Evaluation of Sweet Stemmed Sorghum Cultivars for the Production of Green Stalk, Juice and Grain Yield and Ratooning Ability

Abstract

Fifteen cultivars of sweet stemmed sorghum were evaluated for green stalk, juice and grain yield in addition to ratooning ability. The characters in the first crop, eleven characters in the ratoon crop and the total yield over two cuts were studied. The cultivar HES 4 showed significant and highest extractable juice yield of 13327 I per ha from our of 35.5 t/ha of millable greenstalk and 721 kg/ha of jaggery was obtained in addition to 2369 kg/ha of grain yield in the first crop. In ratoon crop. the cultivar SSV 714 showed significant per se performance for green stalk (32.9 t/ha), juice (4338 Uha), jaggery (262 kg/ha) and grain yield (987 kg/ha). Based on the total yield over two cuts, HES 4, SSV 714 and IS 6962 appeared promising in respect of green stalk, juice, jaggery and grain yield and also showed ratooning ability.