Wild Cane and Forage Sorghum Competition in Grain Sorghum

Abstract

Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench ‘RS 671’) was grown during 1969 and 1970 in competition with two other members of the same species, wild cane and Kansas Orange forage sorghum, transplanted at various densities along grain sorghum rows. All densities of wild cane and Kansas Orange significantly reduced both grain and fodder yields of grain sorghum. Grain yield was highly and positively correlated with leaf area, culm length, culms per plant, panicles per culm, seeds per panicle, and amount of light received at the grain sorghum canopy; and grain yield was negatively correlated with plant factors that benefited wild cane and Kansas Orange. Grain yield did not correlate with either plants per hectare or seed weight. Panicle size was most important in determining grain yield. Kansas Orange reduced grain yields more than did wild cane in 1969. During 1970, with less favorable rainfall, grain sorghum responded similarly to both transplanted weed types.