Agronomic innovations in the cultivation of grain sorghum for the resilience of cropping systems

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a C4 cereal widely recognized for its tolerance to heat and drought. Although it is a staple food crop in many countries, its agronomic and food potential in Italy, particularly in the Emilia-Romagna region, remains underexplored. The RISORGO project aims to assess the suitability of white sorghum as a climate-resilient crop for rainfed systems, improving water-use efficiency and supporting sustainable food production. The project spans three years and includes two complementary experimental trials: (i) an agronomic trial testing sustainable management practices under rain feed conditions, and (ii) a multi-location trial across different pedoclimatic environments, from the environments of the Po Valley to those of the mountains in the Apennines of Central Emilia. In the first year, ten sorghum hybrids were evaluated in the agronomic trial, including a biostimulant treatment under rainfed conditions. In parallel, two selected hybrids were tested in ten locations representing a broad environmental gradient. Despite extreme events during the summer, the agronomic trial highlighted good adaptation to water-limited conditions, with medium-maturity hybrids achieving the best overall agronomic performance. The multi-location trial confirmed strong yield stability and broad adaptability of the selected hybrids across environments. Grain quality and end-use suitability analyses are currently ongoing to validate the potential of white sorghum as a sustainable food crop for the region.