Silosne 42

Sorghum Silosne 42 — a medium-maturing, tall variety developed by the Ivanovskaya Selection Station and included in the State Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine since 2003. The plant reaches a height of 220–250 cm, has 2–3 stems per plant, which are erect and succulent. The leaves are lanceolate, 60–80 cm long and 6–8 cm wide, with a dark gray central vein. The panicle is oval, 18–25 cm long and 7–12 cm wide, dark brown in color. The grain is large, brown, with a 1000-grain weight of 19–23 g, slightly sticky, covered with dark brown membranes.

The vegetation period of the variety is 105–115 days to wax maturity and 120–125 days to full grain maturity. The variety is characterized by high resistance to cold at the seedling stage, as well as high drought and heat tolerance. In addition, it is resistant to lodging, shattering, major diseases, including smut, and has moderate resistance to aphid damage. Juice extraction from biomass reaches 65%, with sugar content in stem juice at full grain maturity of 13–19%.

Silosne 42 is intended for cultivation in steppe and forest-steppe zones and is primarily used for producing green feed, silage, and sugar syrup. Green mass yield varies from 55 to 76 t/ha, dry mass — from 11 to 14.8 t/ha, and grain-bearing panicle mass reaches 10–12 t/ha. Thanks to its high productivity and resistance, this variety is a reliable choice for feed production.