Biomass Accretion and Yield of Erect Leafed and Conventional Sorghum At Low and High Population Densities.

Two sorghum isolines, a wild type (BTx 623) and an erect leaf mutant line (ERL 20) isolated from the wild type were field grown in rectilinear arrays at low (25 plants m^-2) and high (12 plants/m^-2) densities with sub-surface drip irrigation in an effort to eliminate confounding drought effects. Canopy light interception, biomass accretion and yield were measured. Planting density had less effect on yield in the erect leaf line than in the wild type, suggesting that the potential harvest index of sorghum can be increased simply by selecting for and planting erect leaf phenotypes.