Effect of Drought Stress on Morpho Phenological and Yield Parameters in Sorghum Genotypes

Abstract

Drought stress is a major challenge for sorghum production, particularly during the reproductive stage. This study investigated the effects of drought stress on sorghum genotypes, focusing on their morpho-phenological characteristics and yield parameters. A field experiment was conducted over two rabi seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23) at the University of Agricultural Science, Dharwad, India. Twenty sorghum genotypes were evaluated under both irrigated and rainfed conditions using a split-plot design with two replications. Water stress reduced sorghum plant height, with a mean height of 190.41 cm under irrigated conditions and 176.50 cm under rainfed conditions at 90 days after sowing. Water stress advanced the physiological maturity by 10 days compared to irrigated condition. Yield parameters revealed significant differences, the mean grain yield was 70.23 g/plant for irrigated conditions and 54.54 g/plant for rainfed conditions. Water stress also had an impact on harvest index, with irrigated conditions having a mean harvest index of 30.91% and rainfed conditions having a mean harvest index of 28.13%. Genotypes by overall performance Phule Anuradha, BJV 44, and M-35-1 tolerated water stress, by minimizing yield reduction by drought.