*2.5.8 Sorghum*

Sorghum (*Sorghum bicolor* L. Moench) is wild regarded as a warm season crop, intolerant of low temperatures but fairly resistant to serious pests and diseases. The known varieties are great millet and guinea corn in West Africa, kafir corn in South Africa, jowar in India and kaoliang in China. It is one of the staple foods in many parts of Africa, Asia, and parts of the Middle East [65, 70]. However, most of the sorghum grains produced in North and Central America, South America and Oceania are used for animal feed [73]. The grain comprises of a naked caryopsis, which is made up of a pericarp, endosperm and germ. Based on huge range of physical diversities, such as the color of the pericarp (white, yellow or red) and presence/ absence of pigmented testa (with/without tannins), sorghums are classed into one of four groups and these are (1) grain sorghum, (2) forage sorghum, (3) grass sorghum or (4) Sudan sorghums and broom corn [70].
