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Influence of Row Spacing of Grain Sorghum on Ground Cover, Runoff, and Erosion
Author(s) -
Adams J. E.,
Richardson C. W.,
Burnett E.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1978.03615995004200060027x
Subject(s) - sorghum , agronomy , canopy , surface runoff , erosion , sorghum bicolor , cover (algebra) , growing season , seedling , row , environmental science , plant cover , hydrology (agriculture) , mathematics , biology , geology , ecology , mechanical engineering , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , database , computer science , engineering
A study was begun at Temple, Texas, in 1972 to assess the effect of narrow (50‐cm) and conventional (100‐cm) row spacing of grain sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] on runoff and erosion from field‐sized areas. Sorghum in narrow rows established a more complete plant canopy earlier than sorghum with conventional row spacing and provided more ground cover for much of the growing season. In 1973, runoff was 45% less and soil loss was 39% less from narrow‐row grain sorghum than from sorghum with conventional row spacing. Narrow‐row spacing of sorghum increased ground cover significantly (5% level) 35 days after emergence in 1974. Canopy cover was at maximum by 63 days after seedling emergence and provided a ground cover of 46 and 81% for sorghum with 100‐ and 50‐cm row spacing, respectively.