Effects of irrigation level, plant density and nitrogen doses on grain yield and yield parameters of sweet sorghum ( sorghum bicolor l. moench var. saccharatum )

Abstract

Experiments were carried out at Bursa Uluda & gbreve; University Faculty of Agriculture Application and Research Centre in 2022 and 2023 summer seasons to evaluate the effects of irrigation level, plant density and nitrogen dose on grain yield and yield parameters of sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench var. saccharatum]. AEach field trail included thirty-two treatments represent the combinations among four irrigation levels, two planting densities and four nitrogen fertilization doses. A split-split plot design with three replications was used in both seasons, where the four deficit irrigation levels (0%, 33%, 66% and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc)) were arranged in the main plots, while two planting densities (142857 and 285714 plants ha(-1)) were randomly allocated in the sub plots and the four nitrogen doses (0, 70, 140 and 210 kg ha(-1)) were randomly distributed in the sub-sub plots. The results showed that the three factors and their interactions on grain yield and yield components were significant. Grain yield increased with increasing irrigation level, plant density, nitrogen doses and their interactions in both years. In the study, maximum grain yield was obtained with all N doses at I(3 )in 2022, while it was obtained with N-3 in I-1, I-2 and I(3 )in 2023. Grain yield increased with increasing plant density in 2022, it did not interact with nitrogen doses, but they interacted in 2023 and the highest grain yield was determined at N-3 interacting with P-2. In the plant density and irrigation level interactions, the maximum grain yield was obtained from the interaction of D(2 )and I-3 in the rainy year 2022, while it was obtained from the interaction of D-2 and I-2 in the dry year 2023.