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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #338658
Research Project: Improving Nutrient Use Efficiency and Mitigating Nutrient and Pathogen Losses from Dairy Production Systems

Location: Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research

Title: Evaluation of yield and quality of photoperiod sensitive sorghum and sorghum sudangrass

Author
item REMICK, E. - University Of Wisconsin
item AKINS, M. - University Of Wisconsin
item SU, H. - University Of Wisconsin
item Coblentz, Wayne

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2017
Publication Date: 6/25/2017
Citation: Remick, E., Akins, M., Su, H., Coblentz, W.K. 2017. Evaluation of yield and quality of photoperiod sensitive sorghum and sorghum sudangrass. Journal of Dairy Science. 100 (suppl. 2):64.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A 2-year study was conducted at 2 sites (Hancock, Marshfield) in central Wisconsin to assess yield and quality of photoperiod sensitive (PS) and non-PS sorghums in relation to corn planted on 2 dates and harvested once or twice. At each site, treatments were arranged as a split-split plot in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Main plots of planting date (early or mid-June) were randomized within block. Subplots of harvest strategy (harvested once or twice) were randomized within planting date. Within harvest strategy, 8 forages were assigned (corn, PS sorghum, PS sorghum-sudangrass, sorghum, BMR sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass, BMR sorghum-sudangrass, or PS-BMR sudangrass). Multiple harvests occurred in mid-summer and fall, while single harvests were based upon maturity, or after a frost. Data were analyzed with the Mixed procedure of SAS 9.4 with all factors and interactions. Single-harvest plots had greater yields than multi-harvest plots (18,961 vs 9,970 kg DM/ha; P<0.01), however a site by harvest strategy interaction (P<0.01) suggested 2 harvests were more similar to 1 harvest at Marshfield than at Hancock. Yields were greater at Hancock compared to Marshfield (16,562 vs 12,370 kg DM/ha; P<0.01) and yields in 2016 greater than 2015 (18,262 vs 10,669 kg DM/ha; P<0.01). The early June planting date had greater yields than mid-June (15,320 vs 13,612 kg DM/ha; P=0.02 ). There was a harvest strategy x variety (Table 1; P<0.01) interaction; single harvest PS varieties and non-PS sorghum-sudangrass yielded more than BMR varieties, corn and forage sorghum were intermediate. Sorghum-sudangrass and sudangrass had more similar yields using either 1 or 2 harvests than the other varieties. Overall, sorghum can provide high yields of moderate quality forage.