TIMES AND NORMS OF SEEDING GRAIN SORGHUM IN THE LOWER VOLGA REGION

Background. The sorghum crop is widely used in the national economy. The crop is of particular importance for the livestock industry, which is in dire need of providing a stable feed supply.Grain sorghum occupies one of the important places in this issue. The widespread use of sorghum for the preparation of feed is relevant due to the adaptability of the crop in arid conditions. Therefore, in changing natural and climatic conditions, it is important to conduct research that contributes to the formation of technology for growing sorghum crops for national economic needs. Purpose. To determine the optimal sowing time and seeding rate in the zone of chestnut soils in the arid climate of the Lower Volga region of Russia. Materials and methods. The research was carried 2021-2023 years out on a site located in the zone of chestnut soils, Kamyshinsky district, Volgograd region. The climate of the site is temperate continental. The predecessor is black steam. Options in the experiment were placed according to the field experiment methodology according to B.A. Dospehov. The experiments used seeds of reproduction of super-elite varieties of grain sorghum Kamyshinskoe 75 and Belogorskoe. Four sowing periods for grain sorghum were studied: the first when the soil was heated at a depth of 10 cm to 10-12 0C, the second to 14-160C, the third 18-200C, the fourth 22-240C.In each sowing period, three seeding rates were studied: 6, 10, 15 kg/ha. Results. The highest productivity in grain sorghum crops was in crops of the second and third terms with a seeding rate of 10 kg/ha.With stable heating of the soil at a depth of 10 cm to 14-160C and 18-200C, the optimal number of seedlings, their safety and development are ensured.The productivity of sorghum reaches 2.95 t/ha. Conclusion. During the research, it was found that the optimal time for sowing grain sorghum is the time when the soil warms up from 14-160C and from 18 to 200C with a seeding rate of 10 kg/ha. EDN: GVGCYI