Growth characters and fodder production potential of sorghum varieties under irrigated conditions

In order to know growth characters and fodder productivity of 10 sorghum varieties received from National Agriculture Research Center, Islamabad an experiment was carried out at the Agriculture Research Farm of NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, during summer season 1999-2000. PARC-SS-1 & PARC-SS-II were used as check varieties. Differences among plant heights of the sorghum varieties were significant with maximum plant height of 218 cm noted in plots of variety JS-88. While the minimum plant height of 88 cm was recorded in plots of variety PARC-SS-II. Leaves per tiller of the different varieties ranged significantly from a minimum of 5.3 (No. 1863) to a maximum of 8.7 (JS-88). Average leaf area varied significantly between 140 and 247cm2. Maximum leaf area of 247cm2 was recorded for variety JS-88 followed by 219cm2 for variety S-9601 while the minimum of 140cm2 was recorded for the variety Tandojam Local. Differences among fresh fodder yields of the 10 varieties were significant. Maximum fresh fodder yield of 72 t ha-1 was obtained from variety Hegari, followed by 61 t/ha from varieties JS-88 and S-9601 each, while the minimum fresh fodder yield was recorded for both the check varieties PARC- SS-I (43 t ha-1) and PARC-SS-II (44 t ha-1). Differences in dry fodder yield of the varieties were significant, with a maximum dry fodder yield of 21 t ha-1 recorded for variety JS-88, followed by 20 t ha-1 for variety Hegari, and 2 minimum of 8 t ha-1 noted for the check variety PARC-SS-I. Differences in percent dry matter of the varieties were significant and ranged from a minimum of 19% for varieties PARC-SS-I. Tandojam Local and No. 1863 each to a maximum of 34% for varieties JS-88 and S-9607 each. Sorghum varieties Hegari, JS-88 and S-9601 having taller plants more number of leaves plant-1 and higher leaf area produced maximum fresh and dry fodder yield under the irrigated conditions of Peshawar.