Sorghum Increasing In Popularity In Dry Areas

 

Sorghum, also known as milo, was one of the few crops that survived the blistering 2012 drought in the Midwest.  A story this week on Yahoo News highlighted the grain, which is also gluten-free and is used for animal feed and methanol in the US but is a subsistence crop in sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Sorghum is increasingly being used for beer, grain mixes and as a popcorn substitute, especially now that gluten-free alternates are so marketable.  The major drawback to the use of the grain for human consumption is its strong taste.  You can read the story here.  Since sorghum takes less water and fertilizer than other crops, it is very useful in areas like the Southeast where temperatures and evaporation have increased since the 1970s and several droughts have occurred in the last 15 years.

 

 

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.