Abstract
Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.)Moench] is an African species belonging to the same family of maize. Saccharine-type sorghum is used as raw material for bioenergy (ethanol), and has high water-use efficiency. This study aimed to characterize sweet sorghum cultivars regarding physiological characteristics at different levels of irrigation. Four cultivars tolerant to drought were evaluated: Rio, Ramada, BRS 501, and BRS 506. Treatments consisted of three water availabilities: 80%, 60%, and 40% of field capacity. The study evaluated the stomatal conductance (gs), the net photosynthetic rate (A), leaf transpiration (T), and intrinsic water-use efficiency (EIUA, A/gs). It also determined the optimal quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm) of photosystem II (PSII), the quantum yield of photochemical processes in the basal PSII (Fo/Fm), and in PSII photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fo). The availability of water caused no change (P > 0,05) in transpiration in the Ramada and BRS 501 cultivars, but affected (P 0,05) change in EIUA. This methodology, common in other crops, can be used for saccharine-type sorghum in order to establish water availability in new experiments aiming at discriminating drought-tolerant cultivars.
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