Effect of Phosphate Fertilizer Levels on Grain Yield and Composition of Different Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Cultivars Grown in Gypsum Soil

• Huda Amer Mauluod Al-Ayoubi, Omar Nazhan Ali

  Author

This study was conducted during the spring season of 2025 at the Field Crops Research Station,

College of Agriculture, Tikrit University, to evaluate the effect of three levels of phosphate fertilizer (0, 100, and 200 kg ha ¹) on grain yield and its components in four Sorghum  cultivars grown in gypsum soil. A Randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D) with three replications was used. The studied traits included dry grain yield, number of grains per head, 500-grain weight, and harvest index. The results showed that phosphate fertilization significantly increased dry grain yield, with the 200 kg ha ¹ level recording the highest overall average of 186.13 g compared to 168.06 g in the nofertilization treatment. It also significantly increased the number of grains per head, reaching 1522.35 grains.head^-1 at the same level compared to 1216.34 grains.head^-1 in the control treatment respectively, the weight of 500 grains decreased with increasing phosphorus levels, with the no-fertilization treatment recording the highest average of 81.00 g compared to 71.49 g at the 200 kg ha ¹ level. The results also showed significant differences between cultivars. The Lilo cultivar excelled the others in grain yield, while Bohooth 70 cultivar excelled the others in grain count and harvest index. The interaction between Bohooth 70 cultivar and the 200 kg ha ¹ level resulted in the highest values for several studied traits. We conclude that improving Sorghum productivity in gypsum soils depends on selecting the appropriate cultivar and applying the correct level of phosphate fertilization

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