Bennie de Villiers
Delmas/Bronkhorstspruit076 510 6150
Bennie de Villiers
Delmas/Bronkhorstspruit
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Harness the capabilities of an agronomically sound package that offers excellent yield potential, wide adaptation and good stability across various environments with Pannar’s grain sorghum package. We also offer you the choice of both sweet and bitter options, with good malt quality.
Pannar® brand hybrids are the backbone of grain sorghum production in South Africa. The sorghum breeding programme has been running since 1978 and is one of the oldest in the world. We source our germplasm from a broad pool of diverse genetics and then test it rigorously in our local evaluation programme to ensure it suits local growing conditions. The Pannar® brand grain sorghum package maintains an excellent record of performance.
Excellent yield potential and test weight. Great option for tough dryland conditions. Widely adapted. Closed head (panicle) with large-seeded grain and good threshability.
| Days to 50% Flowering* | 75 |
|---|---|
| Days to Harvest* | 122-130 |
| Seedling Vigour | Good |
|---|---|
| Standability | 8 |
| Head Exertion | Intermediate |
| Plant Height | 110-120 |
| Uniformity | 8 |
| Threshability | 8 |
| Grain Colour | Red |
| Grading | GM |
| Head Smut |
| Heavy Clay Soils | Yes |
|---|---|
| Irrigation | Yes |
| Dryland | Yes |
| Class 1 | |
|---|---|
| Class 2 | 33000 - 34000 |
Outstanding yield performance and agronomic characteristics. Widely adapted. Bitter grain type; classified GH. Good malt quality. Medium plant height with good standability. Good tolerance to Head Smut.
| Days to 50% Flowering* | 79-82 |
|---|---|
| Days to Harvest* | 140-145 |
| Seedling Vigour | Good |
|---|---|
| Standability | 8 |
| Head Exertion | Intermediate |
| Plant Height | 120-130 |
| Uniformity | 7 |
| Threshability | 6 |
| Grain Colour | Brown |
| Grading | GH |
| Head Smut | 7 |
| Heavy Clay Soils | Yes |
|---|---|
| Irrigation | Yes |
| Dryland | Yes |
| Class 1 | 26 500 |
|---|---|
| Class 2 | 33 600 |
Excellent yield potential and stability. Very uniform growth habit and good standability. Attractive plant type. Large-seeded grain, high bushel weight and good threshability. Classified GM; good malt quality. Good general leaf disease tolerance. Good Head Smut tolerance. Plant where Head Smut problems have occurred in the past. Open head (panicle) facilitates spraying.
| Days to 50% Flowering* | 76-79 |
|---|---|
| Days to Harvest* | 135-142 |
| Seedling Vigour | Good |
|---|---|
| Standability | 8 |
| Head Exertion | Good |
| Plant Height | 112-117 |
| Uniformity | 8 |
| Threshability | 8 |
| Grain Colour | Red |
| Grading | GM |
| Head Smut | 8 |
| Heavy Clay Soils | Yes |
|---|---|
| Irrigation | Yes |
| Dryland | Yes |
| Class 1 | 25 500 |
|---|---|
| Class 2 | 34 000 |
Ergot infects flowers, replacing normal grain development with a sticky, honeydew-like mass that later hardens into dark, compact fungal structures called sclerotia. Honeydew exudate often drips from infected florets and may attract insects. Severely infected panicles appear distorted and have poor seed set, leading to reduced grain yield.
Cool, humid weather during flowering greatly favors infection. Extended panicle emergence due to asynchronous flowering increases vulnerability. Fields with dense canopies or prolonged moisture retention are at higher risk. Insect activity can help spread the sticky spores between plants.
Fungus: Claviceps africana
Small, round to oval, reddish-brown pustules (uredinia) form primarily on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. These pustules can merge, causing large necrotic areas. In severe infections, leaves dry out, turn brown, and die prematurely, reducing the plant’s photosynthetic capacity. In some cases, pustules may also appear on leaf sheaths and stalks.
Sorghum rust is widespread and occurs wherever sorghum is grown. Warm (20–30°C), humid conditions favor spore germination and infection. High rainfall, heavy dew, and dense plant populations promote disease spread. Wind aids long-distance dispersal of rust spores. Yield losses are usually 5–10% but can exceed 20% if severe rust develops early during the plant's growth stages and affects large portions of the canopy.
Fungus: Puccinia purpurea
Large, elliptical to oblong lesions develop on the leaves, typically light tan in colour with reddish-brown margins. The colour of the margin can vary and normally corresponds with the grain colour of the particular hybrid. Lesions can coalesce, leading to extensive blighting and death of large leaf areas. Severe infections can cause rapid defoliation, especially during grain filling, reducing yield potential.
Warm (25–30°C), moist environments with extended periods of leaf wetness favor disease development. Dense planting and overhead irrigation can enhance conditions conducive to spread. Spores are dispersed by wind and rain splash. The fungus survives on infected crop residues left in the field. Yield losses typically range from 5–20%, but in severe outbreaks with early leaf blighting, losses can exceed 30%, mainly due to reduced photosynthesis. Leaf blight occurs in most sorghum-growing regions worldwide during grain filling.
Fungus: Exserohilum turcicum
Instead of developing normal seed heads (panicles), infected sorghum plants form large, swollen smut galls filled with black spore masses. These galls eventually rupture, releasing spores that contaminate the soil. Early plant growth may appear normal and symptoms only become evident at flowering.
Infection occurs at the seedling stage via the roots. Warm soil temperatures (25–30°C) and dry conditions after planting promote infection. The pathogen survives for years in soil and infected seed. Continuous sorghum cultivation and deep planting can increase disease incidence. Crop rotation and planting resistant varieties are effective management strategies. Infected plants often fail to produce any grain, leading to 5–20% yield losses in affected fields. In severe cases, losses can exceed 50% if susceptible varieties are planted under favorable conditions for the pathogen.
Fungus: Sporisorium reilianum (Sphacelotheca reiliana)
Elongated leaf blight like, narrow, greyish to dark brown lesions form on leaves and leaf sheaths, bordered by a distinct yellow margin. Lesions are often mistaken for Leaf Blight, however, the yellow margin is very distinctive. As lesions mature, a black, sooty fungal growth appears on the surface, giving the disease its name. Severe infections can cause premature leaf death, reducing photosynthesis The lesions may merge, leading to leaf death and reduced photosynthesis. Sooty spores may give leaves a dirty appearance and rub off on hands or clothes.
Warm (25–30°C), humid weather with frequent rains and heavy dew promotes the disease. Dense canopies and poor air circulation favor pathogen development. Spores are spread by wind and rain splash. The fungus survives on infected crop residues left in the field from previously infected sorghum crops. Moderate infections typically cause 5–15% yield losses by reducing grain fill. Severe outbreaks, particularly during grain filling, can lead to up to 30% yield loss if large portions of the canopy are destroyed.
Fungus: Ramulispora sorghi
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