The Effect of cutting and distance between hills in some growth characters and forage yield for sorghum.

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at one farmer’s field in AL-kaldeia city-Anbar province in the growing season of the year 2013, at the aim of studying the effect of cutting (cutting at vegetative growth stage, at 50% flowering stage and at seeds dough stage) and distance between hills (3, 6, 9 and 12 cm) in some traits growth and green forage yield for sorghum (Abu Saba’aeen cv.). Randomized Complete Block Design (R.C.B.D.) with split plot arrangement and three replicates have been used. As distance between hills occupied the main plot, cutting stages occupied the sub plot, meanwhile three cuts were taken during the growing season and results of the study could be summarized as follows: 1. The cutting treatment at seeds dough stage was superior significantly in most of studied traits (plant height, stem diameter, green forage yield (31.87, 36.39 and 28.29 t.ha-1) for the three cuts and dry forage yield for the three cuts. While, the cutting stage of vegetative growth was superior in the traits of green leaves no., leaves/stems ratio, while 50% flowering cutting stage was superior in leaf area. 2. The distance of 3cm showed significant superiority in many traits at the first cut, such as plant height, green forage yield (33.16 , 34.06 and 30.16 t.ha-1) for the three cuts; whereas the hills distance of 12cm was superior in plant height for both the second and third cut; and leaf area, green leaves no. in all cuts. 3. The most of studied traits were affected significantly by the interaction between cutting stages and distances between hills, from these plant height, leaf area, treatment superior (C3D1) gave higher of green forage yield (38.60 and 31.73 t .ha-1) for both the first and third cut and dry forage yield