AGRONOMIC AND TEST INFORMATION: HEREFORD

TEST: 2006 Irrigated Grain Sorghum Performance Test

LOCATION: Greg and Tony Urbanczyk Farm, Hereford, Texas

COOPERATORS: Greg Urbanczyk, Rick Auckerman, Dennis Pietsch, Ted Dusek, and Michael Felcman.

SOIL TYPE: Pullman clay loam

ROW WIDTH: 30"

PREVIOUS CROP: Cotton

LAND PREPARATION: Blade-plowed, swept, and bedded.

DATE PLANTED: 5-24-06 with cones mounted on an Almaco planter using JD Max-Emerge II units.

PLANT POPULATION: Seed were packaged to obtain a final plant population of 120,000 plants/A

PLOT LENGTH: 26’

FERTILIZER: 12 Tons/A of Manure

HERBICIDE: 1 pt/A of Dual + 1 lb/A of Atrazine

INSECTICIDE: None

RAINFALL: July=0.9”; Aug.=4.40”; Sept.=2.90”; Oct. = 2.20” TOTAL: = 10.40”

IRRIGATIONS: Preplant irrigation = 3.50”; July 19 = 5.57”; July 29 = 1.77” Total = 14.34”

DATE HARVESTED: 10-29-06, with JD 3300 combine equipped with Harvestmaster Grainguage

SIZE HARVESTED PLOT: 2 rows, 26' long

TEST DESIGN: Randomized complete block.

NUMBER ENTRIES: 20

NUMBER REPLICATIONS: 4

NUMBER ROWS/PLOT:2

TEST MEAN: 8,892 lb/A; yields corrected to 14% moisture

TEST C.V.: 10.00%

COMMENTS: This irrigated grain sorghum test site near Hereford is representative of conditions located in Deaf Smith County, Texas. Deaf Smith County is located in Texas Crop Reporting District 1N (Northern High Plains). For the 2006 crop year, it is estimated that District 1N will harvest 485,000 acres of Texas’ 1.7 million acres of grain sorghum, or 28.5%. In 2005, this District harvested 423,300 acres of which 45,200 acres were harvested in Deaf Smith County. Of the 45,200 acres, 12,600 acres were irrigated and had a mean yield of 5,024 lb/A.

Good agronomic practices and sufficient moisture provided by a combination of timely rainfall and a timely irrigation schedule resulted in outstanding yields. An excellent seedbed and an optimum planting date resulted in very good plant stands. Hot and dry conditions during the early part of the growing season warranted three irrigations to be applied to the best block in July, which ensured continuous plant growth and development. Timely rains in August and September provided ample moisture for grain fill and maturation.

The test mean yield was 8,892 lb/A compared to the past 3-year average of 7,133 lb/A. Four hybrids in the test produced over 10,000 lb/A.

Birds were considered a pest to the test block, however they were partially deterred by using “scare-eyes” and reflective tape. Most of the bird damage occurred in the earlier maturing hybrids. Since the test block was situated near a major highway, Rep I of the test had the highest incidence of bird damage. Bird damage estimates were taken at harvest from all four reps. Due to the high incidence of bird damage, statistical analysis was performed by deleting Rep I and analysis performed from the remaining three reps.

Head smut was also observed in the test block. Number of plants showing smut was counted at harvest, analyzed, and presented in the yield table. Lodged plants were not a problem in the test.

Appreciation is expressed to Rick Auckerman, CEA Deaf Smith County, for securing the flowering notes at the appropriate time.