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Effect of the Twin‐seeded Character on Sorghum Performance 1
Author(s) -
Casady A. J.,
Ross W. M.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1977.0011183x001700010032x
Subject(s) - panicle , biology , sorghum , backcrossing , hybrid , sterility , cultivar , agronomy , horticulture , botany , genetics , gene
The sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] sessile spikelet normally contains two flowers. Usually, only the upper develops into a seed, but the lower also develops into a seed in some cultivars, resulting in twin seededness. A study of the influence of the twin‐seeded character on sorghum performance was made by use of isogenic lines. Isogenic single‐ and twin‐seeded A‐ and B‐lines of the sorghum cultivars ‘Combine Kafir‐60’ and ‘Redlan’ were developed by backcrossing. The twin‐seeded allele ( Ts ) caused sterility in some instances, especially in A‐lines. Attempts to develop twin‐seeded lines of ‘KS 24’ resulted in much sterility and multiple seededness of up to five seeds per spikelet. Comparisons were made of isogenic single‐ and twinseeded counterparts of the sorghum hybrids ‘KS652’, ‘RS610’, ‘RS702’, ‘RS650’, 62MH248, and 55MH19 at Manhattan, Kans. and Mead, Neb. The percentage of spikelets with twin seed was influenced by genotype and environment. Twin seededness had no effect on days to 50% bloom, plant height, and panicles per plant. There was little evidence that twin seededness affected test weight, although it decreased seed weight and the number of seed‐bearing spikelets per panicle while increasing the number of seeds per panicle. Grain yields of the single‐ and twin‐seeded counterparts of RS610 and RS702 did not differ significantly, but twin‐seeded counterparts of the remaining hybrids yielded significantly less grain than the single‐seeded counterparts.