Does anyone know anything about growing Sorghum?

[ollie989898]

I seem to remember some technical blurb saying you could cut or graze it off twice?

 

[PuG]

I seem to remember some technical blurb saying you could cut or graze it off twice?

Here more three to four in a season. After first cut on the Sorghum Sudan hybrids they are very aggressive on regrowth. They shunt the roots down deep. Normally its really depressing, can be slow to germinate/lack vigor, sits around short on the surface for about 4 weeks with a couple of leafs then rockets once initial root development is done.

Website I always keep booked marked.

Sorghum Growth Stages | Crop Science US

Identifying key sorghum plant structures is the first step to better understanding sorghum growth and development.

www.dekalbasgrowdeltapine.com

Something I have noticed is different seed sources/hybrids (though the same), some are better than others.

Cheers

 

[Flatlander]

Due to a very late spring and prolonged wet weather ended up with a couple of fields that was too late to grow a harvestable crop. Rather than leave the fields bare j seeded sorghum Sudan grass and added a few oats and soybeans In as well. The Sudan grass was out of the ground in 5 days and didn’t stop growing. We measured about 15-18 inches of growth a week. Planted it the first week of July into hot moist soil and by late august it was already over 8 ft.

 

[ollie989898]

Due to a very late spring and prolonged wet weather ended up with a couple of fields that was too late to grow a harvestable crop. Rather than leave the fields bare j seeded sorghum Sudan grass and added a few oats and soybeans In as well. The Sudan grass was out of the ground in 5 days and didn’t stop growing. We measured about 15-18 inches of growth a week. Planted it the first week of July into hot moist soil and by late august it was already over 8 ft.

Looks like an excellent form of cover crop for hot conditions. I wonder if this isn't a better cover crop than some of the other species we use in the UK- it is quite different to our conventional crops, wonder if it harbours any cereal pests or diseases.

 

[cquick]

Looks like an excellent form of cover crop for hot conditions. I wonder if this isn't a better cover crop than some of the other species we use in the UK- it is quite different to our conventional crops, wonder if it harbours any cereal pests or diseases.

I would if the seed didn't cost £80/ha.. But I agree it would be fun to try, perhaps behind early July cut OSR.
Birdseed millet gets most of the way there at a fraction of the cost though

 

[Farmer Roy]

Don’t plant sorghum after canola ( OSR ), it just doesn’t work

 

[nxy]

I would if the seed didn't cost £80/ha.. But I agree it would be fun to try, perhaps behind early July cut OSR.
Birdseed millet gets most of the way there at a fraction of the cost though

There are cheaper options. For forage we grow either Piper sudan grass (which isn't a hybrid and is an ancient american variety) Moha (foxtail millet) or as you say birdseed white millet all of which cost this year around 30 euros a hectare. If one was considerably more expensive than the other I would switch to one of the others . Moha is normally cheapest and often the best. What gets expensive is if you mix in one of the short term clovers.

 

[Farmer Roy]

When you say seed is expensive, what is the purpose of the crop ?

I think sorghum seed here is about $300 / 20 kg bag ( that is hybrid variety, with a range of seed dressings on it ), but for grain sorghum, we plant at about 2 kg / ha ( around 50 - 60,000 seeds / ha ), so the ha costs are less than wheat

forage sorghum, usually planted from 5 - 10 kg / ha

in a warm environment with sufficient moisture, you will get a lot more growth from sorghum than millet, if you are looking for maximum feed production

if just looking for groundcover, then millet is very popular here as a summer growing ground cover / cover crop here during a summer fallow period