Quality, field germination of seeds and phenolic profiles of modern sugar sorghum hybrids

Abstract

Purpose. To establish and analyze the biological features of seed quality indicators, field germination of seeds, and phytochemical composition of modern sugar sorghum hybrids 'Sugargraze ARG' (Argentina), 'Sioux', 'Mohawk' (USA) and 'Ananas' (Ukraine). Methods. Physiological-biochemical, agrochemical and statistical methods were used in the study. The content of phytochemicals in the seeds of the studied sugar sorghum hybrids was determined by the extraction method. Results. In the studied sorghum hybrids, a high concentration of the main phenolic profiles of the seeds was established. The quantitative component depended on the color of the pericarp of the grain, which affected the quality indicators of germination and field germination of the seeds. In hybrid 'Sioux', which has a dark brown color of the pericarp and the highest content of polyphenolic profiles (50.4%), germination energy, laboratory and field seed germination were low and amounted to 84, 90 and 80%, respectively. The high level of these indicators was formed by the hybrid 'Ananas' with the lowest content of phenolic profiles (38.1%) and with non-pigmented pericarp, which had germination energy, laboratory and field similarity of 96, 98 and 89%, respectively. Hybrids 'Sugargraze ARG' (light brown grain color) and 'Mohawk' (pink grain color) had indicators of germination energy of 90 and 95%, laboratory germination 93 and 96%, field germination 82 and 81%, respectively, and were characterized by an average content of phenolics profiles of 45.7 and 42.5%, respectively. Conclusions. The hybrid of American origin 'Sioux' that has a high content of phenolic compounds in the seeds, ensured the preservation of plants in the phase of full germination at the level of 87%, while Ukrainian hybrid 'Ananas' with the lowest content of phytochemical compounds also had the lowest preservation rate (80%) among the studied hybrids. In 'Sugargraze ARG' and 'Mohawk' that have medium phenol content, the rate of plants preserved in the full germination stage was 84–85%.