Agronomic Performance of Sorghum Hybrids Produced by using Different Male-sterility-inducing Cytoplasms

Experiments were conducted in three environments in Iowa to obtain information on the effects of different cytoplasms on agronomic characters in grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) hybrids. Compared with A1 cytoplasm, A2 and A3 cytoplasms delayed flowering; reduced the percentage of fertile pollen, the number of seeds per panicle, and grain yield; and increased 100-seed weight of the hybrids. Hybrids with A2 or A3 cytoplasm did not differ (p ≥0.05) from those in the A1 cytoplasm for plant height, panicles per plant, or for length, width, and area of the third and fourth leaves from the top of the plant. A2-cytoplasm hybrids did not differ (p ≥0.05) from those in A3 cytoplasm for any of the traits measure. The results are discussed relative to the performance of hybrids with pollen fertility restored and not restored