The optimum seeding rate for grain sorghum is about 10 pounds of seed per acre assuming a seed size of 14,000 seeds per pound and 70 percent emergence. Seed size varies from about 13,000 to 16,000 seeds/pound depending on the hybrid.
What’s the best way to plant sorghum?
Method of Planting: Plant grain sorghum in rows at a depth of 1 inch in heavy soil and 1 1/2 to 2 inches in sandy soil. Corn planters are probably the most common seeding equipment. It is important to place the seed in moist soil to obtain fast emergence of the seedling.
How deep should you plant sorghum?
Sorghum should be planted one inch deep under most situations. Seeds should be placed to moisture, but no deeper than about one inch in heavy soils and about two inches in sandy soils.
Can you plant sorghum with a corn planter?
Method of Planting: Plant grain sorghum in rows at a depth of 1 inch in heavy soil and 1 1/2 to 2 inches in sandy soil. Corn planters are probably the most common seeding equipment. ... A grain drill can also be used to plant the seed in narrow rows.
How much does it cost to plant an acre of sorghum?
“Seed costs for sorghum are $12 to $15 per acre compared with seed corn costs that are often over $100 per acre,” says Staggenborg. Still, sorghum needs inputs like nitrogen (N). The ratio of N needed to produce a bushel of grain is akin to corn’s 1.2 pounds of N per bushel, says Staggenborg.
How do you fertilize sorghum?
Sorghum growers can apply starter fertilizer in band over the row , in the seed furrow, below the seed, on the soil surface to the side of the row or on the side but below the soil surface.
Does sorghum need full sun?
Like corn, sorghum needs ground that gets full sun and has fertile, well-drained soil. Because sorghum is self-fertile, a large plot is not needed for pollination purposes. Mix a balanced fertilizer into the bed or row before planting. Sorghum needs soil temperature to reach at least 60°F.
Is sorghum easy to grow?
Appropriate sorghum varieties must be chosen for each use, but all types are as easy to grow as corn . Sorghum grows best where summers are quite warm, with daytime temperatures regularly topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can you plant sorghum with a grain drill?
Today’s planters are extremely accurate. But many farmers still use grain drills or air seeders to plant sorghum, and they need to know how much seed to apply per acre. ... Medium to High Yield, Dryland: 70,000 sees per acre (caveat: shorter-season environments may want more seeds per acre to prevent tillering).
Can you drill sorghum?
Some Texas sorghum farmers, at least in the High Plains, may even drill their grain sorghum.
Can you plant sorghum in July?
When planted in early July, sorghum -sudangrasses can produce 3 to 4 tons by early-mid September. Photo credit Troy Walz. If planting in July, warm season annual grasses are good options for forage production. They can be used to produce hay, silage, green chop, or grazing both during the summer or winter.
What is the easiest crop to farm?
- Lettuce. Lettuce can be sown directly in your garden bed, or started indoors for transplanting. ...
- Peas. Snap, snow, and shelling peas are all best sown as early as the soil can be worked in spring. ...
- Radishes. ...
- Turnips. ...
- Beans. ...
- Sunflowers. ...
- Sweet Potatoes. ...
- Winter Squash, including Pumpkins.
What crop is the most profitable?
The highest yielding crops are sugar cane, sugar beet, and tomatoes . Sugar cane accounts for about 80% of the world’s sugar production, while sugar beet the remaining 20%. Not surprisingly, the most lucrative cash crops from a value per acre perspective are illegal in many parts of the world.
Will deer eat sorghum?
The nice thing about sorghum is deer do not usually eat the plant while it is in the early development stage. ... In the Deep South, where late-summer can be a nutritional stress period for deer, deer often consume sorghum seed heads as soon as they are mature in August or September.
Which fertilizer is best for sorghum?
Fertilizer Nutrient Management
Farmers should apply NPK fertilizer with the at least six combinations of the above nutrients (including the NPK) for maximum production. NPK fertilizers with rations (N=20-24, P=9-11.5, K=4.5-7) including S, Mg, and Zn give the best combination ratio for sorghum production.
