International Journal of Agricultural and Applied Sciences (IJAAS)
5thInternational Conference on "Climate Change and Its Impact (CCI 2023)"
International Journal of Agricultural and Applied Sciences, December 2021, 2(2):126-137
ISSN: 2582-8053
https://doi.org/10.52804/ijaas2021.2219
Effect of Foliar Application time and rates of exogenous salicylic acid on growth and grain yield performances of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor L. Moench]
Mesfin Bekele1, Temesgen Teressa2 and Birhanu Amsalu2
1International Crop Research Institute for Sami Arid Tropics, ICRISAT, Ethiopia.
2Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, Adama, Ethiopia
Corresponding author e-mail: mesfinswem@gmail.com
(Received: 17/05/2021; Revised: 13/10/2021; Accepted: 25/11/2021)
ABSTRACT
The experiment included two sorghum varieties, four salicylic acid (SA) rates, and three application times in a factorial design. Following foliar application of 0.5 or 1mM salicylic acid (SA), stem borer severity and stem lodging percentage were significantly reduced compared to controls (distilled water). For Meko, applying 0.5mM SA after 30 days of planting resulted in a 15% increase in grain yield above the control. Similarly, the application of 1Mm SA, 15 days after planting, increased the grain yield of ESH-1 by more than 20% than control. When sprayed with 0.5mM SA 30 days after planting, the hybrid ESH-1 produced the maximum dry biomass per plant (210.4g), while plants treated with distilled water produced the lowest dry biomass per plant (154.2 g). Similarly, for Meko, the highest dry biomass per plant (207.5 g) was found in plants sprayed with 0.5mM SA 45 days after planting, while the lowest dry biomass (124.3 g) was found in plants sprayed with distilled water 15 days after planting. So, in the Melkassa area, foliar sprays of 0.5 mM and 1 mM salicylic acid (SA) can boost grain yield of Meko and ESH-1 sorghum genotypes.
Keywords: Harvest Index, Salicylic Acid, Sorghum.
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