Corn silage has long been the silage of choice for dairies. Grainsorghum hybrids, which typically are shorter in height and have higher graintoforage ratios than forage types, also are viable options for use as a silage crop. Selection and production characteristics forage sorghum sudangrass sorghumsudangrass hybrids hybrid pearl millet foxtail millet strengths yield, better quality with brown midrib bmr hybrids, may have better yield with photoperiod sensitive ps hybrids rapid regrowth leave 6 to 8inch. Yield, composition, and nutritive value of forage sorghum silages. The mentioned counties are also the largest producing ones, with phillips ranking. Milking forage sorghum production in the southern plains region figure 1.
Overall silage quality, starch, and energy are at levels normally not reached in a sorghum silage. Napier grass and hybrid pennisetum napier or elephant grass pennisetum purpureum is a tall, tufted, robust perennial grass which originated in tropical africa. In recent years, we have seen a general trend of more interest in silage production, particularly from producers that have not harvested silage as of late. Nk300 is best adapted for high quality dairy silage. The main advantage of corn over sorghum is that corn tends to be a more consistent product from a nutritive value standpoint. Forage sorghum can be a profitable alternative crop, provided that it is managed well and used in the right situations. Silage master produces a wide leaf and could potentially reach 910 feet tall with normal growing conditions.
For a good crop use good planting techniques soil must be warm 60f cool conditions annual grass destroys crop broadcast and diskroll failure. Sudansorghum iowa s university iowa state university. Fig 1 a stand of forage sorghum at matopos research station in bulawayo ii. Growing in popularity due to improved digestibility. Maximum feed quality and regrowth will be obtained by harvesting the crop when 1 1. Chop into 38 to 12 inch lengths when the crop is 65 to 70% moisture mid to hard dough stage. Corn silage, with its relatively highenergy content, is also well adapted for use in lowcost rations for fattening cattle. Nk300 is a proven, dependable mediumearly hybrid forage sorghum adapted in a. Southern high plains, dairies have expanded and have increased the regional demand for forage and silage. Forage sorghum is an upright summer annual that is extremely drought tolerant, and an excellent choice for arid and dry areas.
A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Forage sorghum production guide soil, crop and more information. Conventional forage sorghum forage type cp % adf % ndf % lignin % ivdmd % bmr6 forage sorghum 9. Preserving feed for livestock doesnt always mean putting up sundried hay.
Typically, forage sorghums are used for silage production or for a one cutting hay crop. What are the dos and donts of growing forage sorghum. Henning, plant and soil sciences agr230 f orage sorghum is the tallest of the summer annuals, reaching 6 to 15 feet in height and is best harvested as silage. Forage sorghum silage yields have been similar to those of corn while using 30 percent less irrigation water sorghums will yield 1. Hybrid forage sorghum hybrid forage sorghums commonly referred to as forage sorghum grow 810 ft tall and have relatively large stem diameters. Evapotranspiration of corn and forage sorghum for silage. Birdresistant grain sorghum varieties, which may contain elevated levels of tannins, should be avoided. Sudansorghum forage management by brian lang, extension crop specialist sudansorghum forages have many desirable. Silage master is a full season forage sorghum that is great for silage, but not recommended for grazing or multiple cuttings. Francis counties saw their grain sorghum acreage increase between 72 and 177 percent as compared to the 2001 season. Alta brand forage sorghums offer dairy and livestock producers an alternative to corn silage and multicut sorghum sudans. Feed value of forage sorghum for silage for silage use, choose forage sorghum varieties and hybrids with high grain production for best tonnage and feed value.
The forage quality of a good forage sorghum crop is typically described as 80% of corn silage. May 26, 2016 2016 uf spring sorghum sudan silage variety trial. Nk300 is highly desirable due to low lignin content. For instance, forage sorghum is cheaper to produce, has comparable yields, but has slightly lower forage. This crop can produce yields similar to silage corn, but the forage quality is generally lower.
Forage sorghum cooperative extension service by chris teutsch, ray smith, tom keene, and jimmy c. Grain sorghum acreage expanded in most of the traditional grain sorghum producing counties in 2002. Be aware of the risk of prussic acid hcn poisoning with forage sorghums. Table 8 weed response to herbicides in forage sorghum. Sorghum is well adapted to environments with limited rainfall, high temperatures, and low soil fertility, and producers usually will harvest greater quantities of forage dry matter dm than from other crops, such as corn or grain sorghum. Some long season andor nonflowering types will need to be killed by frost to dry down enough for ensiling.
Many forage growers are discovering the benefits sorghum silage has to offer. In brazil, grain sorghum cultivars are usually recommended for high quality silage production because of their higher proportion of grains, whereas forage sorghum cultivars are. The discussion above addresses broad averages for types of forage sorghums, grain sorghums evaluated as silage, and sorghum sudangrass hybrids evaluated in the 2015 test. Risk is greatest when crops are forage sorghum silage as an alternative crop b ecause of rising energy costs and the need for water conservation, texas agricultural producers are looking for more efficient methods of using water in crop production. Grain sorghums and sweet sorghums forage sorghum are usually harvested for silage in a single cut. See remarks and limitations for 2,4d under corn postemergence. It has special adaptations to weather extremes and is a very stable source of nutrition as a result.
Grain sorghum hybrids, which typically are shorter in height and have higher grainto forage ratios than forage types, also are viable options for use as a silage crop. Sorghum grain can be utilized in the rations of beef cattle as a replacement for corn. Nutritional value of sorghum silage of different purposes scielo. The discussion above addresses broad averages for types of forage sorghums, grain sorghums evaluated as silage, and sorghumsudangrass hybrids evaluated in the 2015 test. Do not graze or harvest for forage for 14 days after eatmenttr. Forage sorghum typically provides only one cutting, but sudangrass and sudex can be cut more than once. Nutritional value of sorghum silage of different purposes.
Summer annual forages are often planted to provide supple mental grazing, hay or silage for livestock. Guidance for growing bmr brachytic dwarf forage sorghum. As silage, forage sorghums usually yield more dry matter per acre than dryland corn, and will yield similarly to corn under irrigation. These varieties have been selected for a onetime harvest or a single cut for silage production. Forage sorghum varieties selected for onetime harvest as silage can. Sorghums, sudangrass, and sorghumsudan hybrids team forage. Moench is a member of the grass family, which includes grain sorghum, forage sorghum, sweet sorgos, broomcorn and sudangrass, and it is also closely related to johnsongrass s. Forage planting rate planting method row width lbsa inches sudangrass and hybrid sudangrass 2535a broadcast 2030a drill 8 1015 drill 2030 sorghum x sudan hybrids same as for sudangrass and hybrid sudangrass forage sorghum 810 rowplant or drill 30. Large grain heads and the high grain to forage ratio gives it the potential to produce high quality silage. As silage, forage sorghums usually yield more dry matter per acre than dryland corn, and will yield similarly. Taller varieties produce high forage yield but can lodge, making them difficult to. A variety capable of rapid regrowth should be chosen. The importance of fiber quality and starch content for the nutritional value of corn silage dr. Crop hay and silage can be of very good quality if managed correctly.
Forage sorghum management, hybrids determine silage value. In brazil, grain sorghum cultivars are usually recommended for high quality silage production because of their higher proportion of grains, whereas forage sorghum cultivars are recommended for high dry matter dm yield. Jul 14, 2015 many forage growers are discovering the benefits sorghum silage has to offer. Forage sorghum silage costreturn budget in south central kansasaverage yield item unit price quantity amountsubtotal your farm 2017 return to budget page gregg ibendahl, dan obrien, douglas shoup, and john holman summary page budget date. Compared to corn silage, forage sorghum is more economical with fewer inputs, has water requirements that are up to 50 percent lower, and some varieties can provide greater or equal nutritive value. Forage sorghum is an important silage crop for beef and dairy producers in kansas. Mojo seed sorghum seed, opal, sorghum silage, forage sorghum. They typically are lower in lignin and higher in water soluble carbohydrates than conventional summer annuals. Extension specialists investigated the production, water use, quality. Alta brand forage sorghums are selected for high nutritional and agronomic benefits for todays livestock producer. In recent years, we have seen a general trend of more interest in silage production, particularly.
Corn silage, with its relatively highenergy content, is also well adapted for use in. Forage sorghum grows 6 to 12 feet tall and is used for silage. The silages of sweet sorghum cultivars brs 506 and cmsxs 647, and forage sorghum cultivar brs 655 presented higher nutritional values. Extension specialists also conducted feed quality trials, which showed that replacing corn silage with sorghum silage did not lower the rate of gain or the feed efficiency of cattle. Forage sorghum silage trial results variety testing. This is especially important for those classes of livestock.
The economic benefits of forage sorghum silage as an. The average yield of the nonbmr cultivars was 100% of the average corn. Request pdf evapotranspiration of corn and forage sorghum for silage in the u. In periods of drought, grain production from corn can. Brownmidrib varieties have better digestibility than. Planting date lbs p as sorghum is a warmseason crop, seeds need. Silage harvest of forage sorghum at a mid to hard dough stage. Birdresistant grainsorghum varieties, which may contain elevated levels of tannins, should be avoided. In the past bmr varieties have yielded less than conventional sorghum, but evaluations at our research farm and others indicate. However, in order for corn to be of high nutritional value it must produce large amounts of grain. Feeding value of sorghum silage is 8090% that of comparable corn silage. Nutritive value, fermentation characteristics, and in situ.
The utilization of the starch and energy is at an optimal level. They provide sufficient quality for milking cows when harvested early. Mojo seed sorghum seed, opal, sorghum silage, forage. Effect of forage sorghum hybrid on wholecrop dry matter and crude protein contents, wholecrop and grain yields, and grain to forage ratios in exp. Sudangrass grows from 4 to 7 feet tall, has leaves about 1. Silage master produces high tonnage, sugar content, and grain to stalk ratio.
The conclusion so far is that utilization of sorghum forage as a total replacement for maize silage in the diets of lactating cows is possible in some cases. The general constraints to forage sorghum silage production and utilization have included a generally lower nutritive value than corn or grain sorghum silage, an. Forage sorghum is a large, warmseason, annual grass that is adapted to pennsylvania and can be grown as a silage crop. The bmr 6 genetics vault sorghum into the realm of super star forages for maximum fiber digestibility and. Sudangrass is most often used for grazing, multiple hay cuttings, or. Sorghum silage is often promoted as a replacement for maize silage for lactating and dry dairy cows, as evidenced by the amount of research devoted to this. We recommended individual hybrids not be selected or disregarded based on the sorghum type. With correct management, a failed grain crop can be salvaged as quality forage. Switching from irrigated maize silage to irrigated sorghum silage has the potential to save water and production cost.
Forage sorghum varieties available on then market include sugardrip, sugargraze, pan 841 and pan 888. Forage facts mf2871 management summer annual forages. This means forage sorghum can be grown during dry years because drought has less effect on sorghum silage yield than on corn silage yield. Western forage sorghum production guide united sorghum. High quality green chop can be obtained from a well fertilised forage sorghum crop. Brown midrib bmr brachytic dwarf forage sorghum in the field. Over the last 10 years, sorghum price has lagged behind. Corn silage serves as a highenergy forage for dairy cows.
Pdf nutritional value of sorghum silage of different purposes. Opal was developed in this program to address these issues. Forage sorghum corn silage cytoplasm 6 cytoplasm 18 non bmr 4% fcm lb. Fora01 forage sorghum silage kstate animal science kansas. Although, research has shown sorghum grain to be comparable to corn in beef finishing diets, the market often values sorghum less than corn. Foragesorghum varieties selected for onetime harvest as silage can.
If sorghum is planted in rows, drop nozzles can be used when the crop is 815 inches tall. Silage is also made as a chopped, fermented feed source, primarily from annual crops like corn, barley, sorghum, oats, millet, and occasionally. This factsheet gives guidance on planting, field management, and harvest of forage sorghum. Grain sorghum is commonly referred to in california as milo, corn, and gyp corn. Forage management avoid grazing or cutting sorghum below 15cm plant height. With large grain containing increased protein levels opal silage is truly a step above the competition. Forage sorghum and other summer annuals energy value of these forages is roughly 90% of corn silage.
Lower concentrations of starch or sugar lower ndfd compared with forage sorghum brown midrib varieties of forage sorghum and sorghum sudan are available that have improved ndf digestibility and energy content. First grazing or cutting should be conducted at approximately 1 metre to increase plant productivity. This is most important for highproducing herds and on farms experiencing problems with making or buying high quality hay crop forage. Two corn hybrids and two additional grain sorghum hybrids were included as checks.