Agronomic Practices for Sorghum Production

Sorghum is a C4 crop that belongs to Poaceae family. Sorghum is a multifunctional crop used as forage, food, sugar, fiber, and bioenergy crops in a wide range of environments. Grain sorghum is the fifth most important cereal worldwide after wheat, rice, maize, and barley. Forage sorghum varieties produce greater biomass yield than grain sorghum varieties but have lower grain yield. Sweet sorghum contains high amount of fermentable sugar (10–20%) in its juicy stems, which can easily be fermented to ethanol like sugar cane. Sorghum is a warm-season crop; therefore, it needs warm temperature for good establishment and high productivity. Sorghum, also known as the camel crop, is very resistant to drought and can grow well in semi-arid areas. Sorghum removes a large amount of nutrients from the soil, thanks to its well-developed fibrous root system. Fertilization should be done at the optimum rate and time, taking into account the soil test results and the expected yield average. Yield losses in sorghum cultivation associated with infestation of weeds, insects, and diseases can be minimized by a combination of integrated pest and weed management components including chemical control, natural enemies, host plant resistance, and proper agronomic practices.