Plant growth reducers: an alternative to increase the juice production potential and decrease the lodging of sweet sorghum

The plant growth regulators can improve the crop performance, making the plant architecture more adapted and efficient in order to use environmental resources and inputs to support the high-yielding agronomic traits. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of three growth reducers on the sweet sorghum development. The experimental design was completely randomized (CRD) with four treatments and eight replications. The treatments were control (water), maleic hydrazide 1.44 g a.i. L-1, paclobutrazol 1.5 g a.i. L-1 and chlormequat 0.5 g a.i. L-1. The sorghum development was evaluated by biometric parameters, relative chlorophyll content and potential of juice production. All growth regulators decreased the growth rate of sorghum, resulting in the height reduction (20.56 to 33.94% compared to control). These compounds also increased the relative chlorophyll content (22.15 to 29.54%), but did not change the fresh and dry mass of shoot. Furthermore, the juice production potential was increased after application of chlormequat and paclobutrazol (2.72 to 4.56% in relation to control). These results indicate that growth reducers can be an alternative to decrease the lodging and increase juice production of sweet sorghum ‘Ceres 81’.