College Station, Texas, USA
May 14, 2013

Source: Plant Breeding News May 2013

Texas A&M AgriLife Research recently released Tx3362, a black pericarp R line of grain sorghum (R.Tx3362). This was the first temperately adapted photoperiod-insensitive line that produces high levels of 3-DOA, 3-deoxyanthocyanin, which has been associated with health benefits such as slow and/or reduce digestibility, reduced cholesterol levels, high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and anti-carcinogenic properties.

In addition, the 3-DOA is more stable than common anthocyanins, making them uniquely valuable as natural food colorants. However, grain yields of R.Tx3362 are poor and when used as a pollinator on standard sorghum seed parents (which have either red, white or yellow pericarp color), the hybrids are all red with low 3-DOA concentrations, indicating that the black-seeded trait is recessive and producing a black-grain hybrid will require that both parents produce black-colored grain.

To meet this requirement, Bill Rooney, Ostilio Portillo, and Chad Hays with the Texas A&M Agrilife Sorghum Breeding Program developed and released A.B.Tx3363 for use with R.TX3362 in order to maximize both grain yield and 3-DOA concentrations in their hybrids. This A-line seed parent has a black-pericarp and in hybrid combination with R.Tx3362, produces a hybrid with the same black grain and with high parent heterosis for grain yield.

For more information on A/B.Tx3363, contact Bill Rooney at wlr@tamu.edu.

Website: http://agrilife.org/

Published: May 14, 2013