Sorghum growers from 24 states entered to win this year’s National Sorghum Producer Yield Contest, with this year’s top yield at 228.07 bushels per acre. Optimum planting rates for forage sorghum are about 8 to 12 pounds of seed per acre. Forage sorghums are also adapted to farms that experience considerable deer damage to corn. Too often it has been regarded as an emergency crop and not managed to obtain its top potential. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. A forage sorghum silage crop removes large amounts of nutrients, so soil testing is essential with this crop. Forage sorghum hybrids can vary considerably in yield potential, height, forage quality, grain content, and maturity. in sandy soil. The seed should not be sowed more than 2 – 3 cm depth. The nutrient recommendation for a soil testing in the optimum range for P and K is 120 pounds of N, 65 pounds of P 2 O 5, and 120 pounds of K 2 O for a crop with a 21-ton per acre yield potential. Each inch of soil water increases the yield of corn or grain sorghum by approximately 12 bushels. Forage sorghum is a crop that has a potential under some soil/crop/livestock situations in Pennsylvania. Yields of forage sorghums are comparable to corn and can range from 15- to 30-ton per acre depending on the soil, weather, and the hybrid. By Ignacio A. Ciampitti, Extension crop production and cropping systems specialist. Here, substitution of forage sorghum for corn can make a large difference in the profitability of a silage production enterprise (Table 5). Consider using a recutter screen if the crop is dry and the grains are hard. Seeding rates range from about 60,000 to 80,000 seeds per acre. This year’s top yield and Bin Buster winner is Santino Santini of New Jersey with 212.5 bushels per acre. The concern of prussic acid and nitrate poisoning is greatest when sorghum is grazed less that 24 to 30 inches in height, immediately after a killing frost, or on regrowth of sorghum killed by an early frost. Read More.. Like other crops, it responds to good management; paying attention to the details of producing forage sorghum will improve the likelihood of success with the crop. Consider several key aspects of forage sorghum management to ensure success: (1) grow it in a situation where it is adapted and will result in economical feed, (2) pay attention to planting depth and planting date, (3) select a hybrid adapted to the area, and (4) harvest on time and with good silage management practices. Generally, forage sorghum silage has 75% to 85% of the energy value of corn silage per unit of dry matter, while other summer annual grasses have 60% to 80% percent of the value of corn silage. Consult the Penn State Agronomy Guide for the latest weed control recommendations. Generally after four weeks of ensiling, any prussic acid problem has been alleviated. For example, the minimum temperature for sorghum growth is about 60°F and highest yields occur when the mean temperatures during the growing season are between 75°F and 80°F. The Table Below Shows the Yield of Jowar per Acre. Seeding depth should be 1 in. But the crop once again proved its impressive versatility this year, after sorghum grower Ella Johnston, of Fulton County, Pennsylvania, set a new U.S. record for dryland sorghum production with a field that hit 245.86 bushels per acre (bpa), in the National Sorghum Producer’s 2020 Sorghum Yield Contest. Planters should be set to place seed at a depth of ¾ to 1¼ inches. Kansas farmer Kimberly Gamble took first place in the Irrigated West category at 223.51 bpa. “When corn and grain sorghum prices are equal, grain sorghum is a more profitable crop to grow until corn yields exceed 141 bushels per acre,” Staggenborg says. Forage sorghums have even been grown successfully in short-season areas of Pennsylvania where 95-day corn is considered full season. Forage sorghum is also particularly well suited to some classes of livestock, such as dairy heifers and dry cows. Occasionally, in good years, forage sorghum production may exceed silage storage capabilities on the farm. sorghum in Texas is 2 pounds per acre of elemental N for each 100 pounds per acre of grain production expected. NEL = net energy of lactation, NEM = net energy of maintenance, and NEG = net energy of gain. Forage sorghum growth can range from 5- to 15-feet tall, depending on the hybrid. Forage sorghum typically dries down slowly. Get notified when we have news, courses, or events of interest to you. Full-season forage sorghums will not mature in these areas and the crop will have to be killed by frost before harvest can begin. (DTN photo by … Soil pH should be maintained above 6.0 with target pH of 6.5. Some growers in full-season areas of Pennsylvania have utilized a double-crop rotation to produce dry cow and heifer feed very economically. In the world of crop yield contests, corn and soybeans garner the headlines. Harvesting drier sorghum can reduce the energy and protein value. Data. This allows any prussic acid formed to dissipate before harvesting. Sorghum for syrup can be planted with a corn planter or with a grain drill at a rate of 10 to 15 lb/acre. Seed broadcasting should be avoided. Even when the reduced value of forage sorghum silage is considered, forage sorghum can be more profitable than corn in some situations (Table 3). The ensiling process reduces nitrate content in the silage. With these considerations, forage sorghum can be an important crop alternative for livestock farms in Pennsylvania. Sorghum-sudangrass and sudangrass had more similar yields using either one or two harvests than other sorghum types due to greater tiller production than the forage sorghums. Cereal yield (kg per hectare) from The World Bank: Data. We can get 12 quintals of yield per acre on an average basis. The final average expected yield across the U.S. will be around 76 bushels per acre, which is just below the record set in 2016 at 77.9 bushels per acre. 2550. Forage sorghum is best adapted to warm regions and is particularly noted for its drought tolerance compared to corn. Planting too early or too deep are two of the main causes of sorghum stand problems. Seed rate and Sowing in Sorghum or Jowar Farming:- Seed rate of 35-40 kg per hectare is well enough and sowing should be carried out by drilling @ row-to-row distance of 25 cm. 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