Sorghum |
| Scientific Name: | Sorghum bicolor |
| Cultivars: | Numerous. The different Sorghum types include:
Grain types (short).
Forage types (medium height: sudan, sudan
hybrids). Brown mid rib (BMR) sorghums have
reduced lignin associated with increased forage
digestibility (TDN).Hybrid Forage Sorghums:
tall, single cut for silage, also include BMR
types
Sweet sorghum types (tall; high in sugar for
molasses and biofuel use). |
| Growth Habit: | 3-12 feet tall, bunchgrass. Grain types
and single-cut harvest (hybrid forage sorghum)
for silage usually do not regrow following
harvest. Sorghum-sudangrass or sudangrasses
generally grow back after harvest. |
| Life Cycle: | Annual |
| Origin: | Africa |
| Production Season: | Central and North Florida - May to mid
September for all types; earlier and later for
South Florida. |
| Nutritive Value: | Varies with management.
Low to medium crude protein and medium to high
digestibility.Forage quality is best at 60
and 72 percent moisture content (medium to hard
dough stage). Protein and energy are reduced
when harvested at grain too dried. Harvesting
too wet will cause ensiling problems and likely
decrease intake in cattle. |
| Use: | Grain (starch) types for industrial uses
(biofuel, bird seed). Also used as food in
Africa and some tropical America countries.
Forage types used as hay, haylage, silage and
grazing
(of the stubble after is cut for hay).
Sweet sorghum types used for biofuel
production , for
molasses production, as alcoholic beverages
(Asian countries). |
| Herbarium Image: | For an herbarium image click this link. |
Adaptation |
| Soil: | Sandy-loam. Tolerates high pH and salinity. |
| pH: | 5.5 - 7.5 |
| Rainfall: | 16-60 inches; Tolerant of late season drought,
however requires more water than pearl millet |
| Temperature: | 60°F minimum temperature for sorghum growth.
Highest yields occurs between 75°F and 86°F.
It is frost sensitive. 59°F minimum
for germination. |
Management |
| Planting Date: | March in south FloridaMid April through
June in central and north Florida |
| Planting Depth: | 0.25-0.5 inch |
| Seeding Rate: | Sudan types: 25 lb/acre drilled in rows (6 to 8
inch widerows), or 30 to 40 lb/acre broadcast.
Seeds may be white, yellow, red, or brown, with
the darker-colored seed being higher in tannins. |
| Seed Cost: | Variable. BMR ($1.0/lb; $24 to 29/acre) |
| Fertilization: | For fertilization info click this
link |
| Production: | Grain= 50-60 bu/acre. Forage= 4-12 tons/acre
(90% DM); 15-30 tons/acre (wet). Sweet sorghum=
15-30 tons/acre (wet); 400-600 gallons/acre
(based on nationalproduction).
For production info click this link |
Notes |
| May cause nitrate poisoning if drought
stressed, or under cloudy conditions. Also,
potential prussic acid poisoning if grazed after
frost, rain or plant stressed; not normally a
concern when sorghum is harvested for silage but
wait 4 days to harvest after killing frost
In horses causes interstitial cystitis.
New photoperiod sensitive cultivars
will only flower when daylength is 12 1/2
hours.May attract root nematodes and sting
nematodes.Not considered a problem as an
invasive plant unless seed source is
contaminated with Johnsongrass or shattercane |
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