Abstract:

Sorghum is an important income and food security crop for those living in drought-prone regions of Uganda. It is widely grown in the country but the northern region leads both in production and area covered, followed by the eastern region and then the western region where both brown and white seeded types are grown. The white seeded specialty sorghum used for lager beer making is the leading commercial type while the brown sorghum is used for food and confectionery. The brown sorghum is used as sole grain to produce beverages or blended with cassava flour and wheat to make food products. Despite the importance of sorghum, the productivity is still low especially in the northern region which is the highest producer. This is due to numerous constraints that affect the crop in addition to lack of information and training materials. Constraints include: drought, striga weed especially Striga hermontheca; diseases such as anthracnose, ergot and covered kernel smut; insect pests such as shoot fly, midge and stem borers and birds which affect mainly the white sorghum in addition to market demands for specialty sorghum. This is compounded by lack of training guide for extension workers and other stake holders such as the farmers on how to produce sorghum and manage its production constraints. Some of these constraints are addressed by developing varieties that are resistant or tolerant. NAROSORG 2 and NAROSORG 4 are tolerant to striga, while SES0-1 and NAROSORG-1 were produced to meet specialty demand for lager beer production. 5E50-3 and NAROSORG-4 were developed for food specialty needs. The varieties NAROSORG-2 and NAROSORG-3 were developed for the control of birds and sorghum midge respectively. The curriculum will thus enable stakeholders to follow the recommended agronomic practices which normally lead to high productivity.