Recommended Last Planting Date for Grain Sorghum in the Texas Low Rolling Plains (2023)

FAQs

Recommended Last Planting Date for Grain Sorghum in the Texas Low Rolling Plains? ›

Sorghum should be planted during a period from about April 1 through April 20, or from June 20 through the first week in July.

Sorghum does best when the pH is between 6.0 and 6.8. If lime is necessary to raise the pH, it's best to do it the fall before planting the crop. This allows more time for the lime to help neutralize the acidity of the soil. Soil temperatures for planting are more critical than air temperatures.

Grain moisture content typically varies between 25 to 40% depending on sorghum product selection and growing conditions. Total time from flowering to physiological maturity is approximately 40 to 45 days.

(1) Do not plant later than July 1. *Good early season vigor ratings, adapted to early plantings at cooler temperatures.

Grain sorghum should be planted when soil temperatures reach 60 to 65°F. Generally this is 15 to 20 days after corn planting or between May 15 and early June. Grain yields decrease as planting is delayed after early June.

Sorghums are classified into four groups – grass sorghums, grain sorghums, broomcorn, and sorgos. The grain sorghums are typically planted for deer and other wildlife because of their ability to produce grain.

The crop should be planted after the threat of frost in spring and before July 15 in most of the Northeast to allow for maximum growth. Planting with less than six weeks until frost will result in low levels of dry matter production.

Grain sorghum goes through three distinct stages of development after emergence – seedling development, panicle initiation and reproduction. The time required for the plant to go through each stage is dependent upon hybrid maturity and temperatures encountered during the growing season.

Flowering or blooming is the most critical stage in the life of the sorghum plant. A plant begins flowering from the top of the panicle and progresses downward. A field of sorghum is in the flowering stage when blooming has progressed halfway down the panicle in 50% of the plants.

Sorghum grain production totaled 373 million bushels nationwide in 2020, up 9%, with an average yield of 73.2 bushels per acre, up two-tenths of a bushel from the previous year.

What is the best way to plant sorghum? ›

Sorghum seed should be generally be planted 1.25 to 1.5 inches deep, depending on soil texture and moisture content. Deeper depth is fine for sandy soils, particularly if soil moisture is very dry. However, deep planting will hinder stand establishment when conditions are cool and wet.

Using the seed per pound numbers for forage sorghum from the above chart, per acre seeding rates for forage sorghum based on seed size can vary from 5 to 8 lbs per acre to get our 80-100,000 plants per acre depending upon the hybrid being grown.

One acre produces 66 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.

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.

Sorghum should be generally be planted 1 ¼ – 1 ½ inches deep depending on soil texture and soil moisture. Deeper depth is fine for sandy soils, particularly if soil moisture is short.

Sorghum grows best where summers are quite warm, with daytime temperatures regularly topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Sandy soils in warm climates are especially good for growing sorghum because it withstands drought and flooding better than corn does.

Mourning dove primarily eat seeds and are attracted to fields where their preferred seeds are abundantly available. Some of their preferred crop seeds include corn, foxtail millet, hemp, Japanese millet, peanut, sorghum and wheat.

For example, sorghum seed typically costs $9-$18 per acre depending on seeding rate, while corn seed typically costs $55-$110 an acre depending on seeding rate and traits.

bag. $5 per 50 lb.

Planting rates vary from 20 to 40 pounds per acre depending on whether the seed is broadcast or planted in rows. Planting dates are usually from May to July but can be earlier in the deep South.

How much Sudan grass do you plant per acre? ›

PLANTING RATES: Sudangrass should be planted at a rate of 120 to 150 pounds of seed per acre. This high seeding rate produces finer-stemmed hay that is desirable for export to Japan.

Sorghum and sudangrass plants contain a compound called dhurrin, which can break down to release prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide, HCN). Sudangrass has low levels of this compound and rarely kills animals. Sorghum has the highest levels and sorghum-sudangrasses are intermediate.

Grain sorghum grows to about 5 feet and is used for livestock feed, biofuels, pet food and human consumption. Forage sorghum grows 6 to 12 feet tall and produces more dry matter tonnage than grain sorghum. Because of its coarse stem, it's primarily used for silage.

The first 30-35 days after the plant emerges, nearly all growth is leaves. Then the culm or stalk starts rapid growth, and leaves and stalk continue until maximum leaf weight is reached at about 60 days and maximum stalk weight at about 65 days. After about 50 days the head in- creases in weight rapidly.

Sorghum is a strong grass and usually grows to a height of 0.6 to 2.4 metres (2 to 8 feet), sometimes reaching as high as 4.6 metres (15 feet). Stalks and leaves are coated with a white wax, and the pith, or central portion, of the stalks of certain varieties is juicy and sweet.

Sorghum is a perennial tropical grass with a growing season of 115–140 days. The rate of growth depends upon temperature and moisture primarily, but it can also be influenced by soil fertility, insect and disease damage. 2 The optimum temperature range for growth is 12–34°C.

Sorghum is a versatile cereal grain used for human consumption as well as livestock feed, alcoholic beverages, and biofuel production. When sorghum is consumed with its outer hull intact, it's a good source of dietary fiber and antioxidants.

The average sorghum farm price was $3.34 per bushel in 2019-20, according to the USDA. The agency in April projected the average farm price for the current marketing year at $5.05 per bushel, though prices have exceeded $6 per bushel.

Nitrogen promotes intensive plant growth and increases the entire vegetative mass of sorghum. The highest yields are obtained with the application of high doses of nitrogen. This fertilizer accelerates seed germination. Doses of phosphorus applied for sorghum are usually lower than that of nitrogen by 1.5 – 2 times.

IndexBox, Inc. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The average sorghum price from U.S. farmers rose by 55% y/y to $5.94 per bushel or $234 per tonne in 2021, a recent report from IndexBox reveals.

What do you plant after sorghum? ›

Crop Rotation - Crop Development

In rotation, sorghum takes the place of corn: so ideally it follows a legume (soybean, alfalfa, peas) and is followed by sugarbeet, tomato, potatoes and other crops.

Nitrogen. Nitrogen is the nutrient most often limiting in sorghum production. Under low rainfall conditions with low yield potential, 30 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre may be adequate. In productive irrigated situations, up to 200 pounds of nitrogen will be required.

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.

Row spacing varies by region, but the row spacing for grain sorghum that best fits most environments is 30 inches. A 30-inch row spacing provides a good combination of light interception and enough soil volume to provide stored water during short periods of drought.

Grain sorghum seed size is typically 14,000 to 16,000 seeds per pound, but can range from 9,000 to 22,000 seeds per pound.

The average price for a tonne is US$ 196.91 in New York and Washington. US' import price for sorghum in 2019 was US$1.25 per kg.

Optimum planting rates for forage sorghum are about 8 to 12 pounds of seed per acre. Seed lots often contain about 14,000 to 17,000 seeds per pound, and sorghum emergence is often about 75 percent, so these planting rates will result in plant populations of 85,000 to 150,000 plants per acre.

Although water needs decline slightly after booting, a sorghum crop still requires 2 to 3 inches of water every 10 days. Irrigating during heading and flowering generally produces an increase of 1,200 to 1,500 pounds per acre.

Will grain sorghum grow in sandy soil? ›

Seeding depth should be no more than 1 inch in heavy soils or in sandy soils with good soil moisture. Seed can emerge from a depth up to 2 inches; however, germination is slow and percent germination decreases substantially. Fertility. Fertility requirements for grain sorghum are similar to those for wheat and corn.

One acre produces 66 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.

Generally speaking, the ideal planting dates are: Central Kansas to central Nebraska: May 15 to June 2. Southern Kansas to northern Oklahoma: late April to May 10.

Sorghum seed should be generally be planted 1.25 to 1.5 inches deep, depending on soil texture and moisture content. Deeper depth is fine for sandy soils, particularly if soil moisture is very dry. However, deep planting will hinder stand establishment when conditions are cool and wet.

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.