Agronomic and Yield Characteristics of Grain Sorghum as Influenced by Environment Factors and Genotype

Genotypes tested in different locations, years or planting dates often change in yield due to the response of genotypes to environmental factors such as temperature, soil fertility etc. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of environment factors on agronomic and yield characteristics of grain sorghum and to identify the most adapted B-line(s) to different environments in Egypt. Six environments with 25 sorghum B-lines were conducted at two locations (Giza and Shandaweel) in 2012 and 2013 years and two planting dates in Giza location. A randomised complete block design was used in each environment with three replications. Mean squares due to genotype × environment were significant for all studied traits. Increasing temperature from second planting date to first planting date in Giza across seasons caused the significant decrease in grain yield per plant (GYPP) by about 15.3%. This reduction in yield was associated with significant decreases in the number of grains/plant (GPP) (9.29%), plant height (PH) (7.31%) and days to 50% flowering (DTF) (6.92%). Moreover, higher temperature in 2012 than 2013 season in Shandaweel caused significant (p<0.01) reduction in GYPP by 18.04%, GPP (34.76%) and DTF (8.33%). Though the temperature was higher in Shandaweel than Giza, the increase in GYPP in Shandaweel than Giza could probably due to the better physical and chemical properties of the soil. Across all environments, the B-line BTX-TSC-20 followed by ICSB-88003 showed the highest GYPP. BTX-TSC-20 followed by ICSB-1808 under E1 and E3 environments (Giza, first planting date in 2012 and 2013), ICSB-14 and ICSB-88003 under E2 and E4 (Giza, second planting date in 2012 and 2013), ICSB-11 followed by BTX 2-1 under E5 (Shandaweel, 2012 season) and ICSB-88003 followed by ICSB-70 under E6 (Shandaweel, 2013 season) were the most adapted B-lines.