C-
Progress Report Series No. 87
Agricultural Experiment Station
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
February, 1964
2V. Smih, Director
Auburn, Alabama
SUMMER ANNUAL 
GRASSES
C. S. HOVELAND, Associate Professor (Crops)
0. N. ANDREWS, JR., Assistant in Agronomy (Resigned)
H. L. WEBSTER, Instructor (Crops)
RA-ID, GROWING summer, annual grasses like
pearlmillet, sudangrass, and b rowutop millet are.
widely grown for temporary grazing and hay. Such
crops provide, good quality forage during the criti-
cal summer period. Since, they are relatively ex-
pensive to, grow, it is: essential that the most pro-
ductive varieties be used.
Some of the new sorghum--sudan 1' vhTTridrb
showed promise of high production over-a, long
season in tests, by Auburn University Agricultural
Experiment Station. These variety tests were done
to, identify most productive summer annual grasses
among the la rge number 
that is available. Testing
was at nine locations in 1963, but the testing pe-
riod at six locations covered a 3-year period.
Entry
Pfister Suhow 35-
T-E Grazemaster
Gahi-1 millet --------
Gahi-2 millet --------
Frontier Hydan 38 ---
T-E Haygrazer
DeKalb SX-11-------
Georgia Suhi-1 sudan-
Starr m illet----- -----
Green M --------- ---
Lindsey 77F---------
Asgrow Grazer-------
NK Sordan----------
NK Trudan-1 sudan --
Browntop millet
Sweet sudan
Test varieties were planted in plots 5 X 20
feet with rows 6 inches apart; the 
randomly ar-
ranged plots were repeated four times. A strip six
rows wide and 20 feet long was harvested for yield
records'.
Tests were planted in late, April or May and
fertilized with 500 pounds of 4-12-12 per, 
acre.
Tli~wsfollowed 
with 40.p, d 
o iroe 
e
acre when stands were up and after each clipping-.
Two, to five cuttings; were harvested each year.
HOW VARIETIES PERFORMED
Drought seriously reduced or limited growth
in late summer and fall of 1963, Table 
1-5. The
TABLE 1. FORAGE YIELDS OF SUMMER ANNUAL GRASSES IN NORTHERN ALABAMA
Oven dry forage per acre
Tennessee Valley Substation Alexandria Experiment Field
1963
Lb.
10,926
9,575
d7J71o7,771
7,748
7,512
A7A6E7,496
7,477
7,261
6,706
6,673
6,219
5,495
4,294
4,236
2-year
average
Lb.
11,P268
8,898
9,659
11,928
9,035
9,526
7,515
83,179
8,826
5,544
3-year
average
Lb.
9,638
11,318
9,049
8,188
9,484
6,177
1963
Lb.
4,182
4,500
4,430
4,37
4,047
3,867
4,099
4,501
4,427
4,241
4,309
4,154:
2-year
average
Lb.
3,206
3,471
3,8
3,533
4,529
3,84
3,286
4,863
3,025
3-year
average
Lb.
4,340
2,686
3,243
3,7049
3,654
3,895
4,014
2,619
1 _ I -
TABLE 2. LEAF PERCENTAGE AND FORAGE YIELDS OF SUMMER ANNUAL GRASSES, AGRONOMY FARM, AUBURN
Leaf percentage of dry forage, 1963
Entry
T-E Haygrazer
Asgrow Grazer
Pfister Suchow 35
NK Sordan----------
Georgia Suhi-1 sudan-
Green M --------- ---
Frontier Hydan 38 ---
Gahi-1 um illet--------
Gabi-2 milleh --------
DeKaib SX-11-------
Lindsey 77F---------
Starr m illet----- -----
June 5
Pct.
53
61
60
54
54
61
49
85
69
51
20
July 10
Pct.
54
60
56
54
55
58
55
67
44
56
51
54
Aug. 15
Pct.
54
52
63
72
52
65
58
70
55
50
66
1963
Lb.
6,018
5,660
5,260
5,233
5,072
5,053
4,912
4,884
4,828
4,1714
4,059
Oven dry forage per acre
2-year
average a
Lb.
6,218
6,288
6, 160
6, 179
5,367
53,455
6,221
4,704
3-year
verage
Lb.
5, 128
6,781
5,557
6,642
5,465
4,657
TABLE 3. LEAF PERCENTAGE ANDFORAGE YIELDS OF SUMMERANNUAL GRASSES, PLANT BREEDING UNIT., TALLASSEE
Leaf percentage of dry forage, 1963
Entry
Paymaster Sweet Sioux-
Nebraska Sn-i --------
Asgrow Grazer --------
G reen M -------------
NK Sordan-
NK Trudan-1 sudan----
Asgrow H-6160 -------
Lindsey 77F
DeKalb SX-11 --------
Georgia Suhi-1 sudan-
T-E Grazemaster ------
Frontier Hydan 38-----
T-E Haygrazer--------
Pfister Suchow 35------
Gahi-1 millet ---------
Gahi-2 millet ---------
Swee't siidan ---------
Starr millet- -
Browntop millet-------
June 7
Pct.
53
60
55
50
53
43
56
51
53
55
49
53
56
63
- - 63
72
47
66
53
July 12
Pct.
36
35
31
42
27
25
35
32
37
81
31
32
33
43
38
48
31
41
46
Aug. 13
Pct.
51
45
44
44
50
46
60
50
51
40
48
53-
55
48
61
Oven dry forage per acre
1963
Lb.
13,180
12,955
12,830
12,629
12,540
12,507
11,870
,828
11500
11,5441
11,422
11355
11,117
10985
9.,948
9,354
91,006
7,298
5,34
2-year
average
Lb.
10,568
10,102
9,050
9,277
9,144
83,755
8,731
8,734
8,524
9,138
61,357
6,62
4,5
lone exception was the Black Belt Substation. Ex-
tended dry periods, throughout the summer, re-
duced, yields drastically at the Alexandria Experi-
ment Field and Lower Coastal Plain Substation.
On, the basis of 2- and 3-year average yields at
all locations, sorghum-sudan hybrids were equal
to or more productive than Gahi- millet except
at the Gulf Coast Substation. There,, Gahi- millet
produce d higher total yields than the sorghum-
sudan hybrids; however, the latter furnished more
forage during early fall.
Yields of different sorghum-sudan hybrids were
similar when compared during a 3-year period. All
of these hybrids were much more:productivethan.
sweet sudan, which was, seriously damaged by
foliar diseases. Severe damage by foliar diseases
was also observed at the Tennessee Valley Sub-
station on Trudan-1, a hybrid sudan, and Sordan,
a sorghum-sudan hybrid. These diseases reduced
production in late summer. In, contrast, Suhi-!, a
high yielding hybrid sudangrass, had excellent dis-
ease resistance and made good forage growth in
late summer and ea rly fall.
Gahi-1 pearlmillet was more productive than
Starr', an older- variety. Gahi-2, a, new variety with
improved seed production, was equal in, forage
yield to Gahi-1. Both Gahi-1 and Gahi-2 pearl-
millets were generally more leafy than the sor-
ghum-sudan hybrids or sudangrass. None of the
pearlmillet varieties was productive on lime soil
at the Black Belt Substation.
Browntop, millet yielded only about half as
much forage as pearlmillet or, sorghum-sudan hy-
brids. Season of production. of' browntop, millet
was- shorter than that for, other summer annual
grasses.
3-year
average
Lb.
11785
,475
10,484
9,542
9,238
8,969
6,451
6,848
3,2
VV
TABLE 4. FORAGE YIELDS OF SUMMER ANNUAL GRASSES IN CENTRLAL ALABAMA
Entry
T-E Haygrazer
Asgrow Grazer
NK Sordan-- -
Lindsey 77F
Frontier Hydan 38
Green M-- - - - -
Georgia Suhi-1 sudan
Green Gro--- -
Pfister Suchow 35
Paymaster Sweet Sioux-
NK Trudan-1 sudlan----
DeKalb SX-11 --------
Sweet sudan ----------
Gahi-1 millet ---------
Gahi-2 millet ---------
Browntop millet-------
Leafy Sue-------- ----
Golden Sue-----------
Pioneer 930-----------
Pioneer XF 011 -------
T-E. Grazemaster ------
Black Belt Substation
1963
Lb.
13,439
13,284
13,026
12,92
12,870
12,477
12,322
12,136
12,074
123,036
11,514
11, 212
6,910
6,255
6,177
2-year
average
Lb.
133,434
13,692
123,476
11,822
11,880
12,18
11,541
8,399
5)538
Oven dry forage per acre
Prattville Field
1963
Lb.
6,761
6,992
7,442
83,176
6,911
6,214
6,923
6,686
3,77
4,47
3,56
3,418
2-year
average
Lb.
5,730
5,798
4)780
4,955
5,001
3,043
4,974
3,732
Lower Coastal
Plain Substation
1963
Lb.
6,595
7,592
6,365
8)435
9,057
8,892
6,20
9,376
8,249
8,228
8,053
8,1005
7,37
TABLE 5. FORAGE YIELDS OF SUMMERANNUALGRASSES IN SOUTHERNALABAMA
Entry
Lindsey 77F---
Asgrow Grazer
Green M -----------
Gahi-1 millet--------
Georgia Suhi-1 sudan-
Gahi-2 millet--------
DeKalb SX-11-------
T-E Haygrazer ------
Asgrow H-6160------
NK Sordan----------
Pfister Suchow 35 ----
Browntop millet ---
Sweet sudan---------
1963
Lb.
7,753
73,093
6)681
6,681
6,403
6,289
Gulf Coast Substation
2-year
average
Lb.
6,997
10247
7,585
73,129
Oven dry forage per acre
Brewton Experiment Field
3-year
average
Lb.
6,894
10,304
7,828
1963
Lb.
5,165
5,63
5,224
5,081
3,98
5,782
4,482
5,1393
6,241
5,767
4,913
4,760
3,1692
2-year
average
Lb.
4,511
53,967
6,916
2,755
4,642
6,210
4,157
2,787
3-year
average_
Lb.
6,02
6,433
5,537
3,378
2,815
SUMMARY
1. Yields of sorghum-sudan hybrids were gen-
erally equal to or superior tothose of pearlmillet-,
except at the, Gulf Coast Substation. There were
no consistent yield differences between individual
sorghum-sudan hybrids tested during the 3-year
period.
2. Pearlmillet yields, were much lower than
sorghum-sudan and sudangrass hybrids on lime
soil at the, Black Belt Substation.
3. Gahi-1 pearimillet was more leafy through-
out the season than the sorghum-sudan hybrids or
sudan hybrids.
4. Sorghum-sudan and sudan grass hybrids
were usually more productive than pearlmillet in
late summer and early fa.
5. Sweet sudan and browntop millet generally
had the lowest yields, and shortest productive, sea-
son of the, species tested.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
For help in conducting some of the trials, the author
expresses appreciation to J. K. Boseck and H. W. Ivy,
Tennessee Valley Substation; F. T. Glaze, Alexandria Ex-
periment Field; J. W. Langford, Plant Breeding Unit; F. E.
Bertram, Prattville Experiment Field; L. A. Smith and
H. W. Crimes, Black Belt Substation; V. L. Brown and
W. J. Watson, Lower Coastal Plain, Substation; J. W.
Richardson, Brewton Experiment Field; 11. T. Yates and
J. E. Barrett, Gulf Coast Substation.