Two-Season Phenotyping Dataset of Sorghum Minicore Collection for Plant Growth, Water Use, Phenology, and Agronomic Traits Under Contrasting Water Regimes (2017–18; 2018-2018, Post-Rainy Season) using Lysi-Field Phenotyping Platform

This study evaluated the Sorghum Minicore collection, comprising 242 genetically diverse inbred lines and 18 elite farmer-preferred cultivars, to understand plant responses to water availability under field-controlled conditions. Conducted over two consecutive post-rainy seasons (2017–18 and 2018–19) at ICRISAT’s advanced lysimetric facility equipped with a rainout shelter, the experiment involved well-watered and water-stressed treatments with six replications per genotype. We have phenotyped for to plant growth, water use, phenology, and crop production traits using a high-precision system designed to assess drought responses by eliminating uncontrolled rainfall. The objectives were to assess genetic variation in water-use and yield-related traits under contrasting moisture regimes, explore trait relationships across water treatments, and geo-map sorghum races using origin-based temperature data to analyze the impact of agro-meteorological factors on water use and productivity. The consistent use of the minicore set across years enabled robust analysis, ultimately supporting the identification of climate-resilient sorghum lines suited for dryland agriculture.