Forage sorghum is a grass grown in dry and hot environments, where the productivity of other forages may be not economically viable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different management systems and sowing speeds on the development of forage sorghum cv. BRS 610. The soil of the experimental area was a Paleudult. The experiment was installed in field conditions, in FCA/UNESP, Botucatu Campus, using a randomized block split-plot design, with twelve treatments (four management systems and four sowing speeds). The management systems used were: no-tillage, disk harrowing + seeding; disk harrowing + two light disking + seeding; minimum tillage + seeding. The sowing speeds used were: 3, 5, 6 and 9 km h-1. The following variables were analyzed: plant population, plant height, stem diameter, mass of thousand grains, green mass yield and dry mass yield. The no-tilllalge system provided the highest plant population, stem diameter, green mass yield and dry mass yield. There was a reduction in the plant population and increase in stem diameter with the increase in the sowing speed. The speed of 5 km h-1 provided the highest green and dry mass yields (kg ha-1), followed by the speed of 3 km h-1.
Sorghum bicolor; cropping systems; agronomic characteristics
