EFFECT OF DIFFERENT POPULATION DENSITIES AND NITROGEN LEVELS ON THE YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF SORGHUM

Abstract

Increasing the population density decreased the panicle length, number of grains per panicle, and weight of grains per panicle although it increased the leaf area index. Population density of 200,000 plants/ha gave the highest grain yield of 2.07 t/ha, followed by 300,000 plants/ha at 2.01 t/ha, and 100,000 plants/ha at 1.72 t/ha. Application of N fertilizer affected to a certain extent the morphological characteristic and yield of the plant. It increased plant height, leaf area index, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, weight of grains per panicle, and stover and grain yields. Although grain yield increased with increasing rates of N from 30 to 200 kg/ha, its magnitude was not big enough to show significant differences. Plots treated with the highest level of N (200 kg/ha) gave the highest grain yield of 2.32 t/ha while the control (0 kg/ha) gave the lowest yield of 1.32 t/ha.