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Table 2. Effects of plant density and row spacing on grain yields of irrigated sorghum.
2 rows / bed
38 in. rows 2,725 3,547 3,976 4,10 0
3
Thus a 5,000-pound grain yield Table 3. Approximate nutrient content of a 5,6 0 0 lb / A
would need about 100 pounds sorghum crop.
of elemental nitrogen per acre.
Nitrogen is by far the most Plant Nutrient Pounds in Grain Pounds in Stover
important nutrient for sorghum
to maximize production. Nitro-
Nitrogen (N) 84 95
gen is normally used by plants
for chlorophyll and protein Phosphorus (P2 0 5 ) 42 20
production, which in turn is
used in formation of new plant Potassium (K 2 0) 22 107
cells. The seed also stores N to
Sulfur (S) 8 13
enable early growth after
germination. Fifty-eight per- Magnesium (Mg) 7 10
cent of the N absorbed by
sorghum plants may be found Calcium (Ca) 1.4 19
in the grain at harvest (Table 6).
Copper (Cu) 0.01 0.02
For maximum yields relative to
the available water, N should Manganese (Mn) 0.06 0.11
not be lacking or grain develop-
ment will be reduced. Zinc (Zn) 0.07 0.14
Side-dress N applications Source: Kansas State University - Grain Sorghum Production Handbook
should be made by 20 days
after emergence. Later applica-
tions may excessively prune Nitrogen stress during this the early part of the growing
feeder roots but more impor- period will greatly influence season. Because N is relatively
tantly, developmental potential yield. Under center pivot mobile in the soil, fertilizer
of the grain head is determined irrigation, N fertilizer may be placement is not as critical for
30 to 40 days after emergence. applied several times during N as it is for most other nutri-
Maturity 86 - 95 28 15 11 14 13 5
Totals Harvest 185 80 285
6
Table 7. Suggested sources, rates and timing of iron and zinc foliar sprays.
Product / 10 0 gals
Deficiency Product* water Product / Acre Timing
Iron Iron sulfate 20 lbs 1 lb 10-14 days af ter emergence - 5 gals / A over
(20% Fe) (2.5% solution) 2 - 3 lbs crop row. Follow with 2 apps. @ 10-14 day
interval @ 10-15 gals / A
Iron chelate 8 lbs
(10% Fe) (1%) 0.4 - 0.5 lbs same as above
Zinc Zinc sulfate 2 lbs 0.2 - 0.4 lbs 10-20 gals / A in first 30 days
(30% Zn) (1 / 2 %)
Zinc chelate 2 qts 10-20 gals / A in first 30 days
(9% Zn) (0.1%)
Iron & zinc Iron sulfate + 15 lbs + 3 / 4 Iron + 10-14 days af ter emergence - 5 gals / A over
Zinc sulfate + 1 lb + 0.1-0.2 Zinc crop row. Follow with 2 apps. @ 10-14 day
urea fertilizer 2 lbs 1.5 lb Iron + interval @ 10-15 gals / A
0.2-0.4 Zinc
Iron sulfate + 15 lbs 3 / 4 Iron + 10-14 days af ter emergence - 5 gals / A over
Zinc chelate 3 pts 2.4 fl oz. crop row. Follow with 2 apps. @ 10-14 day
1.5 lb Iron + interval @ 10-15 gals / A
5 f l oz.
Iron chelate + 6 lbs follow mfg. 10-14 days af ter emergence - 5 gals / A
Zinc chelate 3 pts directions over crop row. Follow with 2 apps. @ 10-14
day interval @ 10-15 gals / A
*Include a surfactant or other wet ting agent. Product conposition may vary. Select similar products or adjust
mixing ratios to achieve comparable rates of nutrient application.
Source: Updated information based on research results and recommendations through the Texas Agricultural Exten-
sion Service Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory.
Table 8. Total water absorbed from various depths in a soil moisture prior to the “boot”
profile. stage will assure the highest
potential seed set. The actual
Soil Depth Inches of Water Percent of seed number and seed size will
(feet) Absorbed Total be dependent upon the avail-
ability of soil moisture follow-
0-1 8.9 35 ing flowering. Moisture de-
mand drops rapidly after the
1-2 6.6 26 grain has reached the “soft-
2-3 4.0 16 dough” stage. The soft-dough
stage has occurred when imma-
3-4 2.8 11 ture seeds squeezed between
the thumb-nail and the index
5-6 1.3 5 finger do not exude a “milk” or
white juice. The combined
Source: USDA / ARS Report No. 29 drop in moisture demand,
natural drought tolerance in
or the “boot” stage, and contin- plants require good soil mois- sorghum, and the extensive
ues through two weeks past ture during this period for max- root system generally make
flowering (Figure 2). Sorghum imum yields. Adequate soil late irrigations unprofitable.
7
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
* Physiological maturity - the point af ter which there is no increase in seed weight.
Table 10. Two-year sorghum grain yield responses to irrigation at various stages of plant
development. Preplant irrigations totalled 4 inches and all post plant irriga-
tions were 4 inches each (’69 late rains, ’72 early rains).
9
◆ Preplant irrigations alone
do not produce optimum
yield.
◆ One irrigation at any time
prior to dough stage was
equal in yield to two
irrigations at heading and
dough. If an irrigation is
missed during head initia-
tion (45 DAE), later irriga-
tions will not increase
yields substantially.
◆ If two in-season irrigations
are possible, 45 DAE and
heading will produce the
greatest yields.
◆ If three inseason irrigations
are possible, 30 DAE, 45
Figure 3. Estimated daily water use for grain sorghum. DAE and heading produce
Source: Texas Agricultural Experiment Station - Et ter, Texas greater yields than 45 DAE,
heading and dough stage.
effective rain fell during the also the timing (Table 11), ◆ Irrigations at the dough
growing season. Results indi- relative to the developmental stage failed to substantially
cate only the effects of irriga- stage of the crop. Based on the increase yields.
tion rate and timing. (unpub- results of the experiments at
◆ Four irrigations in addition
lished data, C. Fernandez). Etter and Uvalde, several
to the preplant watering
important conclusions can be
Not only is the amount of produced the highest
drawn.
water applied important, but yields.
DAE = days af ter emergence; 30 DAE = head initiation; 45 DAE = rapid growth; Heading = boot-flowering; Dough =
sof t dough stage
10
If the response of sorghum tices such as furrow diking increase sorghum yields (Table
plants to 1 inch of irrigation reduce the chances of erosion 12). The greatest impact from
water is an additional 385 to and nutrient loss, they also furrow diking was observed in
400 pounds/acre of grain, increase grain yields. Three dry years (1980, 1981).
every effort should be made to years of research on the Texas Six years of studies in Uvalde
reduce water runoff. Not only Rolling Plains demonstrate the on dryland grain sorghum
do water conservation prac- potential for furrow diking to production produced up to 72
Table 12. The effects of furrow diking and subsoiling on sorghum grain yields.
Subsoiled and diked 5,136 119 791 145 2,248 217 2,725 138
Percent of Bedded
Treatment Average Yield* & no dikes* *
Bedded and no dikes 1,747 a
Flat (no beds formed) 1,821 a 104
Bedded and diked during the growing season 1,826 a 105
* Average yields followed by the same let ter do not differ statistically.
* * Normal land preparation for dryland sorghum in the Wintergarden area.
Source: Texas Agricultural Research Center, Uvalde
11
References Southwest Texas. Texas Agricultural
Experiment Station. PR-4294.
Fernandez, Carlos. Texas A&M University, Phosphorus Fertilization for Grain Sorghum
Uvalde, Texas. Unpublished data. Production in the Texas Blacklands. Texas
Agricultural Experiment Station. L-1550.
Fertilizer Rates for Irrigated Grain Sorghum on
the High Plains. Agricultural Experiment Profitable Grain Sorghum Production in the
Station Bulletin 523. New Mexico State Rolling Plains. Texas Agricultural Exten-
University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. sion Service. B-1577.
Grain Sorghum Production Handbook. Coop- Sorghum for Grain: Production Strategies in
erative Extension Service, Kansas State the Rolling Plains. Texas Agricultural
University, Manhattan, Kansas. Experiment Station. B-1428.
Grain Sorghum Production with Different Sorghum Takes Up Much Plant Food. Phos-
Nutrients, Populations, and Irrigation phate and Potash Institute of North
Frequencies. New Mexico Experiment America.
Station. Bulletin 613. Tewolde, H. et al. Furrow Diking Effects on
Grimes, D.W. and T.J. Musick. Effect of Plant Yield of Dryland Grain Sorghum and
Spacing, Fertility and Irrigation Manage- Winter Wheat. 1993. Agronomy Journal.
ment on Grain Sorghum Production. Vanderlip, R.L. How a Sorghum Plant Devel-
Agronomy Journal. ops. Cooperative Extension Service,
Krieg, D.R. Texas Tech University. Personal Kansas State University, Manhattan,
communication. Kansas.
Musick, T.J. et al. Irrigation Water Manage- Water Response in the Production of Irrigated
ment and Nitrogen Fertilization of Grain Grain Sorghum, High Plains of Texas.
Sorghum. Agronomy Journal. Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
Report. MP-1202, 1975.
Mulkey, J.R. et al. Dryland Sorghum Response
to Plant Population and Row Spacing in
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disability, religion, age or national origin.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914,
as amended, and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture, Zerle L. Carpenter,
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