Effect of Height on Yield and Yield Components of Two Isogenic Lines of Sorghum vulgare Pers.1

Abstract

Reciprocal crosses between 3‐dwarf and 2‐dwarf lines of grain sorghum differing only at the Dw2 locus were grown in the summer of 1963. The effect of plant height on yield was studied to elucidate mechanisms or causes of superior yields of tall genotypes and to determine if higher yields might be achieved in combine height sorghums. It was concluded from light availability data that the taller 2‐dwarf parent and F1's were perhaps more efficient in utilization of available light due to spatial arrangement of leaves. The data suggested that the yield level of the taller 2‐dwarf line may not be recovered rapidly in the shorter 3‐dwarf line by manipulation of alleles at the Dw2 locus conditioning height.