R.W. HeinigerVernon G. James Center

North Carolina State University

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1. Increasing Market Opportunities and Potential

2. Growing Grain Sorghum in North Carolina

3. Advantages and Drawbacks to Grain Sorghum

4. The Future for Grain Sorghum

The Environment for Grain Sorghum

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Þ Key Markets are:Þ Henderson – IAMS plantÞ Waverly, VA – Feed processingÞ Raeford, NC – Ethanol

(Price per bushel except Sorghum price per cwt.)

SRW Wheat 7.69 per bushel Yellow Corn 6.29 per bushelYellow Sorghum 10.75 per cwt 6.02 per buYellow Soybeans 13.65 per bushel

Opportunities in Grain Sorghum

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1. Hybrid Selection for Yield and Disease Resistance

2. Planting Date

3. Row Spacing and Seeding Rate

4. Fertility

5. Weed Control

6. Insect and Disease Control

Þ Sorghum requires careful management

KEYS TO PROFIT

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Pioneer 86G08 65 Pioneer 85G46 69DeKalb DK44 66DeKalb DKS44-20 70

Early - Medium Hybrids Late Hybrids

DeKalb/Asgrow A571 71DeKalb DKS54-00 72DeKalb/Asgrow A603 72DeKalb DKS54-03 72Pioneer 84G62 72Pioneer 83G66 72Pioneer 83G15 73Pioneer 84G77 71

Þ Maturity – Disease Tolerance – Yield: These are the keys to a hybrid that produces high yield in North Carolina.

KEY # 1: HYBRID SELECTION

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Monsanto MSE 532Pioneer 83G66Pioneer 83G15Pioneer 82G10DeKalb DKS53-67Pioneer 84G62Monsanto MSE 536Pioneer 85G46NC+ NC+ 7B51Pioneer 84G62DeKalb DKS54-00DeKalb /Asgrow A603DeKalb DKS54-00

Sorghum Hybrids for this Area

123.6117.3117.3116.8115.4114.9112.7111.8106.3105.198.597.697.0

2008 State Trial

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Effect of Planting Date on Yield

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P 8212YP 8414P 82G63

Impact of Maturity and Planting Date

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Effect of Planting Date on Yield

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Predicted Response2000 through 2002

KEY # 2: PLANTING DATE

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Effect of Row Spacing on Yield

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KEY # 3: ROW SPACING and POPULATION

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Effect of Final Plant Population on Yield

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POPULATION: DOES IT MATTER?

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Start with Bicep or Harness for good early weed control

Quick Emergence and Early Growth

Combination of Atrazine and

KEY # 4: WEED CONTROL

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Postemergence Weed Control in Sorghum

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Postemergence Weed Control in Sorghum

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• Current recommendations– 1.5-2 lb N/cwt = 0.84-1.12 lb N/bu– 25% @ plant– +40 lb if silage

• Need Good P and K indexes: 60 or better• Crop requires 35 to 40 lbs of phosphorus• Crop requires 50 lbs of potassium

KEY # 5: FERTILITY MANAGEMENT

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N uptake by grain sorghum2/3 of N removed as grain

60 bu crop total 75# N, grain has 50# N120 bu crop total 150 # N, grain has 100 # N

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From: Vanderlip, 1979, Kansas State University

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Yield Response to Nitrogen at Early Planting (5/25/01)

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Yield Response to Nitrogen at Late Planting (06/20/01)

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Ear worms and birds can cause severe damage

Maize Dwarf Mosaic and anthracnose can be severe with continuous sorghum or following corn

Maturity selection can impact disease and pest avoidance

KEY # 6: INSECTS AND DISEASES

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CornEarwormDamage

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Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus

Anthracnose Stalk Rot

Table 1. Anthracnose ratings for sorghum hybrids grown in North Carolina. 1 = poor diseases resistance; 10 = excellent resistance.

Maturity refers to the number of days to flowering or mid-bloom.

HybridMaturity

(days)Anthracnose

Rating

Pioneer 83G15 69 1

Pioneer 83G66 72 7

Pioneer 84G62 72 3

Pioneer 82G10 73 5

Pioneer 8699 65 1

Pioneer 86G08 65 4

DeKalb DKS53-11 70 2

DeKalb DK44 68 4

DeKalb DK44-41 67 5

DeKalb DKS54-00 72 3

Asgrow A567 70 3

Asgrow A570 73 5

Asgrow A603 75 2

Asgrow Seneca 65 6

Garst 5515 67 4

Garst 5631Y 63 6

Garst 5360 69 3

Disease Ratings for Anthracnose

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Harvest early - need to have facilities to dry grain

Early harvest avoids:1. lodging problems2. Grain deterioration3. Late tillering that interferes with harvest

KEY # 7: EARLY HARVEST

1. Lower Input Costs

2. Sustainable Returns in Low Yield Environments

3. Better Nutrient Utilization than Corn - Highly Compatible with Swine or Poultry waste applications

4. Excellent Rotation Crop for Cotton or Soybean

5. More Residue Produced Compared to Corn

6. Chemical Weed Control Alternatives for Roundup Resistant Weeds

7. When Harvest Occurs on Time Less Mycotoxins in Grain

Advantages to Sorghum

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1. Fewer Available Markets

2. Does not have the High Yield Potential of Corn in Better Environments

3. Crop Failure and/or Low Yield can Occur with Little Moisture During Heading

4. Few Options for Post-Emergence Grass Control

5. Anthracnose and Earworms are Critical Threats

6. Less Production Information on Fungicides

Drawbacks to Sorghum

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1. Markets that Desire Sorghum1. Ethanol – less mycotoxins, marginal land utilization2. Feed Grains – Change in Milling Practices3. Future Human Food Products??

2. Severe Cost Increases in N, P, and K or Lack of Availability

2. Ideal Crop for Biomass or Carbon Sequestration

What Will it Take to Expand Acres?

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1. Multi-Dimensional Energy Crop – 30 mt per hectare yield1. 3 to 4 tons of ethanol from sucrose2. 9 to 12 tons of cellulosic ethanol3. 6000 cubic meters of methane

2. Potential for 3 times more energy per hectare than corn and stover and 1.5 times more energy than switchgrass

3. Ideally suited for marginal soils in the southeastern US – can be grown with modest amount of nutrients

4. Production systems and hybrids already available

Advantages of Sweet Sorghum

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New Sweet Sorghum Hybrids

Older Hybrid – 22053

New Hybrid – TAMU x HO8001

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New Sweet Sorghum Hybrids

Older Hybrid – 22053

New Hybrid – TAMU x HO8001

Common Hybrid

– M81-E

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Sorghum Hybrids

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Productivity in North Carolina

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Questions?