Seed yield and quality as influenced by date of sowing and staggered sowing of parental lines of multi-cut forage sorghum hybrid under north Indian conditions

The field experiment was conducted during Rainy (Kharif) season of 2014-15 at research farm of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Seed Science, Mau, to investigate the effect of date of sowing and staggered sowing of male and female parental lines of multi-cut forage sorghum hybrid CSH 24 MF (MS 467A X PC-6 R) under north Indian conditions.The results revealed that first date of sowing (20 June) and third date of sowing (10 July) and staggered sowing of the male parent eight days earlier than the female parent (S^ and sowing of male and female parent on the same date (S₃) recorded the lowest values fordays to flowering initiation, days to 50 per cent flowering in male, days to completion of flowering and days to maturity. The second date of sowing (30 June) and staggered sowing of male parent four days before sowing of female parent (S₂) was recorded significantly higher growth parameters (days to flowering initiation, days to 50 per cent flowering, days to completion of flowering and days to maturity), yield and yield attributingparameters (83.4 and 82.8 number of seeds/ ear female parent, test weight (18.2 and 19.3g), seed yield/ plant(1.82 and 1.87 g) and seed yield (1.18and 1.33 q/ha). Among the third date of sowing (10^th July) and staggered sowing of the male parent by four days before sowing of female parent (S₂) observed maximum seed quality parameters (seed germination %, seedling length (cm), seedling dry weight (g) and seedling vigour index-l and II).