After completing this lesson, you have learned to answer:

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Module 7 Cropping Systems
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics
Lessons
Modules

Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum

• After completing this lesson, you have learned
  to answer
• What are the advantages of transplanted sorghum
  crop?
• Describe the nursery practices to raise sorghum
  seedlings?
• What should be the age of sorghum seedlings for
  transplanting?
• What seed treatment practices are followed when
  sorghum is grown as a transplanted crop?
• Describe the good agricultural practices in the
  main field for transplanting sorghum?

Course on Sorghum Production Practices
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Transplanted sorghum crop, though not a common
cropping practice in many sorghum areas, is
practiced in certain parts of Tamil Nadu. There
should be assured availability of water for
raising a nursery and irrigating the transplanted
sorghum crop.
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum

• Transplanted crop has the following advantages
• Main field duration is reduced by 10 days
• Optimum population can be maintained as
  only healthy seedlings are used for
  transplanting
• Seed rate can also be reduced by 2.5 kg/ha.

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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum

• Transplanted crop has the following advantages
• Shoot fly, which attacks direct sown crops
  during the first 3 weeks and which is
  difficult to control can be effectively and
  economically controlled in the nursery
  itself
• Seedlings which show chlorotic and downy
  mildew symptoms can be eliminated, thereby
  incidence of downy mildew in the main field
  can be minimized.

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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum

• Nursery practices
• Sorghum seedlings are raised in 7.5 cents (300
  m2) near a water source, to plant one hectare.
• 750 kg of FYM or compost is applied in 7.5 cents
  nursery and another 500 kg of compost or FYM is
  applied for covering the seeds after sowing.

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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Nursery practices The 300 m2 area is divided
into 3 raised beds of 2m x 1.5m with 30 cm space
in between the beds. Channels of 15cm depth are
formed around the beds for irrigation.
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Nursery practices The following are the seed
treatment practices Seeds are treated with
Trichoderma viride at 4g/kg of seed and with
three packets each of Azospirillum (600 g) and
Phosphobacterium to enhance the availability of
nitrogen and phosphorus. The seeds are soaked in
30 salt solution (3 kg of common salt in 10
liters of water). Ergot affected seeds which
float are removed to avoid the incidence of ergot
disease.
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Nursery practices The following are the seed
treatment practices Seed hardening is done by
soaking the seeds in 2 (20 g in one liter of
water) potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution
for 6 hours. Use 350 ml of solution for soaking
one kg of seed. Dry the seed in shade to original
moisture level.
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Nursery practices 7.5 kg of treated seeds are
sown broadcast evenly on the beds. The seeds are
covered by passing the hands lightly over the
soil ensuring that the seeds are not sown deep as
germination will be affected.
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Nursery practices The beds are irrigated as per
the following schedule
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Main field practices Ridges and furrows are
formed 45 cm apart. Alternatively, form beds of
size 10 m2 or 20 m2 depending on the availability
of water. Irrigation channels are formed to
evenly distribute water. Seedlings of 15 to 18
days are planted on the top of the ridges.
Seedlings of above 18 days will not establish
properly or may die.
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Main field practices 1000 g/ha of Azospirillum
inoculant is prepared in 40 liters of water and
the root portion of the seedlings are dipped in
this solution for 15-30 minutes before
transplanting. The seedlings are planted at 5
cm depth and15 cm apart on the side of the ridge,
half the distance from the top and bottom of the
ridge. Fertilizers are applied based on the
soil test report.
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Main field practices In the absence of soil test
recommendations, a blanket recommendation of 90
N, 45 P2O5, 45 K2O kg/ha is adopted. Half the
dose of nitrogen and full dose of P2O5, and K2O
are applied before planting. The fertilizers are
placed on two-thirds top side of the ridges at 5
cm depth and covered. The balance nitrogen dose
is applied 15 days of planting and irrigated.
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Lesson 4 Transplanting Sorghum
Main field practices Irrigation schedule is
followed depending on the soil and weather
conditions.
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Module 7 Cropping Systems
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

With this, the Lesson 4 - Transplanting
Sorghum, and also this Module on Cropping Systems
for sorghum cultivation concludes. If you like
to check your understanding about cropping
systems for sorghum cultivation, please click on
Exercise button given below.
Exercise
Course on Sorghum Production Practices