Years ago, sorghum was one of
the most important food crops in Africa, but over the years, farmers have
abandoned it in favour of maize.
However, what farmers do not
know is that sorghum has many advantages over maize and other pasture grasses.
To begin with, it can grow
well in both high and low potential areas where maize cannot do well. As a
fodder crop, it can be used in place of maize for making silage and grain and
even as a fresh chopped forage for various animals, including cows, goats,
sheep, pigs and chickens. As animal feed, it has the same energy level as maize
or any other cereal.
Due to its higher sugar
content, sorghum can do better than maize when it comes to silage making because farmers do
not need to add molasses as they do when making silage.
Sorghum can withstand dry
conditions (600mm annual rainfall) and remain green at very low moisture level,
thus, providing farmers with adequate feeds when maize and other feed sources
fail.
Sorghum can still do well in
very poor soils where maize, napier and other cereals cannot grow. Most
varieties of sorghum produce much more forage than maize.
Another big advantage is that
the lower leaves of sorghum do not dry as the plant matures, they remain green
and, therefore, retain a higher crude protein content than maize. Unlike maize,
sorghum can grow again after harvesting the grain (the second crop that grows
from regeneration is called a ratoon). This way, the farmers can reduce the
cost of replanting, land preparation, seeds and time.
For a good sorghum crop, a
farmer should follow the following guidelines:
Land
preparation:
For both forage and food varieties
of sorghum, start preparing the land at the end of the rains (August is a
suitable time). Sorghum does well in fine soils. It can also be grown where the
soils are not disturbed much (or under conservation tillage practices).
Seed
rate and spacing:
Farmers should plant sorghum
at a seed rate of 2.4 to 3.2kg per acre. Fodder varieties should be planted at
a spacing of 75 by 10cm. Varieties meant for feed and grain (dual-purpose
sorghum) requires a spacing of 60 by 20cm, which allows for a higher grain-fodder
ratio.
Sowing:
Sorghum should be sown at the
onset of the rains. Drill seeds along the furrows (trenches) and plant them 3cm
deep when dry planting to avoid germination during false rains but 2cm deep if
the ground is wet.
Manure
application:
Well-composted manure or fertiliser
should be applied during land preparation and worked into the soil. Foliar
feeds can be added when the plant is knee-high.
Thinning:
The crop should be thinned
when it is 30cm high or 30 days after planting, whichever comes first, to
ensure a spacing of 10cm between rows for fodder sorghum and 20cm between rows
for dual-purpose varieties.
Weeding:
Hand weeding should be done at
least twice. A sorghum field should be kept weed-free especially in the early
stages of growth.
Pest
and disease control:
Control of cutworms, aphids,
shoot-fly and stalk borer is necessary. Birds like sorghum especially at milk
stage. They prefer white-seeded varieties and will feed on it before eating the
brown-seeded type. Sorghum is generally disease-tolerant, but control diseases.
Harvesting:
Sorghum meant for seed
production should be harvested at maturity stage. On the other hand, that meant
for fodder can be cut when still green and fresh. Leave it in sun for it to
wilt for 12 hours then chop and feed to the animals. To make silage, start
harvesting at dough stage (when the grain is at milky and hardening stage). For
dual-purpose sorghum, cut the head with a knife or use a combine harvester.
Sorghum
varieties:
E6518:
Matures in 230 days (about seven-and-half months). It produces about 33 x 90kg
bags of sorghum grain and 230kg bags of fodder per acre. The plant attains a
height of 3m. This variety is suitable for fodder.
E1291:
Matures in 160 days (about five months). One acre produces 66 x 90kg bags of
sorghum grain, 66kg of sorghum matter and 200kg dry matter. It grows to 1.7m.
The variety is suitable for food and fodder.
Ikinyaruka:
Matures in 160 days. It produces 77 x 90kg bags of sorghum and 200kg dry matter
per acre. The variety is suitable for both food and fodder. It grows to a height
of 1.7 metres.
BJ28:
Matures in 110 days and produces 156 bags of fodder and 33kg dry matter per
acre. It grows to 2.5 metres. The variety is good for food and fodder.
This
is where we will be ending our discussion for today. Remember to share your comments views and opinions.
Comments
Post a Comment