How to Grow Sorghum in Africa
Sorghum is a plant in the grass family (Poaceae). It is a food crop that is native to sub-Saharan Africa. Sorghum provides food, fodder and even building materials to millions of people in over 30 countries, including Africa. The two main cultivars of Sorghum bicolor in Africa are red sorghum, which is bitter and used mainly for fodder and making beer, and white sorghum, which is sweeter and used for making breads and porridge. Sorghum favors semi-arid conditions and is highly nutritious, making it an important crop in many parts of Africa to help alleviate malnutrition and hunger, and to boost food security. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Gather sorghum seed. You can either purchase seed from a farmer in a rural area, or at a market in an urban area. If you are planting seed for food, choose the white sorghum seeds. You can gather it directly from crops as well. The mature seeds are formed in a cluster at the top of the sorghum plant stalk.
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Prepare the soil for planting. In arid regions of Africa, you need to increase the soil fertility by adding nitrogen. One way to increase nutrients in soil without using commercial fertilizers is to grow legumes during the dry season. When it is time to plant sorghum just before rainy season, cut back the legumes, and hoe the leaves and pods from the legumes into the soil. You can also use compost to amend the soil.
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Make furrowed rows 3 feet apart in the area you are planting, using a hoe. Dig up the soil so that it will drain well and is not compacted. Drop three or four seeds every 5 inches in the furrows. Plant them about 1 inch deep.
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Water the seeds until they have sprouted. Keep the rows free of weeds until the plant is established. Many varieties of sorghum are adapted to the dry conditions in Africa and do not need additional water after germination.
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Sorghum produces seeds through cross-pollination using the wind. The seeds form at the top of a tall stalk in an inflorescence called a panicle. The seeds are ready to harvest when a small black spot appears on the end of each grain, usually about 30 to 35 days after fertilization (when flowers are open), and about 100 to 140 days after planting.
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Remove the entire bunch of seeds with a machete and let the seeds continue to dry in an area protected from birds and pests. Once dry, the seeds should fall easily from the panicle. The remainder of the plant can be used for fodder, or other materials, such as brooms bristles.
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