INFLUENCE OF PLANT STAND DENSITY, TIME AND METHODS OF SOWING ON THE YIELD OF STERILE SORGHUM LINES ZERSTA 38A AND ZERSTA 90S

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to determine the influence of plant density,
time and methods of sowing on biomorphological characteristics and grain yield of the sterile
lines Zersta 38A and Zersta 90S. The experiments were carried out on the experimental field
of the FSBSI “North Caucasus Federal Agricultural Research Centre”, which is located in
Mikhailovsk, Stavropol Territory. Conducted researches in 2021–2023 showed that the optimal sowing time for sterile sorghum lines Zersta 38A and Zersta 90S under the conditions of
the research zone was the first ten days of May. The sterile lines Zersta 90S (3,47 t/ha) and
Zersta 38A (3,01 t/ha) had high grain yields at density of 140 thousand/ha. Increasing the
plant density of the studied sterile lines to 170 thousand/ha and reducing it to 110 thousand/ha
reduces the grain yield of the lines by 0,10-0,49 t/ha. In order to propagate sterile lines, it is
advisable to grow them with row spacing of 70 cm. The duration of the period of “germination – full grain ripeness” is minimal for Zersta 38A (100 days), which indicates the possibility of profitable seed production. The plant height at seed ripening period in Zersta 90S line
was 172 cm, and in Zersta 37A line – 123 cm. In Zersta 38A line, the length of the panicle
(30.1 cm) and protrusion from the ochrea of the top leaf (9,6 cm) had high values. For Zersta
90S line, these parameters were 18,9 cm and 11,7 cm. The leaf coverage of the herbage for
Zersta 90S was 14,6%, and for Zersta 38A – 16,8%. The maximum thousand-kernel weight
(26,1–26,2 g) was established for the sterile line Zersta 90S and the standard variety Zersta
97. For the line Zersta 38A, thousand-kernel weight was 24,4 g.