Screening For Sweet Stalk Sorghums, And Environmental Effect On Stalk Sugar Concentrations

Two sets of sorghum ( Sorghum bicolcr (L. ) Moench) germplasm rccqsslons were screened for sweet stalks during rainy ( n = 9.000 ) and postrain y (n = 102) seasons by chew in^ and testing, and for sugar percentage in the juice by usinq brix-refractometer. Sets of 96 and 25 lines were selected during the two respective seasons. Stalk juice from a few selected lines were further characterized for sugar concentration, recovery of sugar. 8tC. A few lines were found to be stable in sugsr percentage across environments. Water stress increased the stalk sugar percentage, while nitrogen fertilizer application had little effect Stalk rot incidence decreased stalk sugar concentrations. Suggestions are made for the use of sweet and )uicy stalk characteristic in crop in,provement progrsm to produce multipurpose sorghum.