Response of some grain sorghum genotypes to weed control and water use efficiency under drought conditions

Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted in Shandaweel Agricultural Research Station, Sohag Governorate, Egypt, in summer 2007 and 2008 seasons. The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of two levels of irrigation and six weed control treatments on weeds, yield and yield components of grain sorghum. The irrigation level was full irrigation (100 % ET) and Deficit irrigation (50% ET). The weed control treatments were fluroxypyr (Starane 20% EC) at the rate of 40 g a.i./fed., bentazon (Basagran 48% AS) at the rate of 360 g a.i./fed., fluroxypyr at the same rate + hand hoeing once, bentazon at the same rate + hand hoeing once, hand hoeing twice and unweeded check. The two hybrids Shandaweel 1, Shandaweel 6 and the cultivar Dorado were used. The experimental design used was a split-split plot with three replications. The results showed that using irrigation 50 % ET reduced dry weight of broad leaved, grassy and total annual weeds by 33.7, 36.1and 34.7%, respectively, in the first season and 42.0, 34.5 and 41.5 %, respectively, in the second season as compared to 100 % ET. Regarding grain yield, 100 % ET gave the highest values compared to 50 % ET. Sowing Shandaweel 6 and Shandaweel 1 hybrids gave the lowest values of annual weeds and highest values of grain yield in both seasons compared to Dorado. Shandaweel 6 genotype was more efficient in using water to produce the highest grain yield in both seasons. All weed control treatments gave significant reduction of dry weight of annual broad-leaved, grassy and total weeds in both seasons.
For grain yield, hand hoeing twice and Starane + hand hoeing once gave the highest yield of 21.7 and 20.6 (ard./fed.), respectively, in first season and 21.0 and 19.5 (ard./fed.), respectively, in second season compared to untreated (16.7 and 15.6 ard./fed.) in first and second seasons, respectively. Using hand hoeing twice, Starane + hand hoeing once and Basagran + hand hoeing once gave the highest values of water use efficiency (kg/m3) i.e.1.59, 1.51 and 1.42 kg/m3, respectively, in first season and 1.54, 1.43 and 1.39 kg/m3, respectively, in second season compared to untreated ( 1.22 and 1.14 kg/m3). From the previous results we can recommend that planting Shandaweel 6 or Shandaweel 1 sorghum hybrids in Upper Egypt because its have potential for weed competition and their increase water use efficiency with controlling weeds mechanically (hand hoeing) or by using herbicides and can be used in weed management in sorghum.
Publication year 2009
Pages 511- 530
Organization Name
serial title Egypt. J. of appl. Sci.
Author(s) from ARC
External authors (outside ARC)
    عبد الله عبد الوهاب أمير قسم بحوث الذرة الرفيعة 2 - معهد بحوث المحاصيل الحقلية - مركز البحوث الزراعية-الجيزة.
AGROVOC
TERMS		 Drought. Drought stress. Genotypes. Sorghum. Sorghum bicolor. Sorghum grain. Yield components. Yield increases. Yields.
Proposed Agrovoc drought conditions;grain yield;
Publication Type Journal
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