INCREASED EFFICIENCY IN THE CULTIVATION OF GRAIN SORGHUM (SORGHUMBICOLOR (L.) MOENCH) ON LIGHT CHESTNUT SOIL IN THE REPUBLIC OF KALMYKIA

For the first time the influence of the methods of basic soil cultivation on the formation of the grain production process and the yield of different varieties of grain sorghum (Sorghumbicolor (L.)Moench) has been established for the soil-climatic conditions of the semi-desert zone of the Republic of Kalmykia. Sorghum is a multipurpose crop that can be grown on low fertility soils with less water requirement. That makes it a promising crop in the context of climate change. An assessment of the efficiency of rational use of productive moisture reserves by grain sorghum varieties of different groups of ripeness with the use of different methods of basic tillage was made. It has been established that the best yield of 2.47-2.53 t/ha of early ripening grain was obtained by applying flatbed plowing but fall plowing was more effective for mid- ripening varieties providing yields of 2.59-3.20 t/ha with. The economic efficiency of agrotechnological methods of cultivation of different grain sorghum varieties on light chestnut soils was evaluated.