Texas High Plains
Dryland Seeding Rates
This is the most cussed and discussed and explained grain sorghum topic in my 13+ years as Extension agronomist in the Texas High Plains. Historically, many producers planted too much seed for ever present drought potential. When deep soil moisture is good (not 2012!), Extension recommends a maximum seeding rate of ~32,000 seeds/Acre, but we will readily drop that for drier conditions. If deep soil moisture is minimal consider ~26,000 seeds/Acre, and even lower if you are dusting in a later crop in very dry conditions. At these lower seeding rates and the subsequent stands you still retain surprising yield potential if conditions improve, but on the other hand, you have a better shot at harvesting a crop—we want a grain crop rather than a hay crop—with low plant populations in spite of dry conditions.
Texas Coastal Bend
Damaged Sorghum Heads
On May 21, Nueces Co. AgriLife Ag. Extension agent, Jeff Stapper noted some area fields showed blanking and undeveloped sections on the head, particularly at the tip (examples below). Along with Dr. Dan Fromme, extension agronomist from Corpus Christi, they concluded that this malady, already evident at heading, was likely related to stress in the sorghum plant. Grain sorghum breeder Dr. Gary Peterson, Texas AgriLife Research in Lubbock, concurs noting the symptom is consistent with heat stress during panicle (head) formation while the developing heads are still wrapped up in the stalk surrounded by leaf sheaths. This indeed requires hot conditions to cause damage down in the plant. No fields reported excessive damage. If 20% of field heads lost 20% of grain potential (and the head compensates some) this is a 4% loss, so though the damage may looks bothersome, the overall loss was still minimal.
