Sorghum is the fifth largest grain crop in the world and an important cereal crop in China. In the past 10 years since the launch of the industrial technology system, 277 breeding materials of dwarf, disease resistance, high amylopectin and low tannin have been identified and developed. The control genes of important traits of sorghum were cloned by using the whole genome association analysis of mutants and natural population. A total of 71 new varieties of sorghum for brewing were developed, which are suitable for mechanized operation and are resistant to dense dwarf stalks. The innovation and integration are suitable for light and simple cultivation techniques of sorghum in different regions. The planting area of sorghum increased by 26.8%, the total yield increased by 93.5%, and the yield per unit area increased by 52.7%. Driven by the transformation and upgrading of high-end liquor, with Moutai, Wuliangye Liquor, Fen Liquor and other well-known liquor enterprises as the core, the sorghum characteristic industry development mode of “brand + variety + origin + farmer” has been formed and remarkable income increasing effect has been achieved. Industrial development has boosted the protection and transfer of sorghum variety rights, and the joint breeding and industrial development oriented to the needs of industry and enterprises have promoted the steady development of sorghum seed enterprises. In the context of the new era of rural revitalization strategy and healthy China strategy, the characteristics of sorghum, such as drought resistance, flood resistance, salt and alkali resistance, combined use of grain and forage, and high light efficiency, have brought new opportunities to the development of sorghum industry and seed industry in China. At the same time, China's sorghum industry and seed industry are also facing many challenges, such as insufficient multi-use development, insufficient protection of seed right, insufficient ability of original innovation and insufficient support of industrial policies. In the future, the breeding of new sorghum varieties and the seed industry in China will be transformed from brewing to multi-use. Targeted breeding will be carried out in different suitable geographical environments according to the brewing process requirements of enterprises, and the sorghum planting in saline-alkali land, fallow areas and sickle-shaped areas will show a restorative growth. It is the future development goal of China's sorghum seed industry to establish a modern seed industry innovation system, promotion system and industrial system suitable for the development of China's sorghum industry and seed industry, and to build a seed industry chain operation mechanism that integrates the development of research institutes, seed enterprises, promotion departments and postpartum processing enterprises. In the future, the key task of sorghum seed industry and industry in China is to create key breeding materials with herbicide resistance, high starch, low tannin resistance, aphid resistance and other target traits. Carry out research on key technologies such as gene editing, marker assisted selection, whole genome selection, and efficient genetic transformation to build a modern and efficient breeding platform; select new varieties of sorghum for high-quality and special brewing, feed, forage, energy, broom use, etc.; establish databases for DNA fingerprint identification and key phenotypic traits of registered varieties; and lay out according to the ecological characteristics, resource endowment and layout of sorghum production areas optimize the industrial base and seed production base.
