**3. Conclusion**

Already, sorghum is grown in regions where maize production might fail due to adverse drought conditions. One difference between maize and sorghum lies in their root systems. The phenotypic and genotypic variation within *Sorghum bicolor*, especially for root traits such as root morphology, root hairs, and biomass, has great potential for breeding programs to mitigate climate change and to contribute to yield stability in drought prone regions with erratic precipitation. To explore the potential of the sorghum root system, we studied a subset of 30 selected genotypes, which varied in origin and breeding status, and found variation of above ground traits, but a much wider variance of root morphology, root biomass, and root hair density and length. Future experiments with resource limiting conditions will help to understand the underlying physiology of root hairs and their exudates facilitating water and nutrient acquisition, while impacting neighboring weeds and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
