The effect of sowing date on the growth and yield of three sorghum cultivars in the Ord river valley. 1. Agronomic aspects

Millington, A.J. and Whiting, M.I.K. and Williams, W.T. and Boundy, C.A.P. (1977) The effect of sowing date on the growth and yield of three sorghum cultivars in the Ord river valley. 1. Agronomic aspects. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 28 (3). pp. 369-379.

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Abstract

In trials to elucidate the causes of low sorghum grain yield in the Ord river valley, 3 cultivars were studied: 2 dwarf, insensitive to daylength ((a) hybrid RS610 and (b) inbred Meloland) and (c) the daylength-sensitive cv. Q7844. The dwarf cultivars showed seasonal changes in time to maturity, but no seasonal changes in grain yield; sowing dates need therefore depend only on mechanical difficulties of sowing or harvesting in the wet season. Q7844 failed to initiate when the daylength was longer than 12 h 10 min, but the yield began to fall well before this daylength was attained; a high stable yield was obtained only for sowings between about mid-Jan. and mid-July. Overall mean grain yields/ha were (a) 4.69 t, (b) 4.41 t and (c) 5.07 t (stable period only). Contrary to expectation, the yield of (a) apparently increased with increase in max. temp.; (b) was less sensitive to temp. and to adverse environmental conditions. The causes of occasional yield failures are examined. It is suggested that (b) deserves more attention than it has hitherto received, and that a dwarf photosensitive line might provide an acceptable wet-season sorghum for the Ord valley

Item Type:	Article
Author Affiliation:	Office of the North-West, Western Australia Government, Perth, W.A., Australia 6000
Subjects:	Plant Production Crop Improvement > Genetics/Genomics Crop Improvement > Plant Breeding
Divisions:	Sorghum
Depositing User:	Ms K Syamalamba
Date Deposited:	07 Jan 2013 11:03
Last Modified:	07 Jan 2013 11:03
URI:	http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/9305

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