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The objective of the study was to determine if and how grain sorghum hybrids (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) of different maturity dates compete with one another when planted in adjacent rows under different moisture levels. Five sorghum varieties differing in their maturity were used: Taylor Evans Y-101-G coming to mid-bloom in 71 days, RS 610, Asgrow Corral, DK 64 and DK 69 coming to mid-bloom in 56.9 days, 61 days, 69.3 days and 75.6 days respectively. Six agronomic characters were measured to determine the effect and extent of competition. They included the number of days to mid-bloom, tiller ratio, grain yield, grain test weight and 300-seed weight. According to the results, adjacent row competition took place due to differences in maturity date for grain yield and 300-seed weight. An almost equilibrium appeared between loss or gain of border rows compared to the loss or gain of the middle row. Also the length of time between day to mid-bloom of the border rows hybrids and the center row genotype was important in the extent of competition effects.

The influence of variable amounts of irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer and their interaction on the development, growth, grain yield and nitrogen uptake of grain sorghum were studied under monocrop (May 21 planting) and simulated double crop (July 1 planting) in the 1985 growing season and under monocrop in the 1986 growing season. Six grain sorghum hybrids, three of which had a higher grain yielding ability and the other three with a lower grain in yielding ability, were used in this study conducted at the University of Arizona, Marana Agricultural Center. All six hybrids were grown under two planting dates (May 21, July 1), two levels of irrigation water (dry, wet), and two levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 112 kg N/ha) in the 1985 growing season. In the 1986 growing season, two hybrids were grown under three levels of irrigation water (dry, medium, and wet) and three levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 84, 168 kg N/ha). Planting on May 21 (monocrop) had more days to 50% bloom, leaf area, heads number, grain yield and total dry weight than the July 1 planting (double crop). However, planting on July 1 produced a longer head exsertion (peduncle length) compared to May 21 planting. Head length, plant height, 500 seed weight, and grain volume-weight were not affected by planting date. Water stress reduced head exsertion, head length, plant height, head number, 500 seed weight, grain yield and total dry matter. However, numbers of days to 50% bloom were increased by dry treatment. Leaf area and grain volume-weight were not significantly affected by water levels. Under the conditions of this study, nitrogen fertilizer rates did not produce an effect on most of the agronomic characteristics of grain sorghum hybrids studied in this experiment. However, increased nitrogen fertilizer rates increased the uptake and nitrogen concentration in all growth stages of hybrids in the 1986 growing season.

This study evaluated relative responses of two grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) hybrids to moisture stress treatments imposed during the seedling, early boot, flowering and grain-filling stages. The two hybrids, T.E. Y77 and FUNK HW6125, are high and low yielding respectively, having similar maturity periods. Twelve phenological characters were measured. The height to upper leaf collar, peduncle exsertion, panicle length, total plant height and total leaf area showed significant differences between the hybrids. Early boot stage stress was most sensitive to vegetative characters. T.E. Y77 produced more heads/m², grains, panicle, 500 grain weight (seed size), and grain yield/ha than FUNK HW 6125 across all treatments. Seed size was the most important determinant of grain yield in both hybrids. Moisture stress during the seedling and early boot stages enhanced grain yield, whereas during the grain-filling stage it was detrimental to grain yield in both hybrids.

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A study was conducted in the field to test whether stomatal sensitivity to water stress can be used as a selection criterion for drought tolerance in two pearl millet genotypes. In both cultivars, stomatal aperture was significantly reduced by the water stress. However, the proportion of reduction per 20 mm decrease in applied water was much higher for the hybrid than for the female parent. This is clearly an indication of a higher stomatal sensitivity in the hybrid, which probably explains the superior performance under water stress that was previously observed in this genotype.

The capability to measure the magnitude of water stress in plants is useful for precision irrigation scheduling and other purposes. This paper reports an evaluation of leaf (TL) and canopy (Tc) temperatures, leaf minus air (TL -Ta) and canopy minus air (Tc -Ta) temperatures, and leaf water stress index (LWSI) and crop water stress index (CWSI) in detecting stress in pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) over two growing seasons. Baselines which were used to compute LWSI and CWSI were obtained. The upper and lower baselines for the Tc data, respectively, were Tc -Ta = 4.10 C and Tc -Ta = 3.87- .2001VPD where VPD is vapor pressure deficit in mbars. For the TL data, the upper and lower baselines, respectively, were TL -Ta = 1.97oC and TL -Ta = 1.308- .03006VPD. Tests against photosynthesis, transpiration, and grain yield showed that LWSI and CWSI are better indices of stress than TL -Ta, Tc -Ta, TL, Tc, or Ta. Average seasonal LWSI and CWSI ranged from approximately 0.03 for non- stressed to 0.80 for stressed plants. The reliability of LWSI and CWSI to detect stress and their relation with grain yield suggested the possibility of using these indices for irrigation scheduling decisions.