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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research

Effects of sowing date, cultivar and nitrogen application on ratoon cropping of sorghum

1. Effects on growth and performance
 

Abdel Rahman A. Mohamed^l, Magboul E. Lazim², Abuel hassan Salih Ibrahim³
 

Abstract:

An experiment was conducted for two seasons. (1995- 1997) at the Gezira Research Station. Two sowing dates and three sorghum cultivars, namely Dwarf White Milo (early), Feterita Wad Ahmed (medium) and Dabar (late) maturing were arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. The sowing dates (early=1530 July and late = 15-30 August) were allotted to the main plots, while the cultivars were assigned to the sub- plots. The main crop was sown on ridges 80-cm apart and received standard cultural practices till harvest. Immediately after harvest, five levels of N (0.0, 21.5, 43.0, 64.5 and 86.0 kg N/ ha) as urea were applied to the plot and the design was changed to a split -split plot with three replications. The new growth (ratoon crop) henceforth, received two irrigations at 14 -day intervals.
The study showed that in the first season neither sowing date nor cultivar had a significant effect on the growth and performance of the ratoon crop. However, differences due to sowing date were very pronounced in the second season. The first sowing date gave taller plants with higher leaf area indices and higher total dry weight.
On the other hand, the cultivar Dabar significantly outyielded the other two cultivars in most of the characters studied. Generally, the study showed that plant height, leaf area index and the total dry weight of the ratoon crop amounted to about 60.7, 44.3 and 40.0 % of those of the main crop, respectively.
 

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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 5 (2005) PP. 1-11