Total sugar content in sorghum stalks and grains of selected cultivars from the world germplasm collection

Seventy sorghum cultivars from the world germplasm collection maintained at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) were screened for total sugar content of the stalks. The total sugar content in stalks harvested after physiological maturity ranged from 17.8 to 40.3% on dry weight basis. The total sugar content in grains of 15 selected cultivars ranged from 1.02 to 2.23%. Nine cultivars having more than 34% total sugar content in stalks showed consistency for sugar content when grown for two seasons. Juiciness of stalks from five cultivars as estimated by the quantity of juice extracted varied from 266 to 464 ml per kilogram of fresh stalks. The total sugar content in the juice of five cultivars varied from 7.0 to 15.9%.