Innovations
Sorghum does fit in the future
Gerald Simonsen and his brother run a diversified farming operation at Ruskin, Nebraska; he serves as Chair of the National Sorghum Producers. He says sorghum growers have their work cut out for them, “we’re losing some acres here and there to other crops, we’ve got to get some technology into the crop to where it is easier to raise.” He notes that sorghum can be grown on 80 percent of the land surface in the world “so we don’t need to expand our acreage but we do need to improve our technology so we can grow more on those acres.” He also notes the ethanol industry plays a big role in sorghum’s future.
AUDIO: Simonsen’s comments 3:40
Ricky Rice is with Advanta International, the largest sorghum seed-producing company in the world. He says in the past sorghum has fallen behind corn in development of new technologies, “but that is changing.” His company is working hard to develop new strains of sorghum geared toward both the starch and cellulosic ethanol industries.
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