AGRONOMIC AND TEST INFORMATION: WESLACO
TEST: 2007Limited Irrigated Grain Sorghum Performance Test
LOCATION: Texas A&M University Research and Extension Center, Annex Farm, Weslaco, Texas
COOPERATORS: Beto Garza, John Drawe, Michael Felcman, and Dennis Pietsch
SOIL TYPE: Raymondville clay loam
ROW WIDTH: 40"
PREVIOUS CROP: Cotton
LAND PREPARATION: Disked, chiseled, disked, bedded
DATE PLANTED: 2-20-07 with cones mounted on an ALMACO planter using JD Max-Emerge II units
PLANT POPULATION: Seeds were packaged to obtain a final plant population of approximately 60,000 plants per acre
PLOT LENGTH: 2 rows 25'
FERTILIZER: 1-29-07: 50 Gallons/A of 4+10+10 + 2 qt/A of Quick Boost & Awaken
3-26-07: 100+0+0 as 32-0-0
HERBICIDE: 2-21-07: 2 pt/A of Atrazine 4E
INSECTICIDE: None
RAINFALL: January = 2.08”; February = .63"; March = .67"; April = .70”;
May = 3.97"; June = 1.70"; Total = 9.75"
IRRIGATIONS: Furrow irrigated on 3-21 and 5-5 of approximately 4” each
DATE HARVESTED: 6-28-07 with JD 3300 plot combine equipped with Grain Gauge.
SIZE HARVESTED PLOT: 2 rows, 25'
TEST DESIGN: Randomized complete block using PCSAS software
NUMBER ENTRIES: 30
NUMBER REPLICATIONS: 3
NUMBER ROWS/PLOT: 2
TEST MEAN: 5,841 lb/A; yield corrected to 14% moisture
TEST C.V.: 5.77%
COMMENTS: This test is designed to evaluate hybrids under a limited irrigated scenario. This test was designed to receive a single supplemental irrigation during the growing season, preferably at the flowering stage, unless conditions warranted an additional application at a critical stage of development. Seeds were planted to obtain a final plant population of approximately 60,000 plants per acre, or half the amount used under a full-irrigated regime.
Due to wet soil conditions, the test block was planted approximately one week later than the optimum planting date. A well-prepared seedbed was available for the February 20 planting date that insured rapid germination and seedling emergence.
The test block received only 2” of rainfall from planting until May 24, which warranted two irrigations to be applied. The timely applied irrigations resulted in continuous plant growth and development. The test received 2.68” of rainfall on May 25 and additional .77” on May 27. High winds accompanied the rain event on May 25 causing varying amounts of root lodging in most hybrids. Lodging notes were secured from all 3 replications just prior to harvest, averaged, and presented in the yield table. At harvest, the row-crop header used to harvest the test was modified whereby panicles from the lodged plants (>45 degrees) could be gathered and threshed. Very little grain was left is the field using the modification.
The test mean yield was 5,841 lb/A compared to the past 3-year average of 5,310 lb/A. This 3-year average is only 485 lb/A less than the 3-year average from the full-irrigated test usually conducted in the same field. Excellent bushel weights were attained with the mean being 59.24 lb/bu. This was a very uniform test as reflected by the test C.V.