NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF SIX SORGHUM-SUDANGRASS HYBRIDS SUBMITTED TO DIFFERENT PLANTING TIMES AND THREE SUCCESSIVE CUTS

Abstract

Four experimental hybrids (ATF 54 x CMSXS 912, CMSXS 156 x CMSXS 912, CMSXS 157 x CMSXS 912 and CMSXS 210 x CMSXS 912) and two commercial hybrids of Sorghum bicolor cv bicolor X Sorghum bicolor cv sudanense (AG2501C and BRS800) were evaluated in order to determine their nutritional value: digestible dry matter (DDM t/ha), dry matter in vitro digestibility (DMIVD %), crude protein (CP%), neutral detergent fiber (NDF%), acid detergent fiber (ADF%), P (%) and Ca (%). The hybrids were submitted to three successive cuts, accomplished at two planting seasons. A randomized blocks experimental design was used and the means were compared by the SNK test (P<0.05). The ATF53 x CMSXS 912 and AG 2501-C hybrids presented average production values 1.28t DDM/ha higher at the two planting times. The means were higher in the second planting season than in the first, when productions of DDM (t/ha) indicated a tendency of highest productions at the second planting time. Differences were observed among the hybrids for crude protein (average value 16.33%), Ca (values ranging from 0.42% to 0.49%) and P (average value 0.26%). The commercial hybrid BRS800 was superior (p<0.05) concerning average contents of P (0.28%) and crude protein (17.32%), and similar to the experimental hybrid CMSXS 210 x CMSXS 912, for which the obtained value was 16.75%.

Keywords

• Forage
• Successive cuts
• Sorghum bicolor
• Nutritional quality