Sorghum Tips

Grain Sorghum & Low Input Mentality

Statewide

Numerous producers in all regions of Texas are already considering increasing their grain sorghum acreage in 2013.  Cotton price prospects for 2013 do not appear strong and grains do.  Aflatoxin concerns have backed some growers off of corn in Central and South Texas.  Producers are already checking seed supplies of favorite sorghum hybrids for next year.

A pitfall to avoid, however, for grain sorghum production is going too far into the too-common low-input mentality for grain sorghum production.  For too many producers, this in fact approaches a no-input mentality.  Or at least minimal inputs.  This applies foremost to nitrogen (N) fertilizer, but can affect P fertilizer, the willingness to spray for insects like headworms or stink bug when economic thresholds suggest you should, etc.  Yes, grain sorghum production at the yields we expect on an acre is less than for corn.  But we know that if inputs are cut significantly below crop requirements then you receive mediocre and even poor results.  And then the tendency is to blame the crop for underperformance.

I attended the recent national grain sorghum conference at Kansas State University.  Colleagues with KSU as well as Oklahoma State Univ. spoke highly of grain sorghum’s role in Great Plains farming, that sorghum has a fit in many production systems that is more appropriate than corn.  But they noted producers must ensure inputs are managed appropriately to maintain good profitable yields else reduced inputs restrict yield potential and lead to disappointment.

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