Gujarat Jowar-103 (Surati Ponk-1): A high-yielding Ponk sorghum variety with superior tender grain quality

Introduction

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a climate-resilient C4 cereal of the semi-arid tropics and is important for food, feed, fodder and emerging specialty food uses. In India, rabi sorghum is valued for grain quality, roti preparation, stover utility and resilience under moisture-limited production systems. Recent sorghum breeding literature emphasizes the need to combine field performance with nutritional quality, sensory preference, climate adaptation and farmer-oriented traits rather than selecting only for grain yield (Anbazhagan et al., 2022; Baloch et al., 2023) [2,9] . Tender grain sorghum, locally known as ponk in South Gujarat and hurda in parts of Maharashtra, is a specialty product harvested at the dough or tender grain stage and consumed after roasting. Its market value depends on tender grain yield, ease of grain separation, grain colour, texture, sweetness, brix value, and consumer acceptability. Therefore, a ponk variety should be evaluated as a distinct food-purpose ideotype with simultaneous emphasis on tender grain yield, dry fodder yield, grain biochemical composition, organoleptic quality and pestdisease reaction. The nutritional relevance of sorghum has received renewed attention because whole grain sorghum contains dietary fibre, slowly digestible starch, resistant starch, phenolic compounds and minerals that support its role in functional foods and diversified millet-based diets (Tanwar et al., 2023; Stefoska-Needham, 2024; Singh et al., 2024) [29,28,27] . For tender grain sorghum, sweetness and soft texture are particularly important because consumer preference is strongly linked with the eating quality of the roasted product. A genotype combining higher brix, higher protein, desirable colour and soft texture can therefore add value to the existing ponk production system. In South Gujarat, farmers commonly use local material such as Wani Local for ponk production. However, local cultivars often lack a balanced combination of high tender grain yield, good fodder yield, uniform quality and wider scientific characterization. Phule Madhur (RSSGV-46) provided a reference model for tender grain sorghum research by documenting development, yield, quality, sensory parameters and stress-related traits in a research-paper format (Shinde et al., 2016) [26] . The present study was therefore prepared in a similar scientific structure for Gujarat Jowar-103 (Surati Ponk-1), tested as SRP-5, a new ponk sorghum variety developed by Main Sorghum Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Surat.

Materials and Methods

Breeding material and pedigree. The ponk sorghum genotype SRP-5 was developed at the Main Sorghum Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Surat from the cross GJ-41 x Wani Local-15-1-1. GJ-41 is a kharif grain sorghum variety released by NAU, Surat, while Wani Local-15-1-1 is a selection from landraces. The segregating generations were advanced by hybridization followed by pedigree selection with the breeding objective of developing a high-yielding ponk sorghum variety possessing good tender grain quality. Trial evaluation. The genotype was evaluated in a Preliminary Evaluation Trial during late kharif 2020. After its promising performance, it was tested in small/large scale varietal trials and large scale varietal trials under the Gujarat state programme during rabi 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 at Surat and Tanchha. Surat trials represented irrigated conditions, whereas Tanchha represented residual moisture conditions with protective irrigations. In addition, the entry was tested under AICRP IASSVT-II (Hurda) during rabi 2023-24 as SPV 3135. Crop management and observations. Recommended agronomic practices for rabi sorghum were followed. The crop was grown at 45 cm x 15 cm or 60 cm x 10 cm spacing with a seed rate of 8-10 kg/ha and fertilizer dose of 80:40:00 kg N:P2O5:K2O per hectare. Observations were recorded on days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, panicle traits, 1000 grain weight, tender grain stage, grain yield, dry fodder yield and tender grain yield. Distinguishing morphological characters were recorded as per DUS descriptors. Quality and sensory evaluation. Tender grain quality was assessed for grain colour, texture, shape, taste, biochemical parameters and brix value. Fodder quality was evaluated on dry matter basis for crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, total ash, calcium and phosphorus. Organoleptic and consumer preference observations were recorded using a preference scale and descriptive attributes for grain softness, colour, sweetness and overall acceptability. Standard procedures were followed for biochemical estimation as per AOAC (1990), and the sensory approach was aligned with the principles described by Amerine et al. (1965) [1] . Statistical analysis. Yield data from different trials were compiled as mean values and percentage increase over checks. Statistical comparisons were interpreted using standard procedures for agricultural experiments, including standard error, critical difference at 5 per cent level and coefficient of variation as described by Panse and Sukhatme (1985) [19] .

Results and Discussion

Development and adaptation. SRP-5, released as GJ-103 (Surati Ponk-1), represents a specialty sorghum genotype selected specifically for ponk production in South Gujarat. It AICRP performance. In the AICRP IASSVT-II (Hurda) trial during rabi 2023-24 at Surat, SRP-5 recorded 1837 kg/ha grain yield, which was higher than CSV 29R, M35-1, Phule Uttara and Phule Madhur by 12.2, 6.89, 5.3 and 14.28 per cent, respectively. For dry fodder yield at Surat, it recorded 6381 kg/ha and exceeded CSV 29R, M35-1, Phule Uttara and Phule Madhur by 20.65, 79.29, 1.89 and 9.32 per cent, respectively. Across six AICRP locations, SRP-5 recorded 2231 kg/ha grain yield and 8387 kg/ha dry fodder yield. Morphological and quality features. The genotype had a mean plant height of 267 cm, panicle length of 24.6 cm and 1000 seed weight of 32.7 g. Its distinguishing characters include white leaf midrib, symmetric panicle, very long neck of panicle, waxy bloom on stem and leaf sheath, grayed red glumes and very long glume length. Tender grains were dark green, oval and soft with extremely liked taste. Biochemical analysis of tender grains showed 36.71 per cent carbohydrates, 0.09 per cent fat, 11.00 per cent protein, 1.20 per cent ash and 17.3 brix value. These attributes support its acceptability as a specialty ponk variety. Disease and pest reaction. At Surat and Tanchha during rabi 2023-24, SRP-5 showed resistant to moderately resistant reaction to anthracnose, leaf blight and sugary disease, comparable with the checks. The genotype also recorded lower shoot fly and stem borer incidence than the susceptible check Bulky-Y and comparable incidence relative to Wani Local and Phule Madhur. These reactions suggest that GJ-103 can be cultivated under recommended protection practices without additional risk compared with existing checks. Consumer preference. Consumer evaluation revealed higher preference for SRP-5 because of soft grains, attractive dark green colour and sweet taste. The average preference scale of SRP-5 was 9, described as very good, compared with 8 for Wani Local and 6 for Phule Madhur. The combination of high tender grain yield and superior marketable quality is the major advantage of GJ-103 for South Gujarat ponk growers. The superiority of SRP-5 for ponk purpose is scientifically meaningful because it integrates yield, quality and adaptation components. The genotype recorded higher tender grain yield while retaining acceptable dry fodder yield, a key requirement in mixed crop-livestock systems where sorghum stover contributes to dairy-based farm income. The dark green tender grain colour, soft texture and higher brix value indicate a favourable eatingquality profile, while the higher protein content of tender grains and better fodder protein support its nutritional advantage. The results agree with the current breeding direction that specialty sorghum cultivars should be evaluated through multi-trait selection involving productivity, sensory quality, biochemical traits, pest-disease reaction, and end-user preference (Anbazhagan et al., 2022; Baloch et al., 2023; Singh et al., 2024) [2,9,27] . Recent further support the importance of combining seed quality, early seedling establishment, yield and quality traits while developing specialty sorghum varieties (Kanjariya and Patil, 2025) [34] .

Conclusion

GJ-103 (Surati Ponk-1), tested as SRP-5, is a specialty rabi sorghum variety developed for ponk production in South Gujarat. It combines high tender grain yield with good grain yield and dry fodder yield. The variety recorded 2465 kg/ha tender grain yield with 19.9 per cent improvement over Wani Local and 45.1 per cent over Phule Madhur. Its dark green, soft and sweet tender grains, higher protein content, good brix value, acceptable disease and pest reaction and strong consumer preference make it suitable for commercial ponk cultivation. The variety is recommended for rabi season cultivation in South Gujarat under irrigated or residual moisture conditions with protective irrigation.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors acknowledge the Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari the collaborating trial centres, Central Excellence on Post Harvest Technology, NAU, Navsari and the scientists and field staff involved in the evaluation, quality analysis, plant protection screening and documentation of SRP-5. Also highly acknowledge AICRP-Sorghum, IIMR, Hyderabad for evaluation, technical support and guidance.

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