` RESULTS OF THE KENTUCKY SORGO
1 PERFORMANCE TESTS — 1958 I
J. F. Shane _
During the 1958 season nine sorgo varieties were grown at Hawesville and
Quicksand, Kentucky. The tests were of a randomized block design of five repli- .
cations. Three-row plots approximately 1/2OO acre in size were used. The test
at Hawesville was not harvested because of poor growth due to excessive rainfall.
· Stalk samples of each of the nine varieties were sent to the U.S.D.A. _
Sugar Crops Field Station, Meridian, Mississippi for milling, juice analysis,
and sirup processing.
I One of the most important characteristics of sirup varieties is the sugar ` _
content of the juice. This is determined with a Jrix hydrometer which measures
the total soluble solids content (most of whicn is sugar).
8 One of the requirements of a high quality sirup is that it boil down to
a density of 76 to 8O degrees Brix. The juice of all varieties except Tracy and
c Mer 55-l boiled down to llO degrees Centigrade (23O degrees Vahrenheidt). Tracy
‘ boiled down to lO8 degrees Centigrade and made an acceptable sirup. her 55-1
T would not boil down to more than lOh degrees Uentigrade.
Another important characteristic is the amount of juice that can be ex-
tracted. This amount will vary depending on the efficiency of the mill used and
with the variety. The percent extraction obtained and presented in Table 1 may
be slightly higher, on the average, than that ootained with existing milling
equipment.
The 1958 growing season was quite favorable for crop growth. Data for
the 1958 Sorgo Variety Test are presented in Table l and that for the three-year
period, 1956-1958, in Table 2.
The results obtained from a large number of experiments are the best V
estimate of performance for an average season, therefore, more attention should
be given to the information contained in Table 2.
Progress Report 75 (Filing Code: 1-1)
' UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY-AGRICULTURAL EXPBRTIENT ST!TION·—LEXINGT@i, KENTUCKY