate), stem weight prior to elongation, and tiller number are reported for the first time. In addition, four QTLs were found for the mature plant traits grain nitrogen and plot yield. In total, seven QTLs are co-located with the dwarfing genes sdw1, on chromosome 3H, and ari-e.GP, on chromosome 5H, including seedling leaf response (SGa) to gibberellic acid (GA(3)). QTLs controlling the growth of leaves (GS2) on chromosomes 2H and 3H and emergence of tillers (TN2) and grain yield were independent of the dwarfing genes. Field trials were grown in eastern Scotland and England to estimate yield and grain composition. A genetic map was used to compare the positions of QTLs for seedling traits with the location of QTLs for the mature plant traits. The results are discussed in relation to the study of barley physiology and the location of genes for dwarf habit and responses to GA.     

Quantitative trait loci for plant height in Maresi × CamB barley population and their associations with yield-related traits under different water regimes

High-yielding capacity of the modern barley varieties is mostly dependent on the sources of semi-dwarfness associated with the sdw1/denso locus. The objective of the study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with the plant height and yield potential of barley recombinant inbred lines (RILs) grown under various soil moisture regimes. The plant material was developed from a hybrid between the Maresi (European cv.) and CamB (Syrian cv.). A total of 103 QTLs affecting analysed traits were detected and 36 of them showed stable effects over environments. In total, ten QTLs were found to be significant only under water shortage conditions. Nine QTLs affecting the length of main stem were detected on 2H-6H chromosomes. In four of the detected QTLs, alleles contributed by Maresi had negative effects on that trait, the most significant being the QLSt-3H.1-1 in the 3H.1 linkage group. The close linkage between QTLs identified around the sdw1/denso locus, with positive alleles contributed by Maresi, indicates that the semi-dwarf cv. Maresi could serve as a donor of favourable traits resulting in grain yield improvement, also under water scarcity. Molecular analyses revealed that the Syrian cv. also contributed alleles which increased the yield potential. Available barley resources of genomic annotations were employed to the biological interpretation of detected QTLs. This approach revealed 26 over-represented Gene Ontology terms. In the projected support intervals of QGWS_l-5H.3-2 and QLSt-5H.3 on the chromosome 5H, four genes annotated to ‘response to stress’ were found. It suggests that these QTL-regions may be involved in a response of plant to a wide range of environmental disturbances.     

Characterizing the pathotype structure of barley powdery mildew and effectiveness of resistance genes to this pathogen in Kazakhstan

Background

Alike to Reduced height-1 (Rht-1) genes in wheat and the semi dwarfing (sd-1) gene in rice, the sdw1/denso locus involved in the metabolism of the GA, was designated as the ‘Green Revolution’ gene in barley. The recent molecular characterization of the candidate gene HvGA20ox2 for sdw1/denso locus allows to estimate the impact of the functional polymorphism of this gene on the variation of agronomically important traits in barley.

Results

We investigated the effect of the 7-bp deletion in exon 1 of HvGA20ox2 gene (sdw1.d mutation) on the variation of yield-related and malting quality traits in the population of DHLs derived from cross of medium tall barley Morex and semi-dwarf barley Barke. Segregation of plant height, flowering time, thousand grain weight, grain protein content and grain starch was evaluated in two diverse environments separated from one another by 15° of latitude. The 7-bp deletion in HvGA20ox2 gene reduced plant height by approximately 13 cm and delayed flowering time by 3–5 days in the barley segregating DHLs population independently on environmental cue. On other hand, the sdw1.d mutation did not affect significantly either grain quality traits (protein and starch content) or thousand grain weight.

Conclusions

The beneficial effect of the sdw1.d allele could be associated in barley with lodging resistance and extended period of vegetative growth allowing to accumulate additional biomass that supports higher yield in certain environments. However, no direct effect of the sdw1.d mutation on thousand grain weight or grain quality traits in barley was detected.

     

Leaf senescence and N uptake parameters as selection traits for nitrogen efficiency of oilseed rape cultivars

The cultivation of N-efficient oilseed rape cultivars could contribute to a reduction of the large N balance surpluses of this crop. To facilitate the breeding process of N-efficient cultivars, the identification of secondary plant traits correlating with N efficiency is necessary. The objectives of this study were to investigate leaf senescence and N uptake parameters of oilseed rape cultivars and doubled haploid (DH) lines with contrasting N efficiency in a short-term nutrient solution experiment and to relate these results to their performance in field experiments. In the nutrient solution experiment, genotypes differed in leaf senescence of fully expanded leaves and maximum N uptake rate per unit root length under low N supply. A high maximum N uptake rate seemed to have contributed to delayed leaf senescence by enhancing N accumulation in leaves. Also in the field experiments, genotypes differed in leaf senescence after flowering at limiting N supply. Additionally, the most N-efficient DH line was able to adapt leaf photosynthetic capacity to the low-light conditions in the canopy during flowering. N efficiency (grain yield at limiting N supply) was positively correlated with delayed leaf senescence both in nutrient solution and field experiments. It is concluded that important leaf and root traits of N-efficient cultivars are expressed in short-term nutrient solution experiments, which may facilitate the selection of N-efficient cultivars.     

Impact of the 7-bp deletion in <Emphasis Type="Italic">HvGA20ox2</Emphasis> gene on agronomic important traits in barley (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hordeum vulgare</Emphasis> L.)

Background

Alike to Reduced height-1 (Rht-1) genes in wheat and the semi dwarfing (sd-1) gene in rice, the sdw1/denso locus involved in the metabolism of the GA, was designated as the ‘Green Revolution’ gene in barley. The recent molecular characterization of the candidate gene HvGA20ox2 for sdw1/denso locus allows to estimate the impact of the functional polymorphism of this gene on the variation of agronomically important traits in barley.

Results

We investigated the effect of the 7-bp deletion in exon 1 of HvGA20ox2 gene (sdw1.d mutation) on the variation of yield-related and malting quality traits in the population of DHLs derived from cross of medium tall barley Morex and semi-dwarf barley Barke. Segregation of plant height, flowering time, thousand grain weight, grain protein content and grain starch was evaluated in two diverse environments separated from one another by 15° of latitude. The 7-bp deletion in HvGA20ox2 gene reduced plant height by approximately 13 cm and delayed flowering time by 3–5 days in the barley segregating DHLs population independently on environmental cue. On other hand, the sdw1.d mutation did not affect significantly either grain quality traits (protein and starch content) or thousand grain weight.

Conclusions

The beneficial effect of the sdw1.d allele could be associated in barley with lodging resistance and extended period of vegetative growth allowing to accumulate additional biomass that supports higher yield in certain environments. However, no direct effect of the sdw1.d mutation on thousand grain weight or grain quality traits in barley was detected.

     

Significance of root hairs for plant performance under contrasting field conditions and water deficit

Background and AimsPrevious laboratory studies have suggested selection for root hair traits in future crop breeding to improve resource use efficiency and stress tolerance. However, data on the interplay between root hairs and open-field systems, under contrasting soils and climate conditions, are limited. As such, this study aims to experimentally elucidate some of the impacts that root hairs have on plant performance on a field scale.MethodsA field experiment was set up in Scotland for two consecutive years, under contrasting climate conditions and different soil textures (i.e. clay loam vs. sandy loam). Five barley (Hordeum vulgare) genotypes exhibiting variation in root hair length and density were used in the study. Root hair length, density and rhizosheath weight were measured at several growth stages, as well as shoot biomass, plant water status, shoot phosphorus (P) accumulation and grain yield.Key ResultsMeasurements of root hair density, length and its correlation with rhizosheath weight highlighted trait robustness in the field under variable environmental conditions, although significant variations were found between soil textures as the growing season progressed. Root hairs did not confer a notable advantage to barley under optimal conditions, but under soil water deficit root hairs enhanced plant water status and stress tolerance resulting in a less negative leaf water potential and lower leaf abscisic acid concentration, while promoting shoot P accumulation. Furthermore, the presence of root hairs did not decrease yield under optimal conditions, while root hairs enhanced yield stability under drought.ConclusionsSelecting for beneficial root hair traits can enhance yield stability without diminishing yield potential, overcoming the breeder’s dilemma of trying to simultaneously enhance both productivity and resilience. Therefore, the maintenance or enhancement of root hairs can represent a key trait for breeding the next generation of crops for improved drought tolerance in relation to climate change.     

QTLs for earliness and yield-forming traits in the Lubuski × CamB barley RIL population under various water regimes

Drought has become more frequent in Central Europe causing large losses in cereal yields, especially of spring crops. The development of new varieties with increased tolerance to drought is a key tool for improvement of agricultural productivity. Material for the study consisted of 100 barley recombinant inbred lines (RILs) (LCam) derived from the cross between Syrian and European parents. The RILs and parental genotypes were examined in greenhouse experiments under well-watered and water-deficit conditions. During vegetation the date of heading, yield and yield-related traits were measured. RIL population was genotyped with microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism markers. This population, together with two other populations, was the basis for the consensus map construction, which was used for identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting the traits. The studied lines showed a large variability in heading date. It was noted that drought-treatment negatively affected the yield and its components, especially when applied at the flag leaf stage. In total, 60 QTLs were detected on all the barley chromosomes. The largest number of QTLs was found on chromosome 2H. The main QTL associated with heading, located on chromosome 2H (Q.HD.LC-2H), was identified at SNP marker 5880–2547, in the vicinity of Ppd-H1 gene. SNP 5880–2547 was also the closest marker to QTLs associated with plant architecture, spike morphology and grain yield. The present study showed that the earliness allele from the Syrian parent, as introduced into the genome of an European variety could result in an improvement of barley yield performance under drought conditions.     

缺磷胁迫下的小麦根系形态特征研究

研究了缺磷条件下不同基因型小麦（Triticum aestivum L.)苗期根系形态学适应特征,以明确环境因子对根系不同组分（根轴和侧根）生长发育调控作用的强度和根系形态与磷营养效率关系。在缺P环境中,小麦根轴数量和侧根长度明显减小,同化物向根部的分配比例增加,根轴长度、侧根数量和根系长度等均有显著提高。供试基因型小麦的根轴数量及其长度的差异在每个供磷水平及不同供磷水平之间均呈显著,说明这两种性状的差异是由基因型和环境因素共同决定的;而侧根特征的差异只在不同供磷水平间显著,表明侧根性状主要受环境因素的控制。对6种基因型小麦的研究表明,根轴数量、根轴长度、根生长角度和根系长度根角之间存在着显著的基因型差异。相关分析表明,小麦的相对产量与缺磷条件下的小麦苗期根系形态指标的交互作用之间具有显著的线性关系。这种关系说明根系形态性状可作为早期有效地筛选磷高效小麦品种的指标。     

密度、施肥对旱地春小麦产量、水分利用效率和籽粒养分含量的补偿效应

为了探明旱作条件下无机营养对作物产量和水分利用效率的补偿效应,我们在宁南黄土高原半干旱地区开展了为期两年的春小麦密度与肥料试验。通过4种播种密度和5种肥力水平的综合研究结果表明,在不同处理的籽粒产量和水分利用效率排序中,播种密度为500粒／m^2时,以施肥量90kg／hm^2N和135kg／hm^2P2O5处理的产量和水分利用效率为最大。与不施肥的对照相比,增施肥料与籽粒产量和水分利用效率的提高成显著的正相关关系,相关系数分别达到0．959和0．894,而播种密度则与产量和水分利用效率的相关性不显著。增施肥料虽然能够提高可育小花数,但随着播种密度的增大,穗粒数和千粒重反而呈下降趋势,表明可育小花数对肥料水平反应敏感,而穗粒数和千粒重主要受播种密度的影响。施肥能够促进春小麦根系的生长发育,特别是促进浅层根量的增加,增强了作物的水分养分吸收。另外,不同种类肥料配施的结果表明,单施P肥或者N、P、K配合施用,可使春小麦产量分别提高44．6％和55．4％。N、P、K配合施肥还能够提高品质,使籽粒中的P、N、K含量分别提高18．5％、18．4％和8．1％。上述研究结果说明,控制播种密度、改善土壤肥力对于促进旱地春小麦高效利用有限水分具有明显的补偿效应。     

Yield increase induced by the fungal root endophyte Piriformospora indica in barley grown at low temperature is nutrient limited

The fungal root endophytes Chaetomium globosum, Epicoccum nigrum and Piriformospora indica have value as biocontrol and biofertilising organisms in barley, but have not been well tested at low temperatures. This study assessed the efficacy of the endophytes on barley varieties grown under low temperature stress with variable nutrient input. Seed from three cultivars of spring barley were inoculated with one of the three fungal root endophyte isolates – C. globosum, E. nigrum or P. indica - and grown in low temperature under higher and lower nutrient input regimes. Compared with the control, for P.indica-inoculated plants with the higher nutrient input, flowering was earlier and grain dry weight significantly greater for all barley varieties by a mean of 22 %. The nitrogen and carbon content of the grains did not differ significantly between treatments. Chaetomium globosum and Epicoccum nigrum conferred no significant benefits under either nutrient regime. Piriformospora indica is amenable to axenic culture, sporulates readily and can be multiplied rapidly, suggesting that it could be developed as an effective crop treatment in low temperature stressed barley and may have the potential to increase crop yield in colder growing conditions provided that adequate nutrients are supplied.     

Effects of the semi-dwarfing sdw1/denso gene in barley

Recent advances in cereal genomics have made it possible to analyse the architecture of cereal genomes and their expressed components, leading to an increase in our knowledge of those genes that are associated with the key agronomical traits. Presently, use of a dwarfing gene in breeding process is crucial for the development of modern cultivars. In barley, more than 30 types of dwarfs or semi-dwarfs have been hitherto described. However, only a few of them have been successfully used in barley breeding programs. Both breeding and molecular mapping experiments were undertaken to enhance and evaluate the performance of semi-dwarf barley lines. The semi-dwarfing cultivars had improved lodging resistance and a higher harvest index. There have been a lot of investigations that have contributed new information to our basic understanding of the mechanisms underlying growth regulations in barley. This paper reviews semi-dwarfing genes in barley in general and special attention is paid to mapping of the sdw1/denso locus, changes in protein abundance and associations of the semi-dwarfness with gibberellins.     

High-throughput imaging and analysis of root system architecture in Brachypodium distachyon under differential nutrient availability

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deficiency are primary constraints for plant productivity, and root system architecture (RSA) plays a vital role in the acquisition of these nutrients. The genetic determinants of RSA are poorly understood, primarily owing to the complexity of crop genomes and the lack of sufficient RSA phenotyping methods. The objective of this study was to characterize the RSA of two Brachypodium distachyon accessions under different nutrient availability. To do so, we used a high-throughput plant growth and imaging platform, and developed software that quantified 19 different RSA traits. We found significant differences in RSA between two Brachypodium accessions grown on nutrient-rich, low-N and low-P conditions. More specifically, one accession maintained axile root growth under low N, while the other accession maintained lateral root growth under low P. These traits resemble the RSA of crops adapted to low-N and -P conditions, respectively. Furthermore, we found that a number of these traits were highly heritable. This work lays the foundation for future identification of important genetic components of RSA traits under nutrient limitation using a mapping population derived from these two accessions.     

Response of Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Quality Traits and Yield to Sowing Date

The unpredictability and large fluctuation of the climatic conditions in rainfed regions do affect spring wheat yield and grain quality. These variations offer the opportunity for the production of better quality wheat. The effect of variable years, locations and sowing managements on wheat grain yield and quality was studied through field experiments using three genotypes, three locations for two years under rainfed conditions. The two studied years as contrasting years at three locations and sowing dates depicted variability in temperature and water stress during grain filling which resulted considerable change in grain yield and quality. Delayed sowing, years (2009–10) and location (Talagang) with high temperature and water stress resulted increased proline, and grain quality traits i.e. grain protein (GP) and grain ash (GA) than optimum conditions (during 2008–09, at Islamabad and early sowing). However, opposite trend was observed for dry gluten (DG), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), SPAD content and grain yield irrespective of genotypes. The influence of variable climatic conditions was dominant in determining the quality traits and inverse relationship was observed among some quality traits and grain yield. It may be concluded that by selecting suitable locations and different sowing managements for subjecting the crop to desirable environmental conditions (temperature and water) quality traits of wheat crop could be modified.     

Mutations in Barley Row Type Genes Have Pleiotropic Effects on Shoot Branching

Cereal crop yield is determined by different yield components such as seed weight, seed number per spike and the tiller number and spikes. Negative correlations between these traits are often attributed to resource limitation. However, recent evidence suggests that the same genes or regulatory modules can regulate both inflorescence branching and tillering. It is therefore important to explore the role of genetic correlations between different yield components in small grain cereals. In this work, we studied pleiotropic effects of row type genes on seed size, seed number per spike, thousand grain weight, and tillering in barley to better understand the genetic correlations between individual yield components. Allelic mutants of nine different row type loci (36 mutants), in the original spring barley varieties Barke, Bonus and Foma and introgressed in the spring barley cultivar Bowman, were phenotyped under greenhouse and outdoor conditions. We identified two main mutant groups characterized by their relationships between seed and tillering parameters. The first group comprises all mutants with an increased number of seeds and significant change in tiller number at early development (group 1a) or reduced tillering only at full maturity (group 1b). Mutants in the second group are characterized by a reduction in seeds per spike and tiller number, thus exhibiting positive correlations between seed and tiller number. Reduced tillering at full maturity (group 1b) is likely due to resource limitations. In contrast, altered tillering at early development (groups 1a and 2) suggests that the same genes or regulatory modules affect inflorescence and shoot branching. Understanding the genetic bases of the trade-offs between these traits is important for the genetic manipulation of individual yield components.     

Interspecific interactions affect N and P uptake rather than N:P ratios of plant species: evidence from intercropping

种间相互作用影响植物氮和磷的吸收量而不是氮磷比 量化不同农艺措施下作物氮和磷吸收量(即从农田中移除的量)的化学计量特征对理解农田生态系统中的养分收支和优化氮、磷肥施用至关重要。目前还不清楚在不同的氮肥和覆膜措施下,单作和间作体系作物氮和磷吸收量以及氮磷化学计量特征随整个生长季的变化。本研究探讨了植物种间养分竞争如何对(1) 5种种植模式(小麦、玉米和大麦单作、小麦/玉米和大麦/玉米间作),(2)两种施氮水平(0和225 kg N ha⁻¹)和(3)两种玉米覆膜处理(覆膜和不覆膜)下的作物氮、磷吸收量(以及氮磷比)时间动态的影响。研究结果表明,小麦和大麦的氮、磷竞争能力强于玉米,导致间作体系共生期的小麦和大麦氮、磷吸收量相比于单作增加,而玉米氮、磷吸收量相比于单作减少。3种作物植株氮磷比随作物生长而降低。作物氮磷比不受间作的影响,也不随施氮呈现一致的变化,覆膜降低了玉米的氮磷比。两种间作体系群落水平的氮磷比在成熟期与相应单作不同。由于(1)间作从土壤移除的氮和磷的比例不同于单作,以及(2)作物对氮和磷的吸收在施氮和覆膜下均是不耦合的,这些发现可能对间作系统的养分收支有启示意义。     

Root-targeted biotechnology to mediate hormonal signalling and improve crop stress tolerance

Since plant root systems capture both water and nutrients essential for the formation of crop yield, there has been renewed biotechnological focus on root system improvement. Although water and nutrient uptake can be facilitated by membrane proteins known as aquaporins and nutrient transporters, respectively, there is a little evidence that root-localised overexpression of these proteins improves plant growth or stress tolerance. Recent work suggests that the major classes of phytohormones are involved not only in regulating aquaporin and nutrient transporter expression and activity, but also in sculpting root system architecture. Root-specific expression of plant and bacterial phytohormone-related genes, using either root-specific or root-inducible promoters or grafting non-transformed plants onto constitutive hormone producing rootstocks, has examined the role of root hormone production in mediating crop stress tolerance. Root-specific traits such as root system architecture, sensing of edaphic stress and root-to-shoot communication can be exploited to improve resource (water and nutrients) capture and plant development under resource-limited conditions. Thus, root system engineering provides new opportunities to maintain sustainable crop production under changing environmental conditions.     

GA-20 oxidase as a candidate for the semidwarf gene sdw1/denso in barley

The barley sdw1/denso gene not only controls plant height but also yield and quality. The sdw1/denso gene was mapped to the long arm of chromosome 3H. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the sdw1/denso gene was located in the syntenic region of the rice semidwarf gene sd1 on chromosome 1. The sd1 gene encodes a gibberellic acid (GA)-20 oxidase enzyme. The gene ortholog of rice sd1 was isolated from barley using polymerase chain reaction. The barley and rice genes showed a similar gene structure consisting of three exons and two introns. Both genes share 88.3% genomic sequence similarity and 89% amino acid sequence identity. A single nucleotide polymorphism was identified in intron 2 between barley varieties Baudin and AC Metcalfe with Baudin known to contain the denso semidwarf gene. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker was mapped to chromosome 3H in a doubled haploid population of Baudin × AC Metcalfe with 178 DH lines. Quantitative trait locus analysis revealed that plant height cosegregated with the SNP. The sdw1/denso gene in barley is the most likely ortholog of the sd1 in rice. The result will facilitate understanding of the molecular mechanism controlling semidwarf phenotype and provide a diagnostic marker for selection of semidwarf gene in barley. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Morpho-anatomical and physiological responses to waterlogging stress in different barley (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hordeum vulgare</Emphasis> L.) genotypes

Waterlogging is one of the major stresses limiting crop production worldwide. The understanding of the mechanisms of plant adaptations to waterlogging stress helps improve plant tolerance to stress. In this study, physiological responses and morpho-anatomical adaptations of seven different barley genotypes were investigated under waterlogging stress. The results showed that the waterlogging-tolerant varieties (TX9425, Yerong, TF58) showed less reduction in plant height, SPAD (soil–plant analyses development analyses) value, tillers, shoot and root biomasses than did the waterlogging-sensitive varieties (Franklin, Naso Nijo, TF57). Under waterlogging stress condition, the tolerant genotypes also showed a much larger number of adventitious roots than did the sensitive genotypes. More intercellular spaces and better integrated chloroplast membrane structures were observed in the leaves of the waterlogging-tolerant cultivars, which is likely due to increased ethylene content, decreased ABA content and less accumulation of O₂^.?. The ability to form new adventitious roots and intercellular spaces in shoots can also be used as selection criteria in breeding barley for waterlogging tolerance.     

Growth and yield traits of sorghum grown on acid soil at varied aluminum saturations

Genetic manipulation of crops to tolerate mineral stresses is a practical approach to improve productivity of tropical acid soils. Both acid soil tolerant (AS-T) and susceptible (AS-S) sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] genotypes were grown in the field on an acid ultisol at Quilichao, Colombia, South America at 60% (60-Al) and 40% (40-Al) Al saturation to evaluate plants for growth and yield traits. Except for days to flowering and root mass scores, AS-T genotypes showed no differences in growth (plant height, head length and width, second internode length and diameter, and acid soil toxicity rating) and yield (total and stover dry matter yields, grain yield, head yield, seeds per head, and 100-seed weight) traits when plants were grown at 60-Al or 40-Al. Plants grown at 60-Al were delayed in flowering and had lower root mass scores. The AS-S genotypes showed improvement for the growth and yield traits when grown at 40-Al compared to 60-Al. The growth and yield traits of the AS-S genotypes were usually less favorable for plants grown at 40-Al than the same traits were for the AS-T genotypes grown at 60-Al. Harvest indices (ratio of grain to total plant yield) were no different for the genotypes grown at 40-Al, and only slightly higher for the AS-T genotypes grown at 60-Al. Sorghum genotypes more tolerant to acid soil conditions showed favorable growth and yield traits when grown under relatively severe acid soil (60-Al, pH 4.1) conditions. Certain sorghum genotypes were able to adapt and effectively produce grain when grown on acid soils with few inputs to reduce acid soil toxicity problems. Published as Paper No. 6690, Journal Series, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Funding received in part from the International Sorghum/Millet Collaborative Research Support Program (INTSORMIL CRSP) through US Agency for International Development (USAID) grant AID/DAN-1254-G-SS-5065-00 and project Nos. MS-111 (MSU) and NE-114 (UNL).