Agronomic behavior and forage composition of sorghum cultivars in the state of Ceará.

Abstract

The research was conducted at the Vale do Curu Experimental Farm, in Pentecoste, Ceará, Brazil, with the objective to evaluate the agronomic behavior and the composition of parts of the plant of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, Moench) cultivars: BR 700, VOLUMAX, SHS 500, MASSA 03, BRS 701, 0698005, AG 2005, BRS 506, 0698007, BR 601 e IPA 467-4-2. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. The evaluated features were: days to start flowering, plant height, green and dry matter yield, dry matter percentage, cell wall constituents (neutral detergent fiber - NDF, acid detergent fiber - ADF, hemicelulose) and crude protein (CP) of the whole plant, panicle, leaf and stalk. The highest yield of green and dry matter was obtained with the cultivar IPA 467-4-2. The proportion of stalks, leaves and panicles was meaningly different among cultivars. The cultivars BR 700, BRS 701, AG 2005 and VOLUMAX showed the greatest panicle proportions. The NDF for the whole plant was the highest with the cultivars BRS 506 and IPA 467-4-2. The smallest content of ADF and the highest of hemicelulose were found in the cultivar BR 601. The smallest content of NDF and ADF, and the highest content of hemicelulose and crude protein were found in the panicle.