Environmental and biotic factors affecting the phenolic content of different cultivars ofSorghum bicolor.

Levels of phenolic acids in healthy plants ofSorghum bicolor differ considerably with cultivar and always decrease as the plant matures. Laboratory- and field-grown plants show significant differences in phenolics. Environmental factors, particularly light intensity, influence the concentration of phenolics in sorghum. Attack by insects and pathogenic fungi also increase the phenolic content of the plants to varying degrees dependent on the cultivar and the stage of growth of the plant.