Studies on Root Growth of Sorghum Under Different Mulching Systems

A mulching experiment was carried out in the black soil area of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Farm. Coimbatore with Co 24 sorghum as test crop. The treatments consisted of the mulching materials cumbu straw (T1), sugarcano trash (Ts), maize straw (Ta) and control (T4). A Randumised Bleck design was adopted with five replications, The reot growth measurements like root length, number of adventitous roots/plant, volume of roots and dry weight of roots were taken at flowering and at harvest stages, The results indicated that the above said root characters were found to he superior in the mulched plots compared to control at both the stages of crop growth. Among the different mulches tried the sugercane trash applied plots recorded the highest dry weight of roots. A positive relationship between root weight and yield of sorghum was brought out.