This document proposes a holistic approach to collectively improve sorghum grain and biomass for human and livestock health and nutrition. It aims to develop "multifactorial enhancement of whole-grain nutrients" in sorghum by increasing the aleurone layer, which contains most nutrients, using advanced breeding technologies. It also aims to develop "energy dense biomass" in sorghum by increasing storage lipids like triglycerides to improve the feed value of sorghum forage. This is expected to generate novel sorghum varieties with nutrient-rich grains that address malnutrition and high-quality specialty forage to benefit mixed farming systems and livestock nutrition.

1. Multifactorial enhancement of sorghum
grain nutrients and biomass energy density
for improved human and livestock health
and nutrition
CMBGE: Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur
Sudhakar Reddy, Srinivas Reddy
Crop Improvement : Ashok Kumar
Genomics & Trait Discovery: Santosh Deshpande
MIND : Shalander Kumar

2. Underlying basis of aspiration
• Sorghum is a cheap source of nutrition for ~ 500 mn people in Africa and Asia and
a forage crop with potential for highest dry matter production under rainfed
conditions.
• A holistic approach to collectively improve sorghum grain and biomass for human
and livestock health and nutrition is proposed.
• In collaboration with CSIRO, we will utilize functional genomics and gene editing
technologies to unlock full potential of sorghum as a cornerstone of nutritional,
food and feed security
 Multifactorial enhancement of whole-grain nutrients towards micronutrient-
dense sorghum by bringing a novel “thickened aleurone trait” to deliver
substantial public health advantages.
 “Energy dense biomass” will be developed in sorghum to increase the feed
value of sorghum forage through the accumulation of valuable energy-dense
storage lipids such as triacylglycerols.

3. Aleurone and germ portion harbor maximum nutrients
ICSV 15013 - red grained sorghum
Fe (45 ppm) and Zn (35 ppm)
• Dietary fibre Proteins, enzymes
Phenolics, lignans Vitamin E
• B-group vitamins Minerals and
phytic acid Lipids, plant sterols
Aleurone, an important
sink for micronutrients

4. • Different genetic and hormonal
factors regulate the caryopsis
development and aleurone cell
fate determination. Increased
number of aleurone cell layers
can be achieved through DNA
hyper-methylation and
repression of two negative
regulators (Kawakatsu et al.,
2009; Liu et al., 2018).
• Using advanced breeding
technologies such as TILLING and
CRISPR-Cas9, we aim to develop
thick aleurone trait in sorghum
combining with high Fe & Zn
varieties that are already
available with ICRISAT to
desirable multifactorial
nutritional benefits.
Aleurone cells show surprising plasticity in cereals
WT ta2
Single vs thickened aleurone
WT ta2
60% increase
in Vitamin
B6 & B9
50% increase in
lipid
20% increasein
Vitamin B3
≥20% increase in
Zn, Fe, Mg, K, P,S
80% increase
antioxidant capacity
30% increase in
fibre
Mutations in ta1 and ta2 showed increased aleurone layers
and concomitant enhancement in minerals, B vitamins,
dietary fibre, lipid, and antioxidants. Liu et al. (2018)

5. Price premiums for forages with higher energy
and digestibility
ENO Genotype DM % Ash % N % NDF % ADF % ADL %
ME
(MJ kg-1)
IVOMD
%
1 ICSSH 28 91.8 5.6 0.9 52.5 38.8 6.0 7.7 57.1
2 ICSSH 75 90.3 6.1 0.8 52.3 37.8 4.6 7.0 52.2
3 CSH 22 SS 90.9 5.4 0.8 52.1 38.4 5.4 7.1 51.7
4 ICSV 93046 89.9 7.7 0.8 50.2 37.9 4.5 7.0 51.4
5 SSG 59-3 89.8 6.4 0.9 46.3 31.5 4.6 7.3 53.5
Michael Blummel et al., 2018

6. Oil droplet
Turning leaves into oil factories

7. BootleafSeedsetting
Ubi::WRI1+DGAT2+Oleosin PEPC::WRI1+DGAT2+Oleosin
Sorghum leaf oil
• Sorghum forage quality declines
rapidly with increased lignin content
• Limited genetic variation in sorghum
for leaf lipid levels.
• “Leaf Oil technology” has
tremendous potential to enhance the
metabolizable energy in forage
sorghum by biosynthesis and
accumulation of leaf oil (target up to
7-8 %).
• Gene edited lines will be developed
in regionally preferred sorghum
varieties to increase feed conversion
efficiencies, resulting in higher meat
and milk productivity.
Developing energy-dense biomass sorghum
for fodder/forage
33%1%

8. BootleafSeedsetting
Ubi::WRI1+DGAT2+Oleosin PEPC::WRI1+DGAT2+Oleosin
Sorghum leaf oil
Ex-ante assessment and understanding production & market
dynamics for harnessing potential of the new cultivar
Current cultivar
replaced with
new cultivar
having grain
nutrition and
energy dense
biomass
Fodder quality
enhancement ratio
Increased
systems
profitability
Enhanced milk
production at low
cost
Sorghum for
more profit and
better health
Nutrition
dense
sorghum for
consumption

9. Expected outcomes
• Novel sorghum genotypes/varieties possessing nutrient-rich aleurone layer with
potential to address malnutrition.
• A healthier sorghum grain with improved nutrient composition will generate
new market opportunities and will generate interest among the urban masses,
potentially enhancing its utilization & gaining traction from markets.
• High quality specialty forage critical for subsistence mixed farming systems; as
well as reduction in methane emissions.
• Dual purpose sorghum lines that possess nutritious grains and high energy
forage/fodder to address both human and livestock nutritional deficiencies
• New IP, high impact publications, and closer research linkages with CSIRO. The
novel traits generated will potentially provide opportunities for secondary
agriculture and processing avenues to attract the urban consumers.

10. Thank You