Sorghum
MAFES Foundation Seed Stocks maintains seed of four sweet sorghum varieties developed jointly by the USDA Sugar Crops Field Station in Meridian, Mississippi (now closed), MAFES, and various other experiment stations throughout the southeaster U.S.
Data for each variety is listed below in the order in which they were released:
DALE (1970):
Dale is an early maturing (115 day) variety with superior disease resistance to many older common varieties and is well adapted for sirup production throughout the southeast. Dale is a mid-season variety averaging about twelve feet in height at maturity. Panicle length is considered medium and generally is somewhat erect and compact. The glumes cover about one-third of the seed, and are reddish brown to blackish, with tuffs of hyaline pubescence at the base, apex, and margins. The seeds are small, averaging about 30,000/pound, and vary from obovoid to globose in shape. Seed color varies from light to dark reddish-brown and is often somewhat lighter where exposed. The endosperm is starchy with a medium thick corneous layer surrounding a chalky white center. It does not have the brown subcoat. Dale normally has adequate starch to give the sirup body but not enough to interfere with manufacture. The sirup made from dale has a mild sorghum flavor, good color and is of excellent quality. Dale is highly resistant to leaf anthracnose and stalk red rot which are major diseases of sweet sorghum. Dale was released by USDA - ARS and MAFES.
THEIS (1974):
Theis is a later maturing (130 day) variety which displays good resistance to lodging. The stalks are virtually free from the external waxy bloom common to many sweet sorghum varieties. Panicles are erect and semi-compact. Pubescence on the black glumes are semi-deciduous except on the callus where the hairs are somewhat longer and more persistent. The glumes do not clasp the seed at maturity and are nonpersistent in the threshed seed. The large, brown, near-orbicular seeds are flatter on the dorsal side than on the ventral side. Seed count for Theis averages about 21,000/pound. Theis has a soft chalky seed coat and mostly corneous endosperm. The brown subcoat is absent and the lemma is awnless. Theis normally has adequate starch in the juice to give the sirup body, but not enough to interfere with sirup manufacture. The sirup from Theis has mild sorghum flavor, amber color, and excellent quality. Theis is highly resistant to leaf anthracnose and stalk red rot, both serious diseases in sorghum. It is tolerant to maize dwarf mosaic virus and moderately resistant to downy mildew. Theis is thought to be well adapted for the southeastern U.S. Theis was released by USDA - ARS, MAFES, and the Experiment Stations of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
Combined mean performance results for Theis at nine southeastern locations over four years of testing resulted in the following information:
| Tons/acre of stripped stalks | 20.1 |
| Gallons/acre of sirup | 293.0 |
| Gallons/ton of sirup | 14.6 |
| Tons/acre of stripped stalks | 20.1 |
M81-E (1981):
M81-E is a later maturing (130 day) variety. The botanical description of M81-E is similar to Dale. Seed size averages about 24,000/pound. In 38 tests, M81-E did not fail to boil to sirup density (108 °C). It has adequate starch in the juice to give the sirup body but not enough to interfere with sirup manufacture. The sirup from M81-E has mild sorghum flavor, amber color, and excellent quality. The variety is well adapted for the southeastern U.S. M81-E was released by USDA-ARS, MAFES, and the Experiment Stations of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
Combined mean performance results for M81-E at ten southeastern locations over four years of testing resulted in the following information:
| Tons/acre of stripped stalks | 20.4 |
| Percent lodging | 4.0 |
| Gallons of sirup/ton of stalks | 12.6 |
| Gallons of sirup/acre | 263.0 |
| Pounds of fermentable sugar/ton of stalks | 235.0 |
| Pounds of fermentable sugar/acre | 4,801.0 |
Topper 76-6 (1994):
Topper 76-6 reaches maturity in about 120 days. The variety produces seed which are phenotypically white with a corneous endosperm. The sienna-colored glumes cover about one-third of the caryopsis. The exposed seed surface is usually sprinkled with red or dark red specks. The seed are elliptically shaped and contain no pigmented testa. Seed counts average about 20,000/pound. The panicle is erect and semi-compact. Topper 76-6 is highly resistant to foliar anthracnose and has revealed good to intermediate resistance to grey leaf spot, zonate leaf spot, rough leaf spot, bacterial leaf stripe, and twisted top. Maize dwarf mosaic virus was only recorded at one location but with no apparent injury. No lodging problems have been observed. Topper 76-6 was released by the University of Georgia, USDA-ARS, and MAFES.
Combined mean performance results for Topper 76-6 at one Georgia location over two years of testing resulted in the following information:
| Sirup yield/ton of stalk | 11.2 |
| Gallons of sirup/acre | 259.0 |
| Tons of stalks/acre | 23.2 |
| Gallons of juice/acre | 3146.0 |
| Pounds of sugar/acre | 2223.0 |
| Juice degrees Brix | 16.1 |
| Stalk height in feet | 10.8 |
