/., IUU
Cm ~ Central Science
cS Library
Agricultural Research and Education Center OCT 23 1987
Research Report RC-1986-2 Universty of FI0orfuary 1986
Sorghum Variety-Test Results from
Ona AREC: 1985
R. S. Kalmbacher, D. L. Wright, and F. G. Martin-
South-central Florida from Orlando to the Everglades has soil and
climatic conditions that are unique to this region where two thirds of the
state's cattle are located. Land use is mainly extensively managed tame and
native pasture, which is within the capability of the sandy, low fertility,
usually poorly drained soils. More nutritional forages are needed to improve
calf production, and also to allow calves to attain a marketable size in the
region instead of shipping them elsewhere. Sorghums have some potential as a
nutritious, stored feed (grain or silage) during periods of feed shortages,
when the cow's nutritional requirements cannot be met by perennial grasses,
or for backgrounding or finishing calves.
The purpose of this research is to test adaptability and productivity of
grain (milo) and forage (silage) sorghums and sorghum x sudangrass hybrids
available from commercial and University experiment stations. Where trade
names are used, no discrimination or endorsement is intended.
Methods and Materials
Thirty three grain, 14 forage, and 14 sorghum x sudangrass hybrids were
seeded in separate studies in four replications;of a randomized complete
block design. Cultural practices are outlined in tables 1, 3 and 6,
respectively.
Forage and grain yield was determined from the hand harvest of 10 foot
of row. Grain was thrashed, cleaned and dried at 1400 F for 48 hours.
Forage yield was determined by weighing the green sample from the 10' row
plus a sub-sample of approximately one pound. The sub-sample was chopped,
dried (1400 F, 72 hrs) and reweighed for dry matter determination, which was
used to calculate per acre production.
Results and Discussion
Grain Sorghum
There were significant (P<0.05) differences in oven-dry grain yields
(Table 1). Average yield was 3750 lb/A with a range from 5110 lb/A (Youngs
Oro-G-Xtra) to 2570 lb/A (Funks HW 6845). Average yield was slightly lower
than the long-term average yield (4440 Ib/A) of grain sorghum grown at Ona
(Table 2).
1/ Professor (Agronomist), Ona AREC; Associate Extension Agronomist,
Agricultural Research and Education Center, Quincy; Professor, Dept. of
Statistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Better varieties in 1985 were essentially the same (Table 1) as those in
past years (Table 2). Those hybrids that have averaged greater than 4500
lb/A of grain after 3 or more years of testing are Northrup King 'Savanna 5',
Youngs 'Oro-G-Xtra' and Oro-T-Xtra', Florida Feed & Seed 'Gator Grain',
George Warner 'W 744 DR', Texas Truimph 'Two 70-D' and McCurdy 'M 990'.
Grain moisture at harvest averaged 18.4% for all entries and ranged from
14.7% to 22.6%. Safe storage of grain requires about 15% moisture, therefore
most entries would have required additional drying after harvest. All
entries were mature ("ripe" grain) at the end of the 110 day growing season,
but field conditions usually preclude complete drying.
There was no problem with disease, insects or bird damage in 1985. Weed
control was poor to fair, as herbicides labeled for use on sorghum in Florida
are limited. Grass weed competition is one of the major limiting factors on
the experimental area. It is also important to note the downward trend of
yield over the past 5 years (Table 2). Sorghums have been grown on this site
for the past 10 years, and the build-up in pests (notably Pythium and
nematodes) are taking their toll on yield.
Forage Sorghum
Significant differences in yield of .forage sorghum hybrids were found
(Table 3). Seasonal yield of two harvests ranged from 12.7 tons/A (Ring
Around '235 F') to 4.5 tons/A (Pennington 'Pennsilage'), and all 14 hybrids
averaged 8.5 tons/A. Harvest 1 yield averaged 5.3 tons/A and harvest 2
averaged 3.1 tons/A. The second harvest is usually lower because of adverse
growing conditions of summer. There are some hybrids that hold-up well
through the summer, and Dekalb FS 25 is one of;these.
Lodging was a severe problem at harvest 1 (Table 4). Almost all entries
would have been lost for commercial methods of harvesting. Only Ring Around
235 F had no lodging, and that was because it was a late entry and had no
grain, which makes these tall plants top heavy. Grain-heavy plants with weak
root systems resulting from Pythium and nematode attack are very prone to
lodging in early summer thunderstorms. Lodging was less of a problem at
harvest 2 because grain yield was very poor because of sorghum midge damage,
head disease and adverse weather for pollenation. Some entries have been
consistently better than others in lodging resistance. Dekalb 'FS 25' and
Northrup King '367' are two such notable entries.
Grain yield was measured on a single replication and provides a relative
index for comparison among entries (Table 4). Better grain producers in 1985
were Northrup King '367', Florida Feed & Seed 'Cator Chop' and Pioneer '923'.
It seems that 1985 grain yield was unusually large, especially, for some
varieties. Grain yield a single replication in 1984 averaged 2670 lb/A.
Generally, better grain producers in 1985 were those that did well in 1984.
Better forage yielding entries that have been tested for 3 to 5 years
are Northrup King '367', Dekalb 'FS 25' and Pioneer '923' (Table 5). These
have consistently been among the best entries and'have been relatively
trouble-free.
Sorghum x Sudangrass
Sorghum x sudangrass entries were harvested three times in 1985 at the
late anthesis stage of maturity, and significant differences in yield were
found at each harvest and for total yield (Table 6). Yield ranged from 15.0
(Pioneer '855 F') to 8.3 tons/A (Texas Triumph 'Supersweet'). A pearl
millet, Ring Around 'M99', was grown for comparison. It yielded 5.9 tons/A.
Pearlmillet yields early in the season are comparable to yield of most
sorghum x sudangrasses, but millets do not persist in south Florida.
Better entries in 1985 were Pioneer '855 F', George Warner 'Gro-N-Graze
DR' and Dekalb 'SX 17'. The latter entries have been good silage yielding
entries in the past (Table 7). Other consistently good entries are Northrup
King 'Sordan 79' McCurdy 'Sweet M' and PAG 'Honey Chow'.
Lodging was not a problem in 1985 (Table 8) and rarely is with sorghum x
sudangrass hybrids. Many of these are sterile crosses and do not have grain,
therefore, they are not top-heavy.
Conclusions
Sorghums recommended for production in south central Florida are as
follows:
1. Grain sorghums
a. Youngs Oro-T-Xtra
b. Youngs Oro-G-Xtra
c. Northrup King Savanna 5 (bird resistant)
d. Florida Feed & Seed Gator Grain
2. Forage sorghums
a. Northrup King 367
b. Dekalb FS 25
c. Pioneer 923
d. McCurdy F75
3. Sorghum x sudangrass (for silage)
a. Dekalb SX 17
b. George Warner Gro-N-Graze DR
c. Northrup King Sordan 79
d. McCurdy Sweet M
Table 1. Grain sorghum
height. Ona,
Brand
grain yield, percent moisture at harvest and plant
AREC: 1985.
Hybrid
Height
Moisture
Yieldt
Youngs Oro-G-Xtra
Northrup King X 8244
Asgrow TTX
Funks G 522 DR
Funks G 1711
George Warner W 840 DR
Fla Feed & Seed Gator Grain
Pioneer 8222
McCurdy M 57 YG
Pennington Penngrain DR
Youngs Oro Xtra
Northrup King Savanna 5
PAG 6658
Coker C 7675
George Warner W 744 DR
PAG 3385
Youngs Oro-T-Xtra
Ring Around 808
McCurdy M 747
Ring Around 787
Dekalb DK 64
Funks HW 6119
Asgrow Chapparal
Agri Tech GK 802 G
Dekalb DK M 565
PAG 4462
Pioneer 8333
Northrup King NK 2660
Funks G 550
Hunt Terra HT-126 DR
Pioneer 8300
McCurdy 8474
Funks HW 6845
AVERAGE
-feet-
4.7
5.3
4.7
4.0
4.1
4.4
4.0
4.1
3.9
4.2
4.4
3.9
3.9
3.9
4.1
4.0
4.0
4.0
3.8
4.0
4.0
3.9
4.0
3.6
3.6
3.7
3.6
4.0
3.8
3.7
3.9
3.3
3.7
4.1
tGrain yields reported at oven-dry (140 F) weights.
tMeans followed by the same letter are not different (Duncan Waller LSD, K=100).
Date seeded: 13 March 1985.
Seeding rate: 12 lb/A in 30" rows.
Fertilization: 1) At seeding 60-50-100 lb/A of N,P205,K20 disked into the
seedbed.
2) When plants 12"'tall, 40-8-40 lb/A
3) When plants 24" tall, 50-25-25 lb/A
2,000 lb/A dolomite was applied March 1985
Herbicide: Atrazine, 2 lb/A active plus oil, post emergence applied.
Insecticide: Furadan 10-G, 2 lb/A active in row at seeding.
Irrigation: 6.2 inches, over-head applied.
Harvest date: 1 July 1985, 110 day growing season.
I_ _I_ I_
~II_
_ __ ___ 1__1__ __
----%---
20.3
17.0
20.2
22.6
16.2
17.3
18.7
18.2
17.8
23.4
18.0
20.5
19.9
18.7
17.2
15.8
20.1
14.7
18.3
19.2
20.1
18.9
15.5
17.9
18.9
15.3
19.1
16.6
16.5
20.5
21.1
16.9
16.9
18.4
lb/A
5110 a*
4840 ab
4530 abc
4410 abc
4260 abed
42.0 abed
4160 abed
4150 abed
4060 abed
4040 abed
3980 abed
3970 abed
3970 abed
3950 abed
3880 abed
3780 bcde
3760 bcde
3730 bcde
3650 bcde
3650 bcde
3620 bcde
3540 cde
3530 cde
3500 cde
3400 cde
3380-cde
3170 de
3170 de
3140 de
3110 de
3080 de
2570 e
2570
3750
Table 2. Average grain yields of grain sorghum hybrids grown at Ona AREC,
1981 to 1985.t
Year
Brand Hybrid 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Avg.
------------------lb/A---------------
Grown for 5 years
Northrup King Savanna 5 7320 6920 5450 4380 3970 5610
Youngs Oro-G-Xtra 6270 5170 4920 4170 5110 5130
Fla Feed & Seed Gator Grain A 6420 5180 4740 3300 4160 4760
Youngs Oro-T-Xtra 7060 3630 5580 2720 3760 4550
Funks G 550 3520 6030 5290 3320 3140 4260
Dekalb DK 64 A 4670 4860 3820 3590 3620 4110
Funks G 522 DR 2920 4520 5310 3920 4410 4220
average 5450 5190 5020 3710 4020 4660
Grown for 4 years
George Warner W 744 DR ---- 6920 5100 2980 3110 4530
Hunt Terra HT 126 DR ---- 4710 5340 3340 3110 4130
Coker 7675 4440 4310 ---- 3510 3950 4050
average 4440 5310 5220 3280 3390 4240
Grown for 3 years
Texas Triumph Two 70-D ---- 4920 5500 3560 ---- 4660
McCurdy M 990 ---- 4710 4920 4270 ---- 4630
George Warner W 840 DR --- --- 4830 4090 4210 4380
McCurdy M 57 YG ---- 4310 4330 ---- 4060 4230
PAG 4462 ---- ---- 5100 3330 3380 3940
PAG 4462 ---- ---- 4840 2640 3970 3820
average ---- 4650 4000 3580 3900 4280
Average all entries 4440
tGrain yield reported at oven-dry (140 F).
Seeding dates: 3-10-81; 3-5-82; 4-18-83; 3-21-84; 3-13-85.
sorghum grown at Ona AREC, 1985.
Harvest 1
24 June
Harvest 2
1 October
---------------tons/A-------------
Ring Around
Dekalb
Funks
Northrup King
Asgrow
Agri-Tech
Hunt Terra
McCurdy
Pioneer
Fla Feed & Seed
McCurdy
McCurdy
George Warner
Pennington
235 F
FS 25 E
HW 5574
367
Titan R
GK 30 F
H OK
F 80
923
Gator Chop
F 70 S
F 75 A
Sweet Bee Sterile
Pennsilage
Average
t
Means within a column followed by the same letter are not different
(Duncan-Waller LSD, K =100).
Experimental entry.
Date seeded:
Seeding rate:
Fertilization: 1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Herbicide:
Insecticide:
Irrigation:
13 March 1985.
12 lb/A in 30" rows.
At seeding 60-50-100 lbs/A N-P20 -K20 disked into
seedbed.
When plants 12" 50-8-50 lb/A
When plants 24" 50-25-25 lb/A
After harvest 1 50-8-50 lb/A
Regrowth 24" (5 Aug) 50-25-25 lb/A
Atrazine at 2 lb/A active plus oil, broadcast post-emergence,
immediately after harvest 1, paraquat applied at 0.25 lb/A
active, broadcast over stubble.
Furadan 10-G applied at 2 lb/A active in row at seeding.
Overhead application of 6.5 inches in 6 applications from 13
March to 29 May.
Harvests: 24 June (103 days) and 1 October (99 days).
Brand
Hybrid
Total
10.0
5.3
5.2
7.2
4.4
5.0
6.1
5.7
4.9
4.9
5.2
3.5
3.9
3.5
5.3
2.7
7.0
7.1
3.2
4.7
4.0
2.6
2.6
2.9
2.3
0.8
1.8
1.2
1.0
3.1
bcde
a
a
bed
b
bc
bcde
bcde
bcde
cde
e
de
e
e
12.7
12.3
12.3
10.4
9.1
9.0
8.7
8.3
7.8
7.2
6.0
5.3
5.1
4.5
8.5
at
a
a
ab
be
bc
bc
bcd
bcde
cdef
cdef
def
ef
f
I
yield of forage
Table 3. Dry matter
Table 4. Grain yield and agronomic characteristics of forage sorghums grown
at Ona AREC, 1985.
Grain+
Yield
Hybrid
Brand
Harvest 1
Harvest 2
Height Lodging Height Lodging
Ib/A
Agri Tech
Asgrow
Dekalb
Fla Feed & Seed
Hunt Terra
McCurdy
McCurdy
McCurdy
George Warner
Pioneer
Pennington
Ring Around
Northrup King
Funks
AVERAGE
GK 30 F
Titan R
FS 25 E
Gator Chop
H-OK
F-75 A
F 80
F 70 S
Sweet Bee Sterile
923
Pennsilage
235 F
367
HW 5574
556
568
531
609
437
243
457
195
153
578
389
622
393
44C
-ft-
0 5.5
10 6.0
0 6.5
0 7.5
'0 6.5
30 5.8
'0 7.2
>0 6.4
10 6.5
10 6.4
>0 5.1
0 10.0
0 6.8
10 6.1
)0 6.6
1Oven dry (140 F) weights from a single field replication.
tLate varieties with grain too green to sample'properly.
-ft-
8.0
8.9
9.3
9.7
8.4
8.1
8.7
7.0
7.1
9.3
7.2
8.6
10.9
9.3
8.6
- c
--- --
---I-
Table 5. Dry matter yield of forage sorghums grown at Ona AREC, 1981 to
1985.
Year
Brand Hybrid 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Avg.
-------------------tons/A--------------
Grown for 5 years
Northrup King 367 15.7 10.3 16.3 11.6 10.4 12.9
Dekalb FS 25 A 12.3 11.8 12.7 13.21 12.3 12.5
Pioneer 923 14.0 8.4 12.4 8.8 7.8 10.3
McCurdy F 75 9.0 7.9 8.2 6.0 6.0 7.4
Grown for 4 years
Pioneer 947 11.5 9.7 10.2 7.5 --- 9.7
Grown for 3 years
Funks HW 5574 --- --- 13.7 12.5 12.3 12.8
McCurdy F 80 ---- ---- 13.3 11.2 8.3 10.9
Asgrow Titan R ---- ---- 13.3 10.3 9.1 10.9
Fla Feed & Seed Gator Chop --- ---- 11.9 10.0 7.2 9.7
Pennington Pennsilage ---- ---- 11.1 6.4 4.5 7.3
Average 10.4
FS 25 E in 1984 and 1985.
Seeding dates: 3-9-81; 3-19-82; 4-18-85; 3-21-84; 3-13-85.
Table 6. Dry matter production of sorghum x sudangrass hybrids grown for
silage at Ona AREC, 1985.
Harvest
Brand Hybrid 28 May 29 July 14 Oct. Total
--------------tons/A-----------------
Pioneer
George Warner
Dekalb
Northrup King
PAG
Agri-Tech
Funks
McCurdy
Youngs
Fla Feed & Seed
Hunt Terra
Pennington
Asgrow
Texas Triumph
Ring Around
Average
855 F
Gro-N-Graze DR
SX 17
Sordan 79
Honey Chow
Hay grazer
FP-4
Sweet M
Kow Kandy
Gator Grazer
SSS 84
Summergrazer
Grazer N-2
Supersweet
M 994
SMeans within column followed by the
(Duncan-Waller LSD, K = 100).
* Pearlmillet.
same letter are not
Date seeded: 13 March 1985.
Seeding rate: 10 lb/A in 30" row.
Fertilization: 1) at seeding 60-50-100 Ibs/A N-P 0 -K 0.
2) when plants 12" tall 50-25-25 Ib7A
3) after harvest 1 30-6-30 lb/A
4) when regrowth 12" tall 60-30-30 lb/A
5) after harvest 2 50-10-50 lb/A
6) when regrowth 12" 50-25-25 lb/A
Herbicide: Atrazine at 2 lb/A active plus oil, post emergence applied.
Immediately after harvest 1 and 2, paraquat at 0.25 Ib/A active
was broadcast applied over stubble.
Insecticide: Furadan 10-G in row at seeding at 2 lb/A active.
Irrigation: Overhead with 6.2 inches applied in 6 applications.
Harvest: 28 May (76 days); 29 July (62 days) and 14 October (77 days).
5.3
4.1
3.7
4.3
3.8
4.1
4.2
4.5
3.8
4.2
3.9
3.1
3.0
3.1
4.0
4.2
5.3
4.1
4.3
4.1
3.5
3.2
3.9
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.1
3.4
3.4
3.2
1.7
3.9
4.4
2.8
2.9
2.4
3.3
2.9
2.1
2.1
2.2
1.7
2.1
2.1
1.9
2.0
0.2
2.5
a
b-e
bc
c-f
b
bcd
ef
def
c-f
f
ef
ef
f
f
g
15.0
11.0
10.9
10.8
10.6
10.2
10.2
10.2
9.6
7.8
9.1
8.6
8.3
8.3
5.9
10.5
different
10
Table 7. Average dry matter yields of sorghum x sudangrass hybrids grown for
silage at Ona AREC, 1981 to 1985.
Hybrid
Year
1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
Avg.
-------------------lb/A-------------
Grown for 5 years
Northrup King
Dekalb
Sordan 79
SX 17
15.0 10.9 10.6 9.4 10.8 11.3
11.3 7.9 14.1 9.9 10.9 10.8
Grown for 4 years
McCurdy
Pennington
Sweet M
Summer Grazer
13.9 11.6 10.1
12.8 12.1 ----
--- 10.2 11.5
8.4 8.6 10.0
Grown for 3 years
PAG
Gold Kist
George Warner
Asgrow
Average
Honey Chow
Unigraze
Gro-N-Graze DR
Grazer N-2
-- --- 13.7
13.5 9.2 9.4
--- --- 10.3
--- ---- 10.3
3-9-81; 3-19-82; 4-18-83; 3-21-84;
Brand
9.4
10.4
10.2
10.6
11.0
8.3
11.2
10.7
10.6
9.6
10.7
----- ----`'-
Seeding dates:
3-13-85.
Table 8. Plant height and lodging of sorghum x sudangrass hybrids grown for
silage. Ona AREC, 1985.
Harvest
1 2 3
Brand Hybrid ht lodging ht lodging ht lodging
ft -%- ft -%- ft -%-
Asgrow Grazer N-2 7.7 0 0 8,0 0
Agri Tech. Hay Grazer 8.0 0 0 8.9 0
Dekalb SX 17 7.9 0 0 10.0 0
Fla Feed & Seed Gator Grazer 8.7 0 0 8.3 0
Funks FP 4 7.8 0 0 8.7 0
George Warner Gro-N-Graze DR 8.7 0 0 9.4 0
Hunt Terra SSS 84 7.6 0 u 0 8.5 0
McCurdy Sweet M 7.9 0 r 0 8.3 0
Northrup King Sordan 79 8.9 0 0 9.0 0
PAG Honey Chow 8.2 0 0 9.3 0
Pennington Summergrazer 8.4 0 0 8.1 0
Pioneer "' 855 F 9.2 0 0 10.0 0
Texas Triumph Supersweet 7.8 0 0 7.9 0
Youngs Kow Kandy 8.1 0 0 8.5 0
Average 8.8 0 0 9.5 0
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not reflect current scientific knowledge
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used only to trace the historic work of
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