Yield and growth response to potassium of grain sorghum as influenced by variety in a savanna soil of Nigeria

Field trials were conducted at Samaru over a three-year period (1980–82) to study the yield, growth and nutrient concentration of three grain sorghum varieties (L. 187, SK5912 and FFBL) in relation to potassium fertilization in a savanna soil. Potassium application rates were 0, 25, 50 and 75 kg K ha^–1. Year × potassium interactions were not significant although there were significant variety × K interactions. The highest grain yields for var. L.187, SK5912 and FFBL occurred from the application of 25, 50 and 75 kg K ha^–1 respectively. Straw yield was generally increased by K application, which also promoted tillering and hastened flowering in grain sorghum. Although grain weight per head, head number per m², grain number and 1000-grain weight were unaffected by this nutrient, weight per head was reduced by 22.8 per cent. K application enhanced N concentration of sorghum plants but caused decline in P concentration. The highest K rate gave the highest K concentration in each of the three varieties at 7 weeks after planting. Optimum K requirement of grain sorghum would seem to be between 25 and 50 kg K ha^–1.