2010 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) The objectives of this cooperative research project are to: a) evaluate sorghum germplasm in several locations in Mexico for resistance to anthracnose, grain mold, head smut, and downy mildew; and b) determine the races of head smut, anthracnose, and downy mildew pathogens in the region. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Exotic and adapted sorghum accessions will be planted in several locations in Mexico and evaluated for disease reaction. Standard sets of sorghum differentials will be provided by the ARS cooperator to identify the pathotypes of anthracnose, head smut, and downy mildew in Mexico. These sets of differentials will be open ended. Data will be analyzed and comparison among the accessions based on maturity groupings and other agronomic traits will be recorded. 3.Progress Report The goal of this project is to identify new resistant sources to important fungal diseases of sorghum in the U.S. and Mexico. In FY 2010, sorghum accessions from Mali, Sudan, and Uganda were evaluated for target leaf spot in Tampico. This disease can cause significant losses in sorghum production under certain circumstances. Seven of the sorghum accessions were shown to possess high levels of resistance to this disease. Work by this project, as it progresses, will be of significant benefit to sorghum breeders in their ongoing efforts to develop more disease-resistant sorghums for use by farmers in the U.S. and other nations, particularly Mexico. The ADODR of this project and the cooperator maintain regular communications by phone and e-mail, where progress of the work is discussed and evaluated, and where solutions to work impediments are developed. The ADODR and the cooperator meet periodically (at scientific meetings, annual visits to experimental sites, etc.) and the work is discussed and evaluated.