Economical production of granulated sugar from immature sweet sorghum stalks would extend the milling period for several weeks each year. ‘Rio’ sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolorz (L.) Moench.] was planted April 1, May 1, and June 1 and was harvested in the flower, milk, dough, and ripe stages of maturity. Samples from each planting date and harvesting stage were stored openly on the ground for 0, 24, and 48 hours before milling. The juice was weighed and analyzed for Brix, sucrose, and purity to compare the effect of maturity and storage on juice quality. Yield of stalks from the April 1 and June 1 plantings were similar but significantly lower than from the May 1 planting date. Stage of maturity had no effect on yield of stalks. Extraction generally decreased with maturity, whereas Brix and starch increased. Sucrose increased with maturity through the dough stage and purity increased from flower to milk stage. Extraction and purity decreased during 24 hours in storage, and sucrose and starch decreased during 48 hours in storage. Sucrose inversion was highly significant in stored stalks harvested in the flower and milk stages, which resulted in a highly significant decrease in purity. Mature stalks showed little or no inversion during storage. Juice purity was similar for Rio stalks harvested in the milk, dough, and ripe stages of maturity and not stored. After 24 hours in storage purity of stalks harvested in the milk stage was significantly lower than that of those harvested in the dough and ripe stages.

Sweet sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, is a potentially renewable source of biomass, sucrose, and other fermentable sugars. Limited data are available on the influence of row width, plant arrangements within the row, and row width × plant arrangement within the row interaction on stalk and sugar yield. These field experiments were conducted from 1967‐1972 to determine the influence of row width and arrangement of plants within the row on gross and stripped stalk yield and juice quality of 'Rio' sweet sorghum. Four plant arrangements within each row, one, two, three, and four plants in hills spaced 15, 30, 45, and 60 cm, respectively, were planted on 52.5 and 105‐cm‐width rows. Narrow rows (52.5 cm) resulted in higher yields of gross and stripped stalks, and sugar per ha than conventional rows (105 cm). Plants from narrow rows were inferior to those from conventional rows in juice Brix, sucrose, purity, and yield of sugar per ton of stalks. Plants grown on narrow rows weighed less, contained less juice, and lodged more readily than those grown on conventional rows. Plant arrangement within the row did not significantly affect yield of gross stalk, stripped stalk, sugar per ton of stalks, and sugar per ha or juiciness, Brix, sucrose and purity. The width‐of‐row × plant arrangement interaction was highly significant only for stalk weight. Stalk weight was not affected by plant arrangement on narrow rows, but increased as the space between hills increased from 15 to 30, 45 or 60 cm on conventional rows. Since the narrow rows produced higher yields of stalks and sugar than conventional rows, planting sweet sorghum on narrow rows appears to be an effective method for increasing yield of total sugar per ha.

The carbohydrates in the grain normally produced by sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] would more valuable to a sugar producer as sugar in the juice of the plant. April 1, May 1, and June 1 plantings of ‘Rio’ were deheaded in the boot and flower stages of head development. Deheaded and normal plants were compared when the normal plants were in the milk, dough, and rip stages of grain development to determine the effect of deheading on stalk yield and juice quality.Deheaded plants were higher in Brix, sucrose, and starch, but they contained less juice than normal plants. The effects of deheading on juice extraction, Brix, sucrose, and starch were similar for the milk, dough, and ripe stages of grain development. Deheading in the boot stage resulted in a slightly greater increase in sucrose than deheading in the flower stage. Plants deheaded in the boot and flower stages were similar in yield of stalks, juice extraction, Brix, starch, and juice purity. Deheading did not affect stalk and sugar yield or juice purity. Deheaded plants lodged less and had more side branches than normal plants.

‘Rio’ sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.) was available for sugar processing at Meridian, Miss., from the latter part of August until freezing temperature occurred, usually in November. Stalks were harvested at weekly intervals after the seeds were ripe from plantings made on April 15, May 15, and June 15. Yield of stalks and sugar were similar for the April 15 and May 15 plantings, but the yields of stalks and sugar were significantly lower for the June 15 planting. Harvesting after the seeds were ripe had no affect on yield of stalks, extraction, or purity. Brix and sucrose decreased significantly when harvested 3 and 4 weeks after ripe, respectively. Stored stalks from each planting and harvesting period showed no significant sucrose inversion after 24 hr and no serious inversion after 48 hr in outdoor storage.