ABSTRACT
The crop grows well in small, subsistence plots under primitive cultivation methods or as vast monocultures utilizing the most modern production practices and equipment. Early domestication of sorghum and subsequent movement too many regions of the world, especially semi-arid tropical areas, resulted in the evolution of a genetically diverse crop species. The challenge for crop protectionists is to use the genetic diversity of sorghum to combat a complex of insect pests. Sorghum is a large-stemmed tropical grass having the ability to grow to great heights. Sorghums from the varied environments ensured germplasm diversity. Sorghum improvement specialists have long recognized the restricted germplasm base of sorghum adapted for temperate areas. Plant genetic improvement efforts generally attempt to maximize yield, which result in a recombination of some genetic components and, inadvertently, in the loss of others. Intrinsic plant defense mechanisms have economical and ecological benefits. Economic benefits have been assessed for sorghum resistant to some insect pests.
