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Grain sorghum grows to about 5 feet and is used for livestock feed, biofuels, pet food and human consumption. Forage sorghum grows 6 to 12 feet tall and produces more dry matter tonnage than grain sorghum. Because of its coarse stem, it’s primarily used for silage.
Does sorghum come back every year?
Sorghum is a member of the grass family that grows wild in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The plant is recognizable by its distinctive brown flower head. Plants can be annual or perennial, depending upon the variety.
How long does sorghum grow?
Most hybrids take about three to four months from planting to maturity. Northern growers may consider the shorter-maturing varieties. This is a longer maturity period than most hybrid corn or cereal grain crops.
Will deer eat sorghum?
The nice thing about sorghum is deer do not usually eat the plant while it is in the early development stage. In the Deep South, where late-summer can be a nutritional stress period for deer, deer often consume sorghum seed heads as soon as they are mature in August or September.
How long does forage sorghum take to grow?
Therefore there is only approximately 3-4 months of growing period before soil temperatures drop and plants cease growing. Regrowth crops that stop growing and haven’t reached the recommended 0.8 metre height late in the season cannot be grazed or cut due to the risk of prussic acid poisoning.
Is sorghum hard to grow?
Appropriate sorghum varieties must be chosen for each use, but all types are as easy to grow as corn. Sandy soils in warm climates are especially good for growing sorghum because it withstands drought and flooding better than corn does.
Can you plant corn and sorghum together?
Corn and forage sorghum can be combined in the same field in several ways. Some producers mix seed in the same row throughout the field. The cost of planting corn and sorghum together is similar to planting corn alone, Anderson said.
What month do you plant sorghum?
Grain sorghum should be planted when soil temperatures reach 60 to 65°F. Generally this is 15 to 20 days after corn planting or between May 15 and early June. Grain yields decrease as planting is delayed after early June.
How far apart should sorghum be planted?
Row spacing varies by region, but the row spacing for grain sorghum that best fits most environments is 30 inches. A 30-inch row spacing provides a good combination of light interception and enough soil volume to provide stored water during short periods of drought.
How do you raise sorghum?
Planting and Harvesting Tips Like corn, sorghum needs ground that gets full sun and has fertile, well-drained soil. Because sorghum is self-fertile, a large plot is not needed for pollination purposes. Mix a balanced fertilizer into the bed or row before planting. Sorghum needs soil temperature to reach at least 60°F.
Will sorghum reseed itself?
Yes it will reseed.
Who makes Roundup Ready sorghum?
Roundup is the brand-name of a herbicide produced by Monsanto. Its active ingredient glyphosate was patented in the 1970s.
What part of sorghum Do deer eat?
The grain sorghums are typically planted for deer and other wildlife because of their ability to produce grain. It is this grain, produced in a seed head at the top of the stalk (seen in the photo above), that deer eat.
How tall does forage sorghum grow?
Forage sorghum growth can range from 5- to 15-feet tall, depending on the hybrid. Hybrids can be fertile and produce grain yields comparable to grain sorghum, or they can be sterile and produce no grain.
How deep do sorghum roots grow?
Bioenergy sorghum roots grew continuously during a 155-day growing season producing ~175 nodal roots, accumulating ~7 Mg of dry biomass per hectare, and reaching >2 m deep in the soil profile.
Can you drill forage sorghum?
We highly recommend using a planter instead of a drill with some holes taped off, as this does not adequately control the spacing of seeds. Forage sorghum yields can range from 15 to 25 tons/acre. Target a seeding depth of 1 to 2” deep, placing the seed in adequate moisture for emergence.
How much water does sorghum need?
Although water needs decline slightly after booting, a sorghum crop still requires 2 to 3 inches of water every 10 days. Irrigating during heading and flowering generally produces an increase of 1,200 to 1,500 pounds per acre.
Is sorghum a heavy feeder?
Sorghum plants are heavy feeders, and they need large amounts of nitrogen to thrive. To provide it, work some compost into the soil before planting sorghum seeds. After tilling, plant sorghum seeds 1 to 2 inches deep, leaving 10 to 15 inches between plants.
How long does it take sorghum to sprout?
Early planting can increase the number of days for sorghum to reach flowering anywhere from 7-25 days, depending on weather conditions and, to a lesser extent, the specific hybrid. If very early planting is a goal, check with seed companies for a hybrid that has cold tolerance.
Does Indiana grow sorghum?
Be aware that availability of sorghum seed may be limited simply because sorghum is not a widely-grown crop in Indiana and seed dealers will likely need to transport seed sorghum in from other areas of the U.S.
Do pheasants eat sorghum?
It’s not that pheasants and quail love to eat sorghum seed. In fact, it’s somewhat the opposite. These game birds as well as most other seed-eating birds aren’t very fond of milo. For much of the fall and winter, the sorghum grain is insignificant.
