Linking genes to growth in sorghum
A new DOE grant helps U of A researchers understand how sorghum thrives under extreme conditions.
U of A researchers in the School of Plant Sciences are measuring sorghum’s stress responses and linking genes to field performance at Maricopa Agricultural Center.
A new DOE-funded project is digging deep into the genetic and molecular mechanisms that allow sorghum, a versatile bioenergy crop, to withstand heat, drought, and other environmental stresses. The three-year, $2.5 million initiative, led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, brings together experts in genomics, field phenotyping, and stress physiology to understand how sorghum’s genes translate into real-world resilience.
University of Arizona’s Duke Pauli, associate professor in the School of Plant Sciences, and Giovanni Melandri, assistant professor in the School of Plant Sciences, are key collaborators. Their work focuses on high-resolution field phenotyping and biochemical analysis, providing unique insight into how plants respond to stress at both the whole-plant and cellular level.
Duke Pauli
Field phenotyping at scale
U of A’s Maricopa Agricultural Center offers one of the nation’s premier controlled-drought research sites. Its 30-ton robotic field phenotyping system collects detailed sensor data throughout the growing season, giving researchers a precise view of how sorghum reacts to environmental extremes.
“Understanding how plants actually behave under severe stress requires this level of precision,” said Pauli. “By combining field-based sensing with genomics across different environments, we can identify the traits that truly matter for crop performance.”
Biochemistry meets big data
Giovanni Melandri
Melandri’s lab contributes an automated platform for measuring oxidative stress compounds, key biomarkers of plant stress responses. Linking these biochemical markers to remote-sensing data allows the team to develop predictive models for crop performance under challenging conditions.
“This integration connects what’s happening inside the cells to what we see at the whole-plant and field level,” Melandri said. “It also helps identify the genetic controls behind these responses—knowledge breeders can put to immediate use.”
Through collaboration with the Danforth Center and Saint Louis University, the Arizona team helps construct a full picture of sorghum resilience—from genes and metabolites to canopy structure and yield—paving the way for climate-ready bioenergy crops.
Read the full press release from Danforth Plant Science Center.