EFFECTS OF PLANTING DENSITY ON CROP GROWTH AND SUGAR CONTENT FOR THREE SWEET SORGHUM SORGHUM BICOLOR (L.) MOENCH GENOTYPES IN EASTERN CANADA

摘要

Within the project “Evaluation of biomass crops in eastern and northern Ontario” funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) of Canada, a field experiment was carried out with the aim of investigating the effects of planting density on crop growth and sugar content of three genotypes of sweet sorghum cultivated under Eastern Canada climate conditions. Total fresh biomass production, on average of the two experimental factors was 42.5 t ha~(-1). It significantly increased with plant population, from 36.9 t ha~(-1) (10 plants m~(-2)) to 48.0 t ha~(-1) (40 plants m~(-2)). The total dry biomass production on average of the two experimental factors was to 9.40 t ha~(-1). Among genotypes the most productive was “Bulldozer” whose dry biomass attained 10.7 t ha~(-1) on average for the 3 plant densities. Sugar content was significantly influenced by genotype and population density, brix value increased from flowering stage to harvest.