Influence of Bagging Sweet Sorghum Panicles on Stalk Yield and Juice Quality1

Abstract

Panicles of sweet sorghum plants (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) are bagged to insure self‐pollination and seed preservation. The top two leaf blades are removed just before applying the bag to facilitate bagging. Plants with bagged and unbagged panicles with the top two leaf blades attached or removed were compared. These comparisons were made with ‘Brandes’, ‘Dale’, and ‘Rio’ in 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977 to determine the influence of panicle bagging on stalk yield, juice Brix, sucrose, and purity. Bagging the panicle or removing the top two leaf blades of unbagged sweet sorghum plants significantly reduced the juice Brix, sucrose, and purity compared with normal plants. Removing the top two leaf blades and then bagging the panicle gave an even greater reduction in juice Brix, sucrose, and purity than either bagging the panicle or removing the top two leaf blades alone. Bagging the panicle with the top two leaves did not reduce gross stalk yield. However, removing the top two leaf blades of either bagged or unbagged plants gave a slight reduction in gross stalk yield. Stripped stalk yield was not affected by the treatments.