Selection of parental pairs and study of new sorghum-sudan hybrids

Abstract

Sorghum-Sudan hybrids, due to their large productivity and adaptability are of great economic importance in improving the feed base. The hybrids significantly exceed the best Sudan grass varieties, both in productivity and quality of green mass. While breeding sorghum-Sudan hybrids, the main direction is the development of highly productive hybrids with different vegetation period, and with highly qualitative green mass. The purpose of the study was to develop and estimate the new sorghum-Sudan hybrids adapted to the soil and weather conditions of the Rostov region. The current study was carried out at the experimental plot of the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2016-2019. The objects of the study were 14 sorghum-Sudan hybrids and their parental forms, namely 5 CMS lines (“APV-1115”, “A-63”, “Zersta 90”, “Zersta 38”, “Knyazhna”) and 3 highly productive varieties (“Svetloplonchataya 2”, “OD-8”, “Fioletovoplonchataya”). When assessing green mass yields there have been identified the hybrids “Zerst 38 x OD-8” (61.1 t/ha), “APV-1115 x Fioletovoplonchataya” (62.8 t/ha), and “Zersta 38 x Fioletovoplonchataya” (62.9 t/ha), which have significantly exceeded the standard variety “Gustolistny” on 7.1-9.9 t/ha. In addition, the hybrid “APV-1115 x Fioletovoplonchataya” has been characterized with early maturity and highly qualitative green mass.