Evaluation of elite sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] germplasm lines for fodder yield traits

This study was performed at Instructional dairy farm, Govind Ballabh Pant University of agriculture and technology during Kharif season, 2017 to evaluate and characterize 96 sorghum accessions for various morphological and fodder yield parameters. The germplasm displayed considerable variability for Brix %, flag leaf length, days to 50% flowering, 1000 seed weight, panicle width, dry fodder yield and green fodder yield. Maximum plant height (395 cm) was observed for IS-23586. Mean Brix% was found to be 9.74; IS15008 has the highest Brix %. Genotypes were also evaluated for 1000 seed weight and mean weight was found to be 21.86g. The results of this study indicate that significant genetic diversity exists among the sorghum accessions. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean for the characters like days to 50% flowering, flag leaf length, flag leaf width and brix % provides best combination for the selection criteria. High value of both GCV and PCV were observed for the traits like brix%, flag leaf length, dry fodder yield, green fodder yield, 1000 seed weight, panicle width, protein content % and days to 50% flowering. The genotypes IS-15008, Pant Elite line 2016 and Pant Elite line 2021 may be recommended for commercial cultivation to meet the fodder needs of the country.