Vol. 7, Issue 2 (2018)

Author(s):
Harshlata, GS Tomar and Sonal Sai

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted during rainy season, 2015 at the Research –cum-Instructional Farm, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidylaya, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) to assess the potentiality of sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] varieties under different planting densities and levels of N fertilizers. The results revealed that the juice extraction, juice extractability, juice yield, brix value and ethanol production were significantly influenced by varieties, levels of nitrogen and planting densities. Sweet sorghum variety SSV-84 registered significantly higher ethanol yield (404.10 L ha^-1) with higher juice extraction (27.24%), extractability (269.80 ml kg^-1), juice yield (6691.56 L ha^-1 with greater brix value (16.62) compared to CSV 24SS. Plant density of 13.33 plants m-² gave maximum amount of juice (7283.96 L ha^-1) along with higher juice extraction (28.52%), extractability (282.65 ml kg^-1) as well as ethanol yield (401.89 L ha^-1) in comparison to lower planting density. Among different levels of N fertilizers, application of nitrogen at 120 kg N ha^-1 recorded the highest juice yield (7578.93 L ha^-1), juice extraction (27.09%), extractability (271.12 ml kg^-1), brix value (18.75 as well as ethanol yield (473.89 L ha^-1) being significantly higher than other levels of nitrogen.