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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #374069
Research Project: Improved Biologically-Based Tactics to Manage Invasive Insect Pests and Weeds

Location: Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research

Title: Growth biometrics response of silage corn and forage sorghum to hybrid vigor under multiple irrigation treatments

Author
item MASSIMI, MOHUNNAD - National Center For Agricultural Research And Extension (NCARTT)
item HASEEB, MUHAMMAD - Florida A & M University
item Legaspi, Jesusa

Submitted to: International Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/11/2019
Publication Date: 4/13/2020
Citation: Massimi, M., Haseeb, M., Legaspi, J.C. 2020. Growth biometrics response of silage corn and forage sorghum to hybrid vigor under multiple irrigation treatments. International Journal of Agricultural Science. 5:14-24.

Interpretive Summary: Hybrids affect vegetative development in silage corn and forage sorghum that impacts drought resistance. The vegetative development for various hybrids under multiple irrigation treatments employed in Jordan were assessed as a component of research carried out during a 2017 Norman Borlaug Fellowship funded through the USDA-FAS. Scientists from the Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan and Florida A&M University in collaboration with scientists at the USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Tallahassee, Florida, evaluated U.S. commercially drought-tolerant hybrids of corn and sorghum to determine varieties that will have potential use in Jordan. The field study evaluated different irrigation treatments and consequent plant vegetative growth and development. One silage corn variety had lower water uptake and higher seedling dry weight aligned with a suitable seedling tissue water content and fodder yield of the first harvest. The superiority of this silage corn variety may be attributed to hybrid vigor and its efficient water usage habit. These findings suggest that this silage corn hybrid variety had a high impact on the vegetative development that could be selected and grown using irrigation treatment under extreme drought conditions identical to Jordan.

Technical Abstract: Hybrids affect vegetative development in silage corn and forage sorghum. Investigations were conducted on the hybrid selection and impact on vegetative development for multiple irrigation treatments in Jordan. The study was carried out under the Norman Borlaug Fellowship during the 2017 season which demonstrated a suitable selection for forage growers. The first step required the selection of drought-tolerant hybrids. Five commercial seed lots (three of corn and two of sorghum) were tested. The second step involved planting hybrids under field conditions at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University using a designed irrigation treatment and then evaluating the vegetative growth and development by measuring emergence rate index, seedling dry weight, tissue water content percentage, total leaf count, plant height, and fodder yield of the first harvest. Silage corn (6640VT3P) seed had lower water uptake and higher seedling dry weight aligned with a suitable seedling tissue water content and fodder yield of the first harvest. The superiority of silage corn (6640VT3P) may be attributed to hybrid vigor and its efficient water usage habit. These findings suggest that silage corn (6640VT3P) had a high impact on the vegetative development that could be selected and grown using irrigation treatment under extreme drought conditions identical to Jordan.