Planting Date Effect On Growth Characters And Yield Of Sorghum Under A Dry Farming-System In An Arabian Gulf Environment

Abstract

Irrigated crop production in Qatar is a risky enterprise due to extreme weather conditions. Temperature is sufficiently warm to allow planting of grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] from Aug through to Oct. Crops so planted early> face the risk of very high temperatures and storms blowing during establishment whereas those planted late face the risk of very low temperatures and overcast during blooming and high temperatures during grain - fill. Consequently fanners have only the opportunity to plant sorghum over a limited and short 3-month potential planting period. The present investigation was carried out during the 1984/85 and 1985/86 growing seasons under irrigation from ground water to determine the optimum planting date for maximizing sorghum production under Qatari conditions. The experiments were conducted at the Field Crops' Experimental Station, Rodat Harma, 25.0°N, Qatar.