GRAIN PHYSICAL QUALITIES OF TWO SORGHUM (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) VARIETIES AS AFFECTED BY COWDUNG AND INORGANIC NITROGEN IN NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA ECOLOGICAL ZONE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Two sorghum varieties (SAMSORG-17, and SAMSORG-44) were grown at four rates of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg Nha^-1) and cow dung (0, 5, 10 and 15 tons ha^-1). Treatments were laid out in a split plot design and replicated three times with nitrogen and cow dung rates assigned in the main plot while the varieties were assigned in the subplots.  Grain physical quality characters such as hundred grains weight, density, volume, and grain size of the two sorghum varieties were significantly affected by application of cow dung and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer. Hundred grain weight and density were significantly enhanced at Samaru only. Increase of every 5 t ha^-1 of cow dung, significantly increased the parameters but the increase did not maintain a regular pattern as it was in the case of inorganic N fertilizer rate. SAMSORG-17 consistently performed better than SAMSORG-44 variety in all the grain physical quality characters studied in both years and locations. The sorghum varieties studied had grain size in the range of 1.99 - 3.69mm respectively. The grain physical quality parameters obtained exhibited differences among the varieties and some of the values found were within the acceptable limit of breweries even though none of the varieties fulfill all the quality requirements.