This research was carried out from March to July 2024, at the school experimental farm of the University of Bamenda, Bambili, Tubah sub-division, Mezam division of the North West Region of Cameroon ( Figure 1 ). It is located, bordered

to the North by Belo in Boyo Division, to the North West by Bafut, and to the west by Nkwen in Bamenda III sub division [18] . This experimental site has a geographical coordinate of 5˚59'0" North, 10˚15'0" East, with an altitude of 1558 m above sea level [19] .

The research treatments were characterized by the five different sorghum varieties collected (Wassonio Sorghum, Dougouyiriwa stage 3, Grinkan, Tiandougou Coura and Doussousouma-Nio) collected from the Sorghum Program of Sokoto Regional Agricultural Research Center of the Institute of Rural Economy (Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER)) at Bamako Mali and 2 varieties (red and white sorghum) from the Northern region of Cameroon.

The experiment was laid out in a Randomized complete block design with four replicates, each block separated from other by a path of 1 m. Each replicate had 7 experimental units, making a total of 28 experimental units. Each experimental unit measured 1 by 1.5 m and separated with a path of 0.5 m. The field had a spacing of 1 m with the enclosure or border bed, making a total surface area of 116 m².

Manure application and planting was done on the 2^nd of March 2024. Firstly, nine planting holes where open per experimental unit and 125 grams of manure was applied per hill, then mixed thoroughly with the soil, after which the seeds of sorghum were planted in the hills. 10 seeds were sawn per hill in order to have the required plant stands per hill per experimental unit. Sorghum was planted 50 cm between plants and 75 cm within rows, giving a planting density of 30,000 to 60,000 plants/ha. Planting was done in three lines per variety, per experimental unit making a total of nine plants per experimental unit. Thinning was done three weeks after planting allowing two best healthy plants per whole. A total of 18 plants per experimental unit were maintained.

The first spraying was done 6 days after planting, with the use of insecticides, to kill insects that were cutting off the plants after germination. The plant was also sprayed at an interval of two weeks after complete germination against stem borers and leaf miners which were attacking the plants. The first manual weeding was done four weeks after germination. Hilling was done by scraping up the soil around the base of every plant to form a small mound using a hoe. Weeding continued every after two weeks till the plants attained maturity. Fertilizer application was done 6 weeks after germination with NPK (20-10-10) being used. It was applied in a quantity of 5 grams per plant, giving a total of 3 kg of fertilizer applied in the field.

Plant emergence was recorded from the 6^th to the 12^th day after planting (DAP). The number of plants that emerge were counted and recorded per treatment, per replicate. And the emergence rate of the different varieties was estimated using the formula below:

$Emergencerate=\frac{\text{Number of emerged seedlings}}{\text{Total number of seeds planted}}*100$

The growth rate of the sorghum plants was determined using the vegetative growth parameters such as plant height, number of leaves, leave length, number of tillers and plant circumference. Two plants were randomly selected on which data was collected on. Data collection started four weeks after emergence (WAE) and was continuously collected after every two weeks.

Two plants were selected randomly per treatment for the collection of plant height, which started 4 weeks after emergence. An average of the two plants was calculated and recorded as plant height for each treatment. This plant height in centimeter was measured from ground level to the top of the spike.

The leaves of the two randomly selected plants were counted and an average obtain. This process started 4 weeks after emergence (WAE) and continued till the appearance of the flag leave.

Leaves length was measured using a measuring tape from the pointy part at one of the leave to the point where the leaf joins the stalk at the other end, on the two plants selected.

The number of tillers was recorded from 4 weeks after emergence (WAE). The tillers were counted after every two weeks.

The diameter of two randomly selected plants was measured using a tape and recorded in centimeters. The average was then obtained from the two plants.

The yield of the various sorghum varieties was recorded on: panicle length, panicle circumference, number of panicle branches, moisture content and the grain yield.

The panicle length was determined by measuring the height of the panicle from the base to the top of the panicle to the top and its circumference was measured round the panicle using a measuring tape and measurements recorded in centimeters (cm).

Two plant panicles were taken from each treatment to count the number of branches per panicle, the average of the two plant panicles were calculated and recorded as the number of branches of panicles per treatment.

The sun-dried panicles were then threshed after drying, winnowed and weighed using an electronic scale to obtain grain weight per experimental unit. Grain yield were estimated in kg/ha using the following formula [20] .

$\text{Grain yield}\left(\frac{\text{kg}}{\text{ha}}\right)=\frac{\text{Total grain weight}\left(\text{kg}\right)}{\text{Size of the area}\left({\text{m}}^2\right)}*10,000{\text{m}}^2$

The moisture content of the different sorghum varieties was also collected immediately after threshing and was measured in percentage.

The descriptor data of sorghum included: the plant color, Leaf midrib color, the waxy bloom, inflorescence compactness and shape, glume color, grain covering, Awns, Grain color, Grain plumpness and Grain form. The description of the plant takes into account the various parts as indicated in Figure 2 below.

The plant color was determined at maturity stage. And was either pigmented (grey-brown or brown) and Tan (greyed-yellow group) in color per variety.

The leaf midrib color was also determined per variety and was white, dull green, yellow, brown, or purple.

In sorghum plants, the waxy bloom can be slightly present, medium, mostly bloomy or completely bloomy. This data was collected by observation.

The inflorescence compactness and shapes were determined by simple observation of the panicles. Each variety had its own shape and was recorded as: semi-loose drooping primary branches, semi loose erect primary branches, semi compact elliptic, broom corn and compact elliptic.

The glume color at maturity was determined per variety to either be red, white, or sienna (yellow) in color.

The amount of grain covered by glumes per variety was also recorded. The coverings were determined to be 25% grain covered, 50% grain covered, and 75% grain covered.

The present or absent of awns was determine by observation per variety. Some varieties were aweless while others waned.

The grain color was determined per variety, and they were either white or red in color.

Grain plumpness refers to the level in which the grains are filled. This was determined per variety and recoded to either be dimple or plump.

The grain form was recorded to either be twin or single in a glume per variety cultivated.

The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted on the emergence percentage, plant height, number of leaves, leaves length, number of tillers, plant circumference, the flowering date, the length and circumference of panicle, and number of branches per panicle using Origin Pro software (version 9.8). The mean data of various treatments was separated using Turkey LSD test.

Highly significant differences (P ≤ 0.001) were observed among varieties for all the parameters estimated as well as among data collection period chosen ( Table 1 ). The interaction variety x data collection period was significant for the estimated traits except for number of tillers. The tested varieties also expressed highly significant differences (P ≤ 0.001) for the yield traits collected ( Table 2 ).

Where, *** = significant different at P (<0.001); NS = non-significant at 5% probability level; SV = source of variation; DF = degrees of freedom.

Where, *** = significant different at P (<0.001); NS = non-significant at 5% probability level; SV = source of variation; DF = degrees of freedom.

Red sorghum was the first to emerge 6 days after planting (DAP), followed by Grinkan at 7 days after planting ( Figure 3 ). Tiandougou Coura showed the highest emergence performance 8 days after planting.

The highest plant height was recorded by Doussousouma-Nio (185.75 cm) and White sorghum (180.87 cm) at 12 week after planting (WAP) followed by Wassanio (178.43 cm), while the lowest was recorded by Grinkan (133.93 cm) ( Table 3 ). The highest number of leaves (14) was recorded by White sorghum (T6) at 12 WAP and the lowest was recorded by Grinkan (6 leaves). The highest (95.37 cm) and the lowest (53.83 cm) leaf length at 12 WAP were recorded by White sorghum (T6) and Dougouyiriwa (T2) respectively. The plant circumference ranged from 4.81 to 9.65 cm at 12 WAP for Dougouyiriwa and White sorghum respectively ( Table 3 ).

The number of tillers was collected in 5 different periods and ranged from 0 to 1 at 4, 10 and 12 WAP respectively ( Figure 4 ). The highest number of tillers (1) was recorded by Dousousouma-Nio (T5) at 4 WAP while the lowest 0 was recorded by Tiandougou Coura (T4), Dousousouma-Nio (T5), White sorghum (T6) and Red sorghum (T7).

The highest (40.18 cm) and lowest (0 cm) panicle height was recorded by Wassainio and White sorghum variety ( Figure 5 ). The highest panicle height (40.18 cm) was recorded by Wassainio followed by 30.31 and 29.37 cm on Doussousouma-Nio and

Grinkan variety respectively. The order in the panicle height of these sorghum varieties is as follows: Wassanio, Doussousouma-Nio, Grinkan, Tiandougou Coura, Red sorghum, Dougouyiriwa, and white sorghum with 40.18, 30.31, 29.37, 27.62, 23.43, 22.93 and 0 cm respectively.

The highest (53.75) and lowest (0) number of branches per panicle was recorded by Grinkan and White sorghum varieties ( Figure 6 ). The highest number of branches per panicle (53.75) was recorded by Grinkan followed by 51.87 (Tiandougou Coura) and 46.12 (Wassanio) respectively. The order in the number of branches per panicle of these sorghum varieties is as follows: Grinkan, Tiangougou Coura, Wassanio, Dougouyiriwa, Doussousouma-Nio, Red sorghum, and white sorghum with 53.75, 51.87, 46.12, 38.25, 34.87, 37.5 and 0 respectively.

The highest (18 cm) and lowest (0 cm) panicle circumference was recorded by Red sorghum and White sorghum varieties ( Figure 7 ). The highest panicle circumference (18 cm) was recorded by red sorghum followed by 16.68 cm and 14.75 cm for Tiandougou Coura and Doussousouma-Nio varieties respectively.

The highest (86.25 g or 10.35 t/ha) and lowest (0 g or 0 t/ha) grain yield was recorded by Tiandougou Coura (T4) and White sorghum (T6) varieties ( Figure 8(a) and

Figure 8(b) ). The order in the grain yield of these sorghum varieties is as follows: Tiandougou Coura (T4), Wassanio (T1), Doussousouma-Nio (T5), Red sorghum (T7), Grinkan (T3), Dougouyiriwa (T2) and White sorghum (T6) with 86.25, 82.5, 70, 67.5, 60, 31.25 and 0g respectively or 10.35, 9.9, 8.4, 8.1, 7.2, 3.75 and 0 t/ha respectively.

Based on the grain yield of the sorghum varieties, the top five varieties were T4, T1, T5, T7 and T3 ( Table 4 ).

The highest (0.243) and lowest (0) moisture content was recorded by Grinkan (T3) and White sorghum (T6) varieties ( Figure 9 ). The order in the moisture content of these sorghum varieties is as follows: Grinkan (T3) Doussousouma-Nio (T5), Tiandougou Coura (T4), Wassanio (T1), Red sorghum (T7), White sorghum (T6) with 0.243, 0.243, 0.237, 0.212, 0.204, 0.187 and 0 respectively.

At maturity, the plant color remains green with the leaf midrib whitish in color ( Figure 10 ). There is a lack of waxy bloom. The inflorescence compactness and shape of the panicle is semi-loose drooping primary branches. The glumes of the panicles are red in color with the presence of awns. The color of the grain is white, with a grain covering of about 75%. The grains form in single, with a plumpness grain type.

The plant has a green color, with leaf midrib having a dull green ( Figure 11 ). There is absence of waxy blooms. The inflorescence compactness and shape of the panicle, is semi-loose erect primary branches. The glumes of the panicles are white in color, with the absence of awns. It has a white grain color, with covering of about 25%. The grain has single form with a plumpness shape.

The plant color remains green, with the leaf midrib dull green ( Figure 12 ). There is an absence of waxy blooms. The inflorescence compactness and shape of the panicle, is semi-loose drooping primary branches. The glumes of the panicles are sienna (yellow) in color with the absence of awns. The grains are white, with a grain covering of about 75%. It has single form grains, with a dimple shape.

The plant has a green color, with the leaf midrib dull green ( Figure 13 ). There is absence of waxy blooms. The inflorescence is semi-compact and elleptic in shape. The glumes of the panicles are red with the absence of awns. The grains are white, with a grain covering of about 75% and it has single form, with a dimple shape.

It has plant color yellowish, with leaf midrib dull green ( Figure 14 ). There is an absence of waxy bloom. The inflorescence is semi-compact with elliptic shape of the panicle. The glumes of the panicles are sienna (yellow) in color, with the absence of awns. The grains are white in color, with grain covering of about 50%. It has single form grains, with a dimple shape.

The plant color is green, with white midrib color ( Figure 15 ). The panicle has the broom corn shape.

At maturity, the plant color turns brown with the leaf midrib brown as well ( Figure 16 ). There is absence of waxy bloom. The inflorescence is compact elliptic in shape for the panicle. The glumes of the panicles are red in color with the absence of awns. The grains are red with grain covering of about 25%. It has single form grains with plumpness grain type.