Comprehensive evaluation of the adaptability of ten sorghum varieties in the Ningxia irrigation area

To enrich the forage germplasm resources of the irrigated area in Ningxia, a randomized block design was adopted to study the adaptability of ten Sorghum varieties from April to October 2017. The study examined the agronomic traits, nutritional value, and the anti-lodging coefficient. An analysis of the correlation between the various indicators of the anti-lodging coefficient, principal component analysis among the nutrition indexes, and the comprehensive score of nutritional content was conducted. The subordinate function was conducted to evaluate the different sorghum varieties. The results showed that the ten sorghum varieties had a growing period of 113～125 days, the tallest variety was Lvjuren (312.67 cm), the highest hay yield was from Hainiu (29.72 t·ha^–1), and there were significant differences among the varieties (P < 0.05). The longest stem Brix was Dalishi (16.37%), the range of chlorophyll content was from 26.97～51.95 (SPAD), the highest quality forage variety was from Dajiang 2120, which is 154.33, and the top 5 varieties from the comprehensive evaluation of nutritional content scores were: Dajiang 2180 >Siweite > Dajiang 2120 > Jinguan > Lvjuren. The top 5 varieties regarding the coefficient of lodging resistance were Dalishi, Dajiang 2180, Hainiu, Lvjuren, and Dajiang 2120. Dajiang 2180, Dalishi, Lvjuren, Hainiu, and Dajiang 2120 were widely popularized and cultivated in the irrigation area in Ningxia, based on the comprehensive evaluation of nutritional content, hay, and the anti-lodging coefficient.