How to Grow Grain Sorghum
Driving through the northern United States in summer will reveal rolling fields of corner, but farmers in the south, and in warm countries like Africa, cannot support corn. The hot-weather alternative crop is grain sorghum, a source of grain for humans and feed for cattle. Sorghum shares many similarities with corn, including appearance and size, but can grow in areas where corn cannot. Properly caring for grain sorghum keeps farmers growing and people and animals feasting on the protein-filled grain. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Monitor soil temperature each day after March with a thermometer. Soil must measure at or above 60 degrees Fahrenheit at 8 a.m. for five days straight for successful sorghum growth. In most areas this occurs between March and May.
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Till the soil thoroughly to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. This will remove roots of weeds, which can compete with sorghum for nutrients.
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Moisten the soil so that the top 2 to 3 inches of soil are wet. Sow sorghum seeds in rows at a depth of 1 ½ to 2 inches. Place seeds about 2 inches apart. Space rows of sorghum at least 20 to 30 inches apart so that the seeds do not compete for nutrients.
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Fertilize newly planted sorghum with nitrogen fertilizer at a rate of 150 lbs. of fertilizer per acre. Sorghum requires a lot of nitrogen to grow. Most fertilizers also contain phosphorous and potassium, which sorghum will use, but nitrogen is the most important component.
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Water the sorghum with an irrigation system or regular watering that provides 4 to 5 inches of water per week. The Arizona Cooperative Extension estimates that sorghum uses .4 inches of water each day in Arizona heat. Sorghum responds better to slightly too much water than to drought conditions.
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Control weeds with regular tilling between sorghum rows or selective herbicide applications. Only use herbicides approved for use near sorghum, as other chemicals can kill the sorghum plant.
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Tips & Warnings
Time between planting and harvesting sorghum varies by temperature and humidity. In general, sorghum seed heads will reach a moisture content of 20 to 25 percent when it is time to harvest.
References
- Photo Credit grain and flour image by Madera from Fotolia.com
Comments
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You have a photo of wheat, not grain sorghum. Grain sorghum also doesn't look like corn after the first 2-3 weeks of growth as corn gets much taller and sorghum has a panicle that contains seed insead of a cob.
