Introduction Sorghum is one of the main staple food for the poor people across the semi arid tropics. It is mainly consumed by poor farmers. India contributes about 16% of the world’s sorghum production. It is the fourth most important cereal crop in the country and also contributing green fodder, feed and biofuel. This crop was one of the major cereal during the 1950s contributing to more than 10% of the food basket. At present, it is reduced to less than 4.0%. Sorghum cultivation is taken up in 5.97 m ha with a production of 5.01 million tonnes (Ref : Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2018 of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare). There has been rapid improvement in productivity - 466 kg/ ha in 1971 as against 998 kg/ ha in 2017-18. This has been possible through use of productive hybrids and varieties and adoption of improved production technologies. In the last three decades productivity has gone upto 84% in case of kharif sorghum and 70% in rabi sorghum. Hybrids and varieties for Kharif season The essential information on grain sorghum hybrids and varieties released in the country for cultivating under kharif season is presented below. Hybrids Hybrid Duration Grain Yield (kg/ha) Fodder Yield (kg/ha) Suitable Areas* CSH1 90-100 3000-3500 7500 TN, AP, KA, RJ, UP, GJ, MH, MP. Specific adaption to low rainfall and light soil kharif areas of country. CSH2 115-120 3000-3500 - Suitable for assured rainfall mid-late kharif tracts specifically in Karnataka CSH3 150-170 3500-3800 - Assured rainfall tracts in MH, TG, monsoon areas of TN, Malwa Plateau (MP) and Bundelkhand (UP) CSH4 110-105 3500-3800 - All kharif and some rabi areas of all over the country CSH5 100-120 3800-4000 9300 All kharif areas and late kharif tracts of AP and summer irrigated areas in TN, and KA. Well adapted for intercropping and ratooning CSH6 95-100 3376 8100 For cultivation in kharif, early rabi and rabi seasons a;; over the country. Suitable for low rainfall tracts of kharif and late kharif season in AP. Ideally suited for intercropping and ratooning CSH9 105-110 4000-4200 9800 All kharif sorghum areas except in humid areas of KA and TN CSH10 100-115 3633 12000 KA CSH11 105-115 4172 9180 All kharif growing areas CSH13 105-110 3924 14100 AP, GJ, TN, KA, MP, HR, RJ, MH and UP CSH14 105 3840 8800 All kharif growing areas medium to heavy soils for low rainfall areas Hybrids Duration Grain Yield (kg/ha) Fodder Yield (kg/ha) Suitable Areas* CSH16 110 4308 9676 Kharif sorghum growing areas of MH, TN, AP, GJ, KA, MP, RJ and UP CSH17 103 4186 10400 All Kharif growing areas of RJ, MP, GJ and TN CSH18 110-115 4336 13100 All kharif season as a rainfed crop in sorghum growing states in country CSH23 105 4100 8700 All over India CSH25 110-115 4370 12710 MH in Kharif season Varieties Variety Duration Grain Yield (kg/ha) Fodder Yield (kg/ha) Suitable Areas* CSV 1 95-100 3000-5000 - All kharif sorghum growing areas of MH, GJ, KA and AP CSV 2 105-110 3000-3500 - Kharif tracts of MH, MP and adjoining areas of RJ, Bundelkhand (UP) and North Telangana CSV 3 105-110 3500-4000 - All kharif growing areas of country CSV 4 105-110 3000-3500 - All kharif sorghum growing areas CSV 5 110-120 3000-3500 - KA,TN and MH CSV 6 115-120 3200-3500 - Assured rainfall areas of vidharbha and west MH regions,MP, Kota region of RJ, Bundelkhand (UP), South GJ, Adilabad (AP) and TN CSV 9 110-115 3000-3500 8940 All kharif sorghum growing areas in India CSV 10 110-115 3000-3500 9010 MH, KA, AP and RJ CSV 11 110-115 3250 9600 All kharif growing areas in India CSV 13 110-120 3525 9700 All kharif growing areas of the country CSV 15 110-112 3621 12100 All kharif growing areas of the country CSV 17 97 2500 6800 Low rainfall and drought prone sorghum regions of the country CSV 20 109 3100 13300 All India *KA:KARNATAKA, TN:TAMILNADU, AP:ANDHRA PRADESH, RJ:RAJASTHAN, GJ:GUJARAT, UP:UTTAR PRADESH, MH:MAHARASHTRA, MP:MADHYA PRADESH Authors Deepika C, ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad Vinu V, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore Swarna R , ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad Jinu J, ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad Sooganna,ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad Gayatri B, ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseed Research, Hyderabad References Sorghum Cultivars of India: Hybrid, Varieties and parental lines. 2009 Vilas A Tonapi, M Elangovan, N kannababu, KV Raghavendra Rao, Raghunath Kulakarni, D Chandra Sekhar Reddy, Ram Swaroop Meena, HS Gawali and N Seetharama. ISBN 81-89335-23-5.144 pp Genetic Improvement of Grain Sorghum. 2019 Editor(s): C. Aruna, K.B.R.S. Visarada, B. Venkatesh Bhat, Vilas A. Tonapi. ISBN 9780081018798, Pages 157-173.