PRODUCTIVITY AND TECHNOLOGICAL QUALITIES OF JUICE AND SYRUP OF NINE SWEET SORGHUM (SORGHUM areOlOR L. MOENCH) VARIETIES.

Two field experiments were conducted at Mallawi Agric. Res., Station, EI-Minia Governorate, Egypt, during 2002 and 2003 seasons to evaluate productivity and technological characteristics of juice and syrup of nine varieties of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) namely Tracy, Umbrella, Planter, Brandes, Honey, Rio, S.S.301, Williams and Wiley. Randomized complete block design with four replications was used. _ The evaluated varieties, differed significantly in their stalk height (cm), stalk diameter and number of internodes as well as yield and yield components in both growing seasons. The obtained results indicated that Brandes variety had the highest values of gross yield and stripped yield (ton/fed), while Umbrella variety showed the lowest values. Sweet sorghum varieties exhibited a significant difference of its physical properties L e. TSS%, purity%, JEP (juice extraction percentage) and SEP (syrup extraction percentage) while insignificant effect in relation to pH value was clear in the two growing seasons. S. S. 301 variety contained the highest values of SEP and purity%. Sweet sorghum variety its differed significantly in chemical analysis of sorghum juice and syrup, Le. the total sugars and sucrose% and reducing sugars%, except the total sugars% of syrup in the first season only and reducing sugars% of juice in the two growing seasons. Planter variety contained the highest values of total sugars% and sucrose% of sorghum syrup. It is worth noting that Brandes variety followed by Honey and S. S. 301 varieties were preferable for sorghum syrup production under EI. Minia Governorate conditions. Maximum stripped stalks yield and syrup as well as the high quality of syrup were obtained using Brandes variety followed by Honey and S.S. 301 varieties, respectively.