Performance of Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Cultivars as Influenced by the Plant Population and Fertility Levels

摘要

A field experiment comprising fertility (100:60:40 and 150:90:60 kg N P,O_5 K,O ha~(-1)) and plant population (2,66,667 and 3,33,333 plants ha~(-1)) levels was conducted with SSV-84 and Madhura (NSSH-1) sweet sorghum cultivars during kharif 2005 at GKVK farm, Bangalore. Madhura sweet sorghum cultivar produced significantly higher stalk yield (38.471 ha~(-1)) and juice yield (11337 /ha~(-1)). Leaf area index (9.83), plant height (236 cm), girtli of stalk (1.6 cm), stalk weight (55.16 g per plant), juice extraction per cent (37.12) and NPK uptake were also significantly superior with Madhura. Higher ethanol yield (451.2 / ha~(-1)) with Madhura was attributed to the improvement injuice yield and quality viz., specific gravity (107.6 g cc~(-1)), brix (11.5), reducing and non-reducing sugars (3.92 and 10.48 g/100mlofjuice, respectively). Plant height (237 cm), stalk girth (1.6 cm), stalkweight (54.88 gper plant) and stalk yield (39.12 tha~(-1)) were significantly higher with 150: 90: 60 kg N:P_2O_5:K_2O ha~(-1) as compared to 100: 60: 40 kg N :P_2O_5::K_2O ha~(-1). There was improvement in the leaf area index (9.37) with higher fertility level. Juice yield (11042 l ha~(-1)), Juice extraction percentage (37.05), specific gravity of juice (105.27g cc~(-1)) and reducing sugar content (3.77 g /100 ml of juice) and ethanol yield (428.6 / ha~(-1)) and NPK uptake were superior with 150:90:60kg N:P_2O_5:K_2Oha~(-1). Juice (11056 /ha~(-1)) and ethanol yield (425.7 /ha~(-1)), juice extraction percentage (37.47%), brix (14.03%) and reducing sugar content (3.65 g/100 ml of juice) were significantly higher with 2,66,667 plant ha~(-1), while, leaf area index, plant height and NPK uptake were significantly lower as compared to 3,33,333 plants ha~(-1).