Quality of sorghum seeds from different panicle positions

Sorghum is a cereal of prominent economic importance due to its high nutritional value. Understanding sorghum physiology, especially the formation and quality of seeds in the panicle, is essential to select more productive lines. Thus, we aimed to assess sorghum seed lineages' physical, physiological, and sanitary quality in different panicle positions. The experiment was performed at the Institute of Agrarian Sciences from the Federal University of Minas Gerais-UFMG, Montes Claros-MG campus, in the Seed Analyses and Phytopathology Research Laboratories. Five sorghum lineages (16B, 17B, 7B, 22B and 270XX) were studied in the 2022 harvest. Three panicles of each lineage were selected, measured and separated in three positions: tip, middle and base. Seeds from these panicle positions were evaluated for water content, germination and seed health. Regarding humidity, there was no statistical difference between the lineages studied in different panicle positions. However, it was observed that seeds at the top had a better performance regarding the percentage of germinated seeds and germination speed. Thirteen genera of fungi were identified in sorghum seeds lineage 17B, with the highest incidence of Fusarium sp. (35%).