Abstract

Abstract A forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. × Sorghum sudanense (piper) Stapf) cv. Sudax ST-6 was investigated as a means of increasing summer forage production in the Manawatu, New Zealand. An experiment comparing pre-sowing treatments showed no advantage in spraying with paraquat or rotary-hoeing before ploughing. In a second experiment, Sudax was direct-drilled into either a perennial ryegrass-white clover (nil herbicide) or white clover (herbicide) sward at 15,30,45, or 90 em row widths to give seed rates of 25, 12.5, 8.3, and 4.2 kg/ha. Sudax yields were unsatisfactory, increasing from 0.1 to 0.6 t dry matter (DM)/ha as seed rate increased in the ryegrass-white clover sward; in the white clover sward yields increased from 0.5 to 2.7 t DM/ha as seed rate increased with an advantage for total herbage of 1.1 t DM/ha over a control sward. A third experiment compared yields from eight sowing dates at weekly intervals from 5 November 1975. Frost damage occurred on the first three sowings, but m...

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.