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Sorghum offers drought tolerance, feed value and weed management benefits

The chairwoman of the Nebraska Sorghum Board says adding sorghum to a crop rotation could help improve an operation’s bottom line.

Tracy Zink, a farmer from McCook, says the crop performs well in regions that are susceptible to drought. “Those are the acres you want to be looking at crop that can hang on that can wait for moisture. A lot of our traits on our stay green and drought tolerant corn are great, but they aren’t magic. As long as we get some rain, sorghum will produce.”

She tells Brownfield it also can provide a cheaper feed source for livestock. “Even if you don’t get the yield that you’re looking for if you have cattle, you’re going to be able to use this in your operation.”

Zink says the commodity also plays a key role in weed management. “We also use sorghum to mix up our herbicides, so we don’t have to use the exact same herbicide every single year. We’re seeing a positive lack of weeds.”

She says this week’s annual field day helped producers see the benefits of the planting the crop. “What did you do? What population did you plant? What fertilizer did you do? What herbicide did you use? Usually, the seed price difference that makes the economic tilt between corn because we still fertilize for the same yield goal.”

The annual field day brought together nearly 90 farmers, researchers and industry leaders at plots near Indianola on Wednesday.

Tracy Zink: