EVALUATION OF SOME DWARF SORGHUM GERMPLASM FOR AGRONOMIC CHARACTERS, HEAT AND DROUGHT TOLERANCE

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out at the Agricultural Experimental Farm of the Faculty of Assiut University during 1993 and 1994 seasons. The main objective was to study the variability in some agronomic characters, heat and drought tolerance among hundred dwarf grain sorghum genotypes (ninety eight) which were introduced from U.S.A. and two short Egyptian commercial varieties. (Dorado and Pioneer). The experimental design was the simple lattice with repeating the basic design twice. The genotypes were sown on 22th and 23th June in 1993 and 1994 seasons, respectively. The experimental plot was single row, six meters long and 60 em apart, hills were spaced 20 em apart. Plants were thinned to two plants per hill. Separate analysis of variance of data was done for each season. Combined analysis of variance was also calculated over the two seasons as R.C.B.D. design. The phenotypic (err) and genotypic (erg) variances, coefficient of variability, heritability (h), expected genetic advance (GA%) and covanance were computed. Moreover, the phenotypic (rp) and genotypic (rg) correlation coefficients between different pairs of studied characters were estimated.