Abstract
Soil temperature strongly influences both percentage germination and time of emergence of sorghum. Ten hybrids were hand planted in the field. Soil surface was irrigated frequently and emerging plants were counted daily. On three treatments, soil temperature was monitored every hour at five depths. Treatments were designed to achieve a range in surface soil temperature. Results of the study indicated an optimum germination temperature of about 23°C and a heat requirement of 67 degree days. The maturity classifications of the hybrids did not show a consistent trend in their heat requirement for emergence.
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References
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Contribution no.1422. (Evapotranspiration Laboratory) Agronomy Department, and Cont. no. 123, Physics Department, Agricultural Experiment Station, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.
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Kanemasu, E.T., Bark, D.L. & Chin Choy, E. Effect of soil temperature on sorghum emergence. Plant Soil 43, 411–417 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01928503
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01928503