A flood-free period combined with early planting is required to sustain yield of pre-rice sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)

• Published in: Acta agriculturae Scandinavica. Section B, Soil and plant science Vol. 61; no. 4; pp. 345 - 355
• Main Authors: Promkhambut, A., Polthanee, A., Akkasaeng, C., Younger, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01-05-2011; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Adventitious root; aerenchyma; biofuels; cultivars; flooded soils; Flooding; Floods; Fuel technology; nodal root; planting; shoots; Soil; Sorghum; Sorghum bicolor; stalk yield; sucrose content; water levels; waterlogging
• ISSN: 0906-4710; 1651-1913
• DOI: 10.1080/09064710.2010.490538

Understanding the responses of sweet sorghum to flooding and the characters associated with flooding tolerance may be a useful strategy for pre-rice production and help meet demand for biofuel feedstock. Three sweet sorghum genotypes (Bailey, Keller and Wray) and five flooding treatments including non-flooding control, continuous flooding extended from 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after emergence to harvest were conducted under greenhouse conditions. Flooding decreased leaf dry weight (22-60%), leaf area (10-70%), number of node per stalk (1-5%), shoot dry weight (5-20%) and stalk yield (2-22%) with highest reduction in 30 days after emergence flooding treatment. Flooding later than 30 days after emergence did not significantly affect shoot growth, yield and yield components. Brix value, sucrose content and total sugar content were not significantly affected. All studied cultivars had similar shoot growth response. Flooding induced development of roots in water; root length, root dry weight, nodal root and lateral root number and interconnection of aerenchyma spaces from roots in flooded soil to stalk base above water level but suppressed root growth in flooded soil. The acclimation traits were highest in Keller, flooding from 30 days after emergence but there was a lack of root development in 75 days after emergence flooding treatments. These findings indicate the effect of waterlogging on sweet sorghum growth and yield strongly depends on the growth stage at which it occurs. There were genetic variations in root morphological and anatomical responses to flooding of sweet sorghum. The development of nodal and lateral roots and aerenchyma formation from flooded plant parts to stalk bases above water level may distribute to flooding tolerance in sweet sorghum. Based on the results, a flood-free period of at least 30 days after emergence is required to sustain yield of pre-rice sweet sorghum and early planting is highly recommended.