Response of the Set of Anthracnose Differentials to other Foliar and Panicle Diseases in Niger

This study was conducted to determine the reactions of 19 sorghum lines, of which 18 had been used for Colletotrichum sublineola pathotype determination to other foliar and panicle diseases in two agroecological zones in Niger. The anthracnose resistant check SC748-5 was infected with leaf blight, oval leaf spot, and zonate leaf spot but free of long smut, rough leaf spot, and target leaf spot. BTx623 and TAM428 which are susceptible to anthracnose were infected with leaf blight, long smut, oval leaf spot and zonate leaf spot. Across locations, all the lines tested were infected with leaf blight, caused by Exserohilum turcicum. PI570726, an accession from Sudan was infected with only leaf blight but free of all the other diseases observed in both locations. This work showed that some of the sorghum anthracnose differentials, especially PI570726 may possess genes for resistance to multiple sorghum diseases and can be utilized as parents in breeding programs in Niger.