Production and cyto-morphological analysis of intergeneric hybrids of Sorghum x Saccharum

Four intergeneric hybrids were produced by crossing sorghum [ Sorghum bicol or (L.) Moench, 2n = 20] as a female parent with sugarcane ( Saccharum offi cinarum L., 2n = 112). The hybrids were morphologically similar to the suga rcane parent, but lacked vegetative vigour. Sorghum characters present in t he hybrids included soft texture of the leaves, tight clasping of the leaf sheaths, presence of aerial roots and triangular ligule. All the hybrids we re highly susceptible to natural incidence of mites. Somatic chromosome num ber of the hybrids ranged from 2n = 62-66, indicating n+n transmission. Thi s is the first report of Sorghum x Saccharum hybrids with sorghum cytoplasm .