Corn Breeding Project has put a lot of efforts in research and development for a long period of time and finally got a new variety named "Suwan 3". It was officially released by Kasetsart University and the Department of Agriculture in 1987. Suwan 3 gave yield higher than Suwan 1 approximately 8 percent for the past four years testing in corn belt areas both in experiment stations and farmer fields. This variety also contained other desirable characters such as resistance to corn downy mildew and Southern rust, resistance to lodging due to better root and stalk quality, and the accepable grain type. Another success in this year, the project released eight new inbreds, Ki 23 to Ki 30. They have general combining ability better than the previous lines. They are also highly resistant to corn downy mildew. The promising hybrids (KSX 2903 and KTX 2903), tested at different corn belt areas during 1985-1987, gave yield higher than KTX 2602 approximately 7 and 13 percent and yielded higher than Suwan 1 18 and 18 %, respectively.

Sorghum is consumed in India mainly in two forms, namely Roti prepared from sorghum flour, an open backed product and as cooked dehusked sorghum. For most of the population living in dryland area cereal/millet contributes most of the protein requirement. Hence it was considered of importance to find the digestibility and retention of protein of sorghum products by conducting metabolic study in human subjects. Our results indicate no significant difference in the digestibility and retention of protein between the two types of sorghum products fed to the subjects. However both digestibility and retention of sorghum protein was significantly higher in children than in adults. The digestibility and retention of protein from sorghum cooked in water was significantly higher than that from sorghum Roti in adult subjects.

Proximate analyses of 14 varieties of sorghum were found to have protein and carbohydrate ranging from 6-10 % and 68-75 % respectively. Amylose content determined ranging from 20-23 %. The study on sorghum vermicelli production was carried out by mixing sorghum with broken rice or glutinous rice flour or the food additive. Comparisons of the qualities of sorghum vermicelli made from different ratios of the ingredients mentioned were determined. The qualities of the sorghum vermicelli produced were significantly effected by the percentages of sorghum, broken rice, glutinous rice flour and the food additive used. When the amount of the sorghum used increased the acceptability decreased. The addition of certain amount of food additive would help in improving the qualities of sorghum vermicelli. However, the color of sorghum vermicelli was found to be darker than rice vermicelli.

A field experiment was conducted at the UPLB [Philippines Univ., Los Banos, College, Laguna, Philippines] Central Experiment Station from February to June, 1987 to compare the growth, yield and yield components of peanut and sorghum grown as intercrops and under monoculture at different sowing dates and row arrangements: The three sowing dates were: a) peanut and sorghum planted at the same time at day one (T1), b) peanut planted 14 days before sorghum (T2) and c) peanut planted 14 days after planting sorghum (T3). The row arrangements were: a) one row of sorghum alternated with one row of peanut (S1:P1), b) one row of sorghum alternated with two rows of peanut (S1:P2), c) two rows of sorghum alternated with two rows of peanut (S2:P2), d) monoculture sorghum (S) and e) monoculture peanut (P). Peanut intercrops yielded less than those in monoculture. Shading by sorghum reduced the number of mature pods, leaves and root nodules but increased the height of peanut intercrops. The leaf area index, dry matter yield, relative leaf growth rate, leaf area ratio and crop growth rate of peanut intercrops were not affected by sorghum during the first seven weeks of growth. Sorghum monoculture yielded more than those in the intercrops due to the lower plant population in the latter. Delayed sowing of sorghum also resulted in low yields. The number of panicles per hill and the number of seeds per panicle at T2 were higher than those at T1, and T3. Harvest index of monoculture sorghum was low due to the unfavorable grain/stover ratio. Light transmission ratios in peanut and sorghum intercrops were lowest between 8 and 11 weeks and coincided with the pod filling stage of peanut. Land equivalent ratio (LER) of S2:P2 and S1:P1 row arrangements was 11% and 12% higher than the LER values of the monocultures, respectively. The S1:P1 row arrangement had 2% lower LER value than the monocultures. Based on the relative crowding coefficient and competitive ratio values sorghum out competed peanut in all row arrangements. However, the aggressivity values for sorghum and peanut in the S2:P2 row arrangements were the same

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate johnsongrass control in no-till grain sorghum with glyphosate treatments applied in mid-June, late July, and mid-September before plantig grain sorghum the following spring. Mid-June applications provided the best johnsongrass control. Ammonium sulfate enhanced the activity of glyphosate for only the late-July applications. In separate experiments, herbicide systems comprised of fall applications of glyphosate and/or spring applications of foliar and residual herbicides were evaluated. Fall applications of glyphosate provided superior johnsongrass control and grain sorghum yields. Nomenclature: Glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine; johnsongrass, Sorghum balepense (L.) Pers. #3 SORHAgrain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.; wheat, Triticum aestivum L.

Monoculture production of soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) generally results in declining grain yields. To better understand biological and chemical interactions causing yield declines with continuous cropping, microbial biomass, crop root dry weight, soil organic matter, and total N content were measured in a cropping system experiment on a Sharpsburg silty clay loam (Typic Argiudoll). The cropping treatments included continuous soybeans, continuous sorghum, and sorghum-soybean or soybean-sorghum rotations. These treatments were initiated 5 y prior to taking the reported measurements. Fertilizer treatments consisted of no amendment (control), N (45 kg ha-1 on soybean plots and 90 kg ha-1 on sorghum plots), and manure applied at 15.8 Mg dry matter ha-1 yr-1. In summer 1986, the microbial biomass C for the 0-30-cm layer of soil averaged across fertility treatments was 1.37, 1.49, 1.43, and 1.58 Mg ha-1 for continuous soybeans, rotated soybeans, rotated sorghum and continuous sorghum, respectively. Soil microbial biomass C and soil organic matter contents for manured treatments were 11 to 14% and 6 to 16% greater, respectively than those of unfertilized controls. Root dry weights for the 0-30-cm depth were 26 and 77% higher for soybeans and sorghum if the previous crop was sorghum instead of soybeans. In summer 1986, microbial biomass in the 0-15-cm depth was correlated with root density and water-filled pore space in sorghum plots and with bulk density in soybean plots. Previous crop, present crop, and fertilizer treatment affected dry matter partitioning between above- and below-ground plant parts and microbial biomass. With sorghum as a previous crop, a higher proportion of the total production occurred below ground as roots and microbial biomass.

Monoculture production of soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) generally results in declining grain yields. To better understand biological and chemical interactions causing yield declines with continuous cropping, microbial biomass, crop root dry weight, soil organic matter, and total N content were measured in a cropping system experiment on a Sharpsburg silty clay loam (Typic Argiudoll). The cropping treatments included continuous soybeans, continuous sorghum, and sorghum-soybean or soybean-sorghum rotations. These treatments were initiated 5 y prior to taking the reported measurements. Fertilizer treatments consisted of no amendment (control), N (45 kg ha⁻¹ on soybean plots and 90 kg ha⁻¹ on sorghum plots), and manure applied at 15.8 Mg dry matter ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. In summer 1986, the microbial biomass C for the 0–30-cm layer of soil averaged across fertility treatments was 1.37, 1.49, 1.43, and 1.58 Mg ha⁻¹ for continuous soybeans, rotated soybeans, rotated sorghum and continuous sorghum, respectively. Soil microbial biomass C and soil organic matter contents for manured treatments were 11 to 14% and 6 to 16% greater, respectively than those of unfertilized controls. Root dry weights for the 0–30-cm depth were 26 and 77% higher for soybeans and sorghum if the previous crop was sorghum instead of soybeans. In summer 1986, microbial biomass in the 0–15-cm depth was correlated with root density and water-filled pore space in sorghum plots and with bulk density in soybean plots. Previous crop, present crop, and fertilizer treatment affected dry matter partitioning between above- and below-ground plant parts and microbial biomass. With sorghum as a previous crop, a higher proportion of the total production occurred below ground as roots and microbial biomass. Partial financial support was provided by the Int. Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Program (INTSORMIL), U. S. AID grant DAN-1254-G-SS-5065-00. Joint contribution of Nebraska Agric. Res. Div. and USDA-ARS. Nebraska Agric. Res. Div. Journal No. 8445.