The Raymer enterprise., 1912-04-18
GRAINS SORGHUM CROPS
Important Because Of Drought
Resisting Qualities.
Certain Varieties, Such as kafir, Milo
Ourra and Kowlang Better Yield
ers in Seasons Of Limited
Rainfall.

OF AgricultureJ
Grain sorghums are important d:y
farm crops because OF their well
known drought resistance. This en-
ables them to produce crops OF grain
where other crops fail What We cal
drought resistance is probably high
ability to prevent the loss OF water
through the leaves and other tissues
OF the plant. 1t may also be coDheCt-
ed with strong development Of the
root system. 1t is now known that
the plants which we call drought re-
sistant are not able to extract any
more water from dry soil than those
which are not able 10 resist drought
very extensively.
1t has been proved that certain var.
ieties or strains OF the different grain
sorghum crops, such as kaiir. milo.
durra and kowliang, are better yield.
ers than other varieties or strains, es-
pecially in seasons OF limited or poor
ly-distributed rainfall These superior
strains are no more drought resistant
than are the inferior strains. but are.
for one reason or another drought.
evasive. This is very important to the
farmer. II Is doubtful whether drought
resistance can be readily or rapidly
increased. 1t is possible, however,
for every grower Of grain sorghums 10
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 10 escape
drought are earlness 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, II
has commonly been noted that dwarf
varieties. early varieties and yaric-
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
taller one. The larger the plant, the
more water II requires and the more
II is likely 10 lose by Transportation. A
small plant which can produce as
much grain as large plant will thus
have real advantage In dry sea
son. This is not true drought resist.
anCe but merely lower water re-
quIrement which permits drought eva.
sion.
The year 1909 was marked by a
severe drought in July, August and
September In the southern half Of the
great plains. At the Amarillo expert
mcnt farm, in Texas, II plats Of milo
gave an average yield OF 6.S bushels
and 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 lG.5 bushels. though in
low piece Of ground. while the best
dwarf milo yielded 2S2 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 earlncss in permitting
drought evasion is very important
| Consider two plants, one earlier than
the other. but otherwise similar in all
respects. The earlier plant. having
shorter growing period, not only
uses less water. but uses II 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 occurs 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
critical stage OF its growth by the
exhaustion OF the soil moisture during
dry weather In August
AIilos 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.
1909. the milos yielded on the average
S,3 bushels and the kaiirs only 5.5
bushels to the acre. In each crop
the figures are the average Of between
20 and 80 plats and show that the d!f.
ference was really In the earliness
(and perhaps the dwarfness, also) Of
the milos as compared with the kaflrs,
the yields in normal years being about
equal
The season OF 1910 was still drier.
only ten inches Of rain falling at ANA.
rillo from January TO October. inclu.
siye. Better yields were obtained
than in 1909. however. because the
average stands were much thinner.
Under these conditions 32 plats OF
milo and dwarf milo yielded an aver.
age OF l79 bushels per acre. while %
plats OF ordinary blackhull and red
kahrs yielded only 81 bushels. The
difference In average yield is l4.2
bushels. Even II we admit that half
OF this difference is due to the dwarf.
cr growth of the mIlos compared with
the standard kairs, We still have a
gain Of IL bushels due to earlIness
alone.