Features of lysine inheritance in grain sorghum hybrids of the second generation

Sorghum is one of the most important grain crops in the world. Sorghum grain is characterized by a low percentage ofessential amino acids in protein, primarily lysine, which significantly reduces its feed value. There are two known mutantgenes with a large lysine percentage, namely the spontaneous mutant hl gene, which was originally identified in Ethiopianlines, and the P721 gene, which is induced by ethylmethanesulfonate. The purpose of the current study was to identify thepatterns of inheritance of the lysine percentage in grain sorghum hybrids of the second generation which were obtained byhybridization according to two 4x4 diallelic schemes (I - SPZS-11, Sb-126/4, 144 f/8, Zernogradskoe 204; II - ZSK-4,Belozernoe 100, Otbor 100, 34045). The hybridological analysis has established that in lysine percentage in sorghum proteinthere are genetic differences of 1-3 genes between the parental samples included in the hybridization. The greatest differences(3 genes) were identified between sorghum grain samples 34045 and 144 f/8. In most hybrid combinations there have beenidentified monogenic and digenic differences between the samples involved in hybridization. The estimation of dominancedegree has identified the value of the gene manifestation, that controls lysine percentage in sorghum protein. There has beendetermined the dominance of both large and small values of the trait. The frequency distribution curves of the studied hybridswere within the variability of the parental forms, however, there were positive transgressions in some combinations. In thecombinations Sb-126/4 × SPZS-11, Zernogradskoe 204 × SPZS-11 there have been identified the forms with a large lysinepercentage in grain (more than 3.5%) for further breeding process.