Extrication of Stomatal Traits on Yield in Red Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Genotypes

Stomatal traits, including stomatal density (SD), stomatal index (SI) and stomatal size are critical determinants of physiological parameters viz., stomatal conductivity, transpiration and ultimately plant productivity. This study aimed to unravel the impact of stomatal traits on yield potential in red sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) genotypes. A total of 10red sorghum genotypes of the cross CO 32 X Paiyur 2 were analysed for stomatal density (SD), stomatal index (SI), stomatal length (SL), stomatal width (SW), number of stomata (NS) along with leaf characteristics like Leaf Number (NL), Leaf Length (LL), and Leaf Width (LW)under field condition. Single Plant Yield (SPY), the main productivity indicator was also measured in all the genotypes. Statistical analysis on correlation between stomatal traits, leaf traits and single plant yield revealed significant positive association between stomatal density and stomatal index (r = 0.87, p < 0.01). Similar trend was also observed between stomatal density and stomatal size (SL: r = 0.15, p < 0.05; SW: r = 0.50, p < 0.05). Leaf traits such as Leaf Length (LL) (r = 0.10, p < 0.01), Leaf Width (LW) (r = 0.22, p < 0.01), Number of leaves (NL) (r = 0.42, p < 0.01) and Number of Stomata (NS) (r = 0.29, p < 0.01) were also positively correlated with Single Plant Yield (SPY). These findings indicated that stomatal traits, particularly density and size, along with leaf size, play a significant role in influencing sorghum productivity, especially under water-limited conditions. This study highlighted the potential for using stomatal traits as markers for improving yield in red sorghum. Further these findings provided valuable insights for breeding strategies aimed at enhancing water use efficiency and productivity in the face of climate change.