SORGHUM PRODUCTION IN ROMANIA IN THE PERIOD 2010-2019 - TRENDS AND DETERMINANT FACTORS.

The paper analyzed the dynamics of Sorghum cultivated area, production and yield in the decade 2010-2019 pointing out the position of Romania among the EU-28 producing countries, the relationship between production and yield using ANOVA, and regression analysis in terms of linear fit. The results showed that the cultivated area increase by 52.7 % in reaching 15,712 ha in 2019. The West and South West regions cultivate 81 % of Romania's cropped area with Sorghum. Production increased 3.2 times reaching 60 thousand tons in 2019, 80% being achieved by West region (63.4 %) and South West Oltenia (10.5%). Sorghum yield was doubled in 2018 achieving 3,819 kg/ha, the highest records being in North East and West. Romania is ranked the 4th in the EU-28 after France, Italy and Hungary for Sorghum cultivated surface, production and yield. Between production and yield is a positive and strong relationship, r = 0.842 and R² = 0.710, reflecting that 71 % of the variation of production is caused by yield change. The regression model Y = 0.0112 x + 13.424, shows that if Sorghum yield increases by one unit, production will grow by 13.43 units. Therefore, a higher productivity per surface unit will contribute to production growth. For this reason, farmers have to use modern technologies involving high potential varieties and hybrids, optimized tillage, fertilization, sowing depth, plant density, distance between rows, correct and timing application of the agricultural works, the use of modern equipments for tillage, sowing, crop maintenance and harvesting. The technologies have to be adapted to climate change, meaning the use of earlier cultivars, looking for a new depth of sowing where soil moisture content favours seeds germination and chose the best harvesting moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]