CHARACTERIZATION OF FORAGE, SWEET AND BIOMASS SORGHUM FOR AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND ENSILABILITY

Abstract

This study evaluated sorghum cultivars’ agronomic performance and ensilability with different purpose. The experiment was conducted in Sinop/MT in the 2020 growing season. Eight experimental hybrids from Embrapa (forages 15F30005 and 15F30006, sweet CMSXS 5027, 5030, 5043, and 5045, and biomass 2019B008 and CMSXS 7501), and seven commercial hybrids (forages BRS 658, BRS 659, Volumax, BRS Ponta Negra, the sweet BRS 511, and biomass BRS 716 and AGRI-002E) were planted in a randomized block design, with 15 treatments and three replicates. The highest yields in green matter belonged to the group formed by BRS 716 and CMSXS 5043, with an average of 101.9 Mg ha-1. The group with the highest dry matter productivity was formed by the cultivars AGRI-002E and BRS 716, with a 28.77 Mg ha-1 average. BRS 716, AGRI-002E, BRS 658, and 659 showed higher dry matter contents (DM), with 297.7 g kg-1 of DM. For buffering capacity, BRS 511 had the lowest value, with 16.2 g kg-1 DM. BRS 511 and CMSXS 5030 presented the highest average, 391.7 g kg-1 DM for water soluble carbohydrates. All genotypes showed potential to be ensiled and produce silages with a good fermentation pattern.