Abstract:
Many local varieties of sorghum grown in Tanzania have not been characterised in terms of their end
uses. This study was conducted to characterise 14 such varieties. Three improved varieties commonly
grown in this country were includedfor comparison. Physical analyses that included 100-grain weight,
percent dehulling loss and percent water absorption were done. Chemical analysis of the samples to determine
protein, crude fibre, fat, ash, and carbohydrate contents was done. Results showed that the
1 OO-kernel weight ranged between 1.48 and 3. 18 g. Some of the local varieties had kernel sizes that were
greater than those of the improved ones. Dehulling losses for the studied varieties ranged from 4.63 to
29.85%. These losses were generally low for the commonly used local varieties. Water absorption ranged
between 6.10 and 28.85%. The flour making varieties showed low water absorption capacity. The protein
contents of the studied varieties (8.27-13.52%) differed significantly (P<0.05). However, the crudefibre
{1.23-2.30%),fat (3.00-4.30%), ash (1.96-4.25%), and carbohydrate contents (78.84-83.96%) ofsorghum
varieties did not differ significantly (P>0.05). Studies on endosperm texture revealed that most
floury varieties had generally high dehulling losses and were therefore unsuitable for producing dehulled
products. Corneous varieties were considered suitable for producing dehulled products due to their low
dehulling losses. The intermediate endosperm texture varieties, which also experienced intermediate
dehulling losses, need more studies in order to be properly classified Some of these, varieties such as
Langalanga are already being used for flour making without prior dehulling. The study, therefore, calls
for more screening of the local sorghum varieties not used in this study to identifY their potential in relation
to end uses for future exploitation and, where possible, to exploit the promising trait for incorporation
in breeding programmes.
