![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/jayden-smith.jpg\")
<\/p>\n Yinping Jiao and David Becker are part of a group of researchers and experts striving
\n to transform basic sorghum research into industry application.<\/p>\n
\t\tCREATORS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In the corner of Yinping Jiao<\/a>\u2019s office in Experimental Sciences Building II sits a vase filled with stalks of sorghum They\u2019ve lost their color since they were harvested a year ago as orange, burgundy, \u201cLook at this,\u201d she beamed. \u201cHow could they look so different?\u201d<\/p>\n Sorghum and corn aren\u2019t easily distinguishable in their germinal stages. Where they Jiao\u2019s research on the crop is a part of the Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance<\/a> (IGCAST) in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n With West Texas farmers\u2019 need to maintain soil health and productivity through crop She is building off one of her major discoveries during her time at Texas Tech. While \u201cThat\u2019s a big step to solving that limitation,\u201d Jiao said. \u201cWith that increased protein In the two years since accomplishing this feat, she\u2019s faced additional challenges Jiao and her IGCAST and Plant & Soil Science colleagues have developed capabilities Attempts to transfer foundational research to the field are coming just as the industry \u201cThat also creates a lot of opportunities for us to create optimized genetics for Though Becker has only spent two years working at Texas Tech, he\u2019s seen a level of Becker also noted that Texas Tech sits right smack in a semi-arid area with a declining In the spirit of the Global Sorghum Conference, Becker is hopeful his efforts will
\n ranging in shades of brown, some in compact, short clusters, others longer and unfurled.<\/p>\n
\n bronze, cream and black varieties. But Jiao, a Texas Tech University<\/a> assistant professor of crop population genomics in the Department of Plant & Soil Science<\/a>, still marvels at the plant\u2019s diversity.<\/p>\n
\n diverge, however, especially with sorghum\u2019s heat and drought tolerance, is crucial
\n to the future of agriculture on the High Plains and beyond.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/JiaoSorghum2.jpg\")
Yinping Jiao<\/p>\n
\n rotation, sorghum has emerged as a promising solution, especially as it requires roughly
\n 20-35% less water than corn uses to grow. Jiao is working to enhance sorghum grain\u2019s
\n digestibility and taste, advancing a crop that has historically received far less
\n research attention than corn.<\/p>\n
\n investigating mutations of the genes in sorghum proteins, she identified one that
\n could improve the grain protein\u2019s digestibility by 50%.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n digestibility, the nutrition in sorghum has the potential to be similar to corn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n applying the basic research to industry production.<\/p>\n
\n for advanced plant breeding applications, gene editing and genomics. David Becker,
\n executive director for agricultural research strategy in Research & Innovation<\/a>, is seeking to bring plans for a translational crop breeding center to life.<\/p>\n
\n elsewhere is improving sorghum berry processing technologies that likewise lagged
\n behind what exists for corn kernels.<\/p>\n
\n sorghum that will support the application of the new kernel processing equipment,\u201d
\n Becker said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n investment in agriculture, both at the Davis College and the university overall, that
\n is uncommon nationally.<\/p>\n
\n water supply and has demonstrated a drive to assist local producers by increasing
\n the water-efficient crop\u2019s nutritional value. These factors place the university in
\n a prime position to host a conference that brings international thinkers and expands
\n its reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n encourage collaboration across federal institutions and universities that maximizes
\n the dollars put toward research and generates positive outcomes.<\/p>\n