Nutrient and water limitations contribute to yield losses in semi-arid regions. Therefore, crop rotations incorporating nitrogen-fixing legumes and drought-tolerant sorghum varieties offer a strategy to improve the utilization of scarce soil resources. Under semi-arid, field-like conditions, sorghum crop rotations with either cowpea pre-crop or fallow, including two early and three late maturing genotypes, were tested to identify stress adaptation traits of sorghum to water and phosphorus limitations. Morphological and physiological parameters were evaluated on a single-plant basis. Lower soil P content significantly delayed flowering compared to higher P levels. However, improved P availability arising from pre-crop residues reduced this effect. Mycorrhizal infection rates and root-to-shoot ratios were positively correlated with panicle N and P content at anthesis under low P conditions. Although drought significantly impacted yield, early maturing genotypes with the highest reduction in shoot biomass and reduced water use before flowering, could sustain yield production. Early-maturing genotypes characterized by high root-to-shoot ratios, rapid AMF establishment, and reduced water use before flowering exhibit a strong potential for maintaining yield and biomass production on nutrient-poor soils in semi-arid regions. Such genotypes conserve water before flowering and thus can alleviate post-flowering water stress, ensuring adequate P uptake despite low soil P availability.

Biogeochemistry of Agroecosystems University of Göttingen Von Thünenweg 3 37075 Göttingen Germany

Campus Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use University of Goettingen Goettingen Germany

Centurion University of technology and management Paralekhemundii Odisha India

Crop Physiology Laboratory International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics Patancheru India

Department of Information Technologies University of Prague Prague Czech Republic

Geo Biosphere Interactions University of Tuebingen Tuebingen Germany

Root Soil Interaction TUM School of Life Sciences Technical University of Munich Freising Germany

Tropical Plant Production and Agricultural Systems Modelling University of Goettingen Goettingen Germany

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