CAB129-37 — Page 341

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number of males have been performed, the main result with afe1 shown

ge 342 of 1097

analyses

in the following table:

Table 5.-Percentage of Oil in Sunflower Seeds (Undried), Kongwa,

1947-48 Season

Variety

Oil per cent.

Variety

of seeds

Oil per cent. of seeds

Hungarian

26.7

Jupiter

28.2

Advance Hybrid

29.9

Saturn

26.6

Sunrise

29.0

Southern Cross

26.5

...

...

...

Black seeded

26.8

Grey seeded

26.0

Pole Star

28.9

...

Further data are given in Section 13.

Effect of heat treatment of seed on free fatty acid content of sunflower oil

See p. 117 (Section 6).

Sorghum

Sorghum is one of the most important grain crops of tropical and sub- tropical countries, and much selection and breeding work has been done on it. Sorghum varieties show a marked degree of local and climatic adaptation, so that in selecting types to be grown in a new area the preliminary testing of a very large number of varieties is usually necessary. A considerable collection of types (mostly dwarf) was assembled during the season from Tanganyika, Kenya, South Africa, the Sudan, Queensland, the United States, and the Argentine. Observa- tion plots were planted in January, February and March at Kongwa, and at various dates in the Western and Southern Provinces. In the latter two areas all plantings were late and also showed signs of severe nutritional deficiency (possibly of P2O, or N) so that no conclusion can be drawn from the results.

At Kongwa the crop did best when planted in January and February and March plantings all yielded relatively poorly. This may well be due to the extremely long dry spell which lasted until the end of February. The solitary exception was the Sudanese Feterita Managil which gave 705 lbs. per acre in 168 days when planted on 5th February.

In the January planting the most successful varieties were the East African semi-dwarf types Dobbs (873 lbs. per acre in 139 days) and Buhura Mahemba (939 lbs. per acre in 179 days) the Sudanese dwarfs Feterita 'Managil (1,060 lbs. per acre in 114 days) and Dwarf Hegari (760 lbs. per acre in 113 days), the Queensland dwarfs Kalo (1,420 lbs. per acre in 121 days) and Wheatland Milo (1,210 lbs. per acre in 121 days (see below)), the Ameri- can Dwarf Kafir 44-14, a new type from Oklahoma (1,320 lbs. per acre in 115 days), and the Argentinian giants Minnesota (2,040 lbs. per acre in 114- days) and Azucarado Akafirado (1,760 lbs. per acre in 114 days).

The possibilities of increasing these yields by use of fertilisers and by establishing the optimum plant populations were not investigated in 1947/48, but they may be considerable.

It

The Queensland varieties were outstanding in respect of uniformity and adaptation to combining. Like other varieties with small glumes and exposed grain, they were very heavily attacked by blue plant-sucking bugs (Calidea dregei), which makes their encouraging yield even more remarkable. seems reasonable to expect that when the intensity of attack by this pest has been reduced (by control measures or selection) many of the dwarf types will prove to be high yielders of great value in the drier areas of East Africa.

Soya Bean

+

A wide range of Soya bean varieties was tested at Kongwa. Most of them came from the United States, but two varieties were received from Batavia,