American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-05-09
CRAM SORGHUM CROPS
important Because Of Drought
Resisting Qualities.
Certain varlstlss, Such - kanr, Milo.
purra and kowiians Setter Yield
ers n Seasons ~ Limited
Rainfall.

Souomiat. United states department
~ A9riOulturs.l
Grain sorghums are important dry
farm crops because Of their well
known drought resistance. This en-.
Ables them 10 produces crops Of grain
where other crops fall. What we call
drought resistance u probably a high
ability to prevent the loss Of water
through the leaves and other tissues
at the plant. II may also be connect
ed with strong development Of the
root system- II 10 now known that
the plants which we call drought re-
sistant are not able TO extract any
more water from q dry soil than those
which are not able to resist drought
very extensively.
II has been proved that certain q
leties or strains of the different grain
sorghum crops. such as kafir. milo.
durra and kowliang. are better yield
ers than other varieties or strains. es-
pecially ia seasons Of limited or poor
iy-distributed rainfall. These superior
strains are no more drought resistant
Than are the inferior strains. but are,
for one eason or another. drought
evasive. This IL very important to the
farmer. II Ii doubtful whether drought
resistance can be readily or rapidly
Increased. II Is possible. however.
Tor every grower OF grain s0rghums to
take advantage Of the characters or
habits of these crops which make
them able TO evade or avoid drought.
Some Of the characteristics OF the
crop which enable 1t to escape
drought are earliness of maturity and
dwarfness OF growth. Conditions out
side the plant itself which may assist
in drought evasion are thin planting
and. perhaps. early planting also.
In the recent succession OF dry sea
sons In parts OF the plains region. 1t
has commonly been noted that dwarf
varieties. early varieties and varie-
ties which are both dwarf and early
have been able TO mature larger crops
OF grain than taller and later varieties.
There Is a reason. without doubt. A
dwarf variety requires less water than
a taller one. The larger the plant, the
more water IL requires and the more
II is likely 10 lose by Transportation. A
small plant which can produce az
much grain as IA large plant will thus
have a real advantage In d dry sea-
sou. This is not true drought resist
ance but merely a lower water re-
auircment which permits drought eva
sion.
The year 1909 was marked by n
severe drought In July. August and
September la the southern half of the
great plains. At the Amarillo expert
ment farm. In Texas. II plats of milo
gave an average yield of SIS bushels
aud ten plats OF dwarf milo an aver
age yield Of II bushels to the acre.
The best plat Of milo yielded at the
rate Of only 16.b bushels. though In u
low piece OF ground. while the best
dwarf milo yielded 23.2 bushels per
acre. This advantage seems to be
largely due to the smaller size OF the
plants OF the dwarf variety and the
consequent lower water requirement.
The effect of earliness In permitting
drought evasion IL very important.
Consider two plants. one earlier than
the other. but otherwise similar In all
respects. The earlier plant. having
uses less water. but uses 1t earlier In
the season This Is of especial i'm
portance In those parts of the semi
arid country where much of the sea
sonal rainfall cur IN April. May.
and June. The earlier plant might be
able TO mature It's crop OF seed on the
summer rainfall. On the other hand.
the later plant might be crippled at a
critical stage OF it's growth by the
exhaustion of the soil moisture during
dry weather In August
Milos are earlier than kahrs. but
are not known to be more truly
drought resistant. At Amarillo. Tex,
under conditions OF severe drought
from the middle OF July until October,
1903. the milos yielded on the average
IS bushels and the kairs only SIS
bushels to the acre. In each crop
the figures are the average OF between
20 and 80 plats and show that the diff.
was really i'm the earllness
{ and perhaps the dwarfness, alsol OF
the miios as compared with the k airs. |
the yields In normal years being about |
equal
The season OF 1910 was still d1ec. |
ten inches OF rain falling at ANA.
rillo from January to October. inclu-
sIve. Better yields were obtained
in 1903. however. because the
lverase stands were much thinner.
Under these conditions SO plats OF
milo and dwarf milo yielded an aver
ge of 17.S hpshss- per acre. while 20
OF ordinary blAckhull and red
airs yielded only ~ bushels. The
iference In average yield is l4.e
Even II we admit that half
this diferenoeNis due to the dwarf
r growth Of the milos compared with
,e standard kafirs. We still have a
ain Of IL bushels due I o eariiness
|one.
Nourlshment Of Nuts.