Технология выращивания зернового сорго в зоне сухих степей Оренбургской области

To develop the technology of grain sorghum cultivation its sowing rates for the production of seeds, fodder grain and grain haylage as well as the standards for presowing soil treatment have been determined. The sorghum crop as a predecessor for fodder crops (maize, sorghum, barley, peas) and its impact on soil fertility have been studied. The experiments were carried out in the «Experimentalnoye» LLC, Orenburg district, by the standard procedure practiced in agronomy in the studies of crops cultivation. The results of trials conducted showed that under the conditions of arid steppes of the Orenburg region, with the total amount of active daily temperatures being 1900-2100°C and the vegetation period of 82-102 days, it is possible to cultivate the early ripening grain sorghum varietal populations for grain and haylage forage. It is found that to obtain sudden shoots the sorghum seeds must be sown in wellheated soil with an average daily temperature not lower than 15°C. The density of sorghum sown for grain forage and haylage should be about 150-180, for seeds 90-120, for green mass 210-220 thousand plants per 1 ha. For green fodder it is recommended to use sorghum starting from its phenophase of stalk shooting and up to the phase of milky wax ripeness. It is revealed that after grain sorghum one can cultivate barley, peas and sorghum, but should not plant maize. There is the tendency of intensive weed plants development on the fields with all fodder crops sown after sorghum as predecessor. The amount of weeds is higher at 31% and their air dry mass is greater at 39%.