Sorghum Production For Maximum Yields

Kraig RoozeboomAgronomy Extension

Crop Production/Cropping Systems

Outline

• Yield formation • Hybrid selection

– Maturity vs. growing season– Seed and plant color– Resources/tools

• Planting– Populations– Row spacing

• Tillage and rotation

Sorghum Yield Formation

VegetativeGrowth stage

Days after emergence Identifying characteristic

0 0 Emergence – coleoptile visible at soil surface1 10 3 leaf collars – growth rate depends on temperature

2 20 5 leaf collars – rapid root development, growing point below soil surface

3 30 Growing point differentiation – ~ 8 leaf collars (7 to 10), rapid growth, nutrient uptake, and stem elongation

2,4-D at V5 to V6

ReproductiveGrowth stage

Days after emergence* Identifying characteristic

3 30 Growing point differentiation – ~ 8 leaf collars (7 to 10), rapid growth, nutrient uptake, and stem elongation

4 40 Flag leaf visible – final leaf visible in whorl, head developing

5 50 Boot – head extended into flag leaf sheath, all leaves expanded, max. light interception, head size determined

6 60 Half bloom – half of plants at some stage of bloom, half of DM accumulated

Sorghum Ergot

Grain Fill and MaturityGrowth stage

Days after emergence* Identifying characteristic

7 70 Soft dough – rapid grain fill, from leaves and stalk8 80 Hard dough – nutrient uptake complete, but DM at 75%

9 90 Physiological maturity – max. DM accumulation, formation of black layer

Sorghum Yield Formation• Need warm temperatures and minimal weed competition for good

early growth.– Root system, early (productive) tillers– Starter fertilizers especially helpful with early and/or no-till planting

• Head forms during 30 days before bloom.– Head size is determined before bloom– Be careful with herbicide applications

• Pollination can be affected by cool temperatures, or hot, dry winds– Seed set is determined during bloom (or maybe just before bloom)– Ergot, sorghum midge can reduce seed set

• Grain fill is very rapid soon after bloom.– Seed size is determined during grain fill– Grain fill saps stalk making it susceptible to rots– Need adequate fertility for max yield– Need healthy leaves for max yield (sooty stripe, greenbug, etc.)

Hybrid Maturity and Year

0

50

100

150

200

2004-2006 (ok) 2007 (good)

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DKS 36-00DKS 42-20DKS 53-11

Barney Gordon, K-State Research & Extension, Belleville

Hybrid Maturity and Planting DateScandia 1994-1996

5060708090

100110120130140150

Mid-May Late May Mid-June Late June

Yie

ld, b

u/ac

re

EarlyMediumLate

Barney Gordon, K-State Research & Extension, Scandia

Hybrid Maturity and Planting DateSt. John 1993-1995

0

1020

3040

5060

70

LateApril

Mid-May Late May Mid-June

EarlyJuly*

Yie

ld, b

u/ac

re

EarlyMediumLate

Vic Martin, Richard Vanderlip, St. John *1994-1995

Probability of Sorghum Maturing Before a Freeze

August 9 BloomAugust 4 Bloom

August 14 Bloom

August 19 Bloom

August 24 Bloom August 29 Bloom

Plant and Seed Color Effect on Laboratory Germination and Vigor

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

Warm Germ Cold Germ Aged Elongation

Perc

ent (

%)

White Seed Red Seed Tan Plant Purple Plant

Pedersen and Toy, 2001

Plant and Seed Color Effect on Field Performance

020

4060

80100

120

Emergence (%) Days to Bloom Yield (bu/a) Test Weight(lb/bu)

White Seed Red Seed Tan Plant Purple Plant

Pedersen and Toy, 2001

Hybrid Selection Summary• Fit hybrid maturity to available growing season

and soil moisture• Seed and plant color may influence germination

and emergence, but hybrid and seed lot are more important

• Select high-yielding hybrids that resist stalk rots and stand well

• Use multiple sources of information to document hybrid performance over several locations and years

Hybrid and Plant Population Effects on Irrigated Grain Sorghum Yield

150155160165170175180185190195200

40,000 80,000 120,000 160,000

Plants/acre

Bu

shel

s/ac

re

DKS 36-00DKS 42-20DKS 53-11

Barney Gordon, K-State Research & Extension, Belleville

Hybrid Maturity and Population2005 and 2006

8090

100110120130140150160

28000 36000 44000

Bus

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DKS 36-00DKS 42-20DKS 53-11

Barney Gordon, K-State Research & Extension, Belleville

Irrigation and Plant Population Effects on Grain Sorghum Yield, Scandia 1991

020406080

100120140160

25,000 50,000 75,000 100,000

Plants/acre

Bus

hels

/acr

e

No Irrigation

Irr at Boot

Irr Boot +Grain Fill

Barney Gordon, K-State Research & Extension, Scandia

Plant Population Effect on Sorghum Yield

80

100

120

140

160

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Population (plants/acre)

Yiel

d, b

u/ac

re MO 05HUT 08*MAN 08-10*MAN 08-20*MAN 08-30*

*Average of ME and ML hybrids

Plant Population Effect on Sorghum Yield, Belleville 1996

80

100

120

140

160

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Population (plants/acre)

Yiel

d, b

u/ac

re

10" Rows20" Rows30" Rows

Staggenborg, Fjell, Devlin, Gordon, Marsh

Population Summary/Conclusions

• ~ 40,000 plants/acre sufficient for Hutchinson• 50,000 to 60,000 plants/acre sufficient for Manhattan,

Missouri and Scandia dryland or limited irrigation• 75,000 to 80,000 plants/acre sufficient for ≥2 irrigations

and med-full season hybrids• May need >80,000 plants/acre with irrigated early-

medium maturity hybrids• Fuller maturity hybrids maximized yield at lower

populations than early-med hybrids (if full growing season was available)

• Narrow rows (<30”) were more responsive to population

Row Spacing Effect on Sorghum Yield – 16 Studies

50

70

90

110

130

150

170

5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Row Space (inches)

Gra

in Y

ield

, bu/

acre

Bell 95Bell 96Bell 97MO 02MO 03HUT 08MAN 08WEL 97MAN 97ISA 98MISA 98JMAN 95POW 95BEL 95MAN 96BEL 96

Row Spacing EffectKansas Summary

50

70

90

110

130

150

170

5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Row Space (inches)

Gra

in Y

ield

, bu/

acre

Narrow Better (C, NE 7*)Wide Better (NC 2)No Effect (NC, NE 3)No Effect (SC 4)*Number of Experiments

Planting Date and Row Spacing Effect on Sorghum Yield (1997-1999)

Row Space (inches) Late May Late June

30 135 115

15 132 125Barney Gordon, K-State Research & Extension, Scandia

Skip-Row PlantingP2S2, 2007 Tribune, KS; Alan Schlegel and Lucas Haag

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Corn Sorghum

Bus

hels

per

acr

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Conv.Skip

Skip-Row PlantingP2S2, 2008 Tribune, KS; Alan Schlegel and Lucas Haag

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Corn Sorghum

Bus

hels

per

acr

e

Conv.Skip

Clump Grain Sorghum PlantingTribune, KS; Alan Schlegel and Lucas Haag

0102030405060708090

100

2006 2007 2008

WSF Rotation

Bus

hels

per

acr

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Conv.Clump

Planting Geometry Affects TilleringTribune, KS; Alan Schlegel and Lucas Haag

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

4

Conv. P2S2 Clump

All at 33,000 seeds/acre

Hea

ds p

er p

lant

Row Spacing Summary/Conclusions

• Narrower rows may provide the opportunity to capture greater yields at higher populations in favorable environments (>heads/plant, larger heads)

• Narrow rows may be a detriment in dry environments• Narrow rows may be more advantageous at later

planting dates• Hybrid maturity usually had no effect on row spacing

response• Select hybrids with resistance to stalk rots and excellent

standability for narrow rows• Skip row or clump planting may have merit in dry

environments

Rotation and Tillage

Rotation and N Effect on Sorghum Yield (7 years)

5060708090

100110120130

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210

Nitrogen (pounds/acre)

Gra

in Y

ield

, bu/

acre

GS-GSSB-GS

Barney Gordon, K-State Research & Extension, Belleville

Rotation and N Effect on Sorghum Yield (20 years)

5060708090

100110120130

0 80 160

Nitrogen (pounds/acre)

Gra

in Y

ield

, bu/

acre

GS-GSSB-GS

Varvel and Wilhelm, Mead, NE

Preceding Crop Effect on Sorghum Yield

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

Wheat [Soybean] Soybean [Sorghum] Sorghum

Previous Crop

Bus

hels

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Sorghum[Sorghum]

Mark Claassen, Hesston, 4 years

Rotation and tillage effects on 10-year average winter wheat yield.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

bush

els/

acre

W-C W-GS W-S W-WCrop Rotation

V-Blade No-Till Chisel Burn

ab ac c

a abc c c

Mark Claassen, Hesston

Grain Sorghum and Wheat Response to Rotation – 11 Years, Tribune, KS

01020304050607080

wSsf wsSf Wssf wwSf Wwsf wWsf WW

Yie

ld, b

u/ac

re

Alan Schlegel, Tribune

Net Returns for Grain Sorghum, Wheat Rotations – 11 Years, Tribune, KS

01020304050607080

Short-run prices Long-run prices

$/til

labl

e ac

re WWSFWSSFWWWSF*

Alan Schlegel, Tribune; Troy Dumler, Garden City

Grain Sorghum Response to Tillage 31 Years, Manhattan, KS

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

GS-SB GS-GS

Yie

ld, b

u/ac

re

ConventionalReducedNT

Dallas Peterson, Manhattan

Grain Sorghum Response to Tillage W-S-F, Tribune, KS

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1991-1995

1996-2000

2001-2005

2006-2007

Average

Yie

ld, b

u/ac

re

.ConvReducedNT

Alan Schlegel, Tribune

Grain Sorghum Response to Tillage W-S-F, Tribune, KS

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Yie

ld, b

u/ac

re

ConventionalReducedNT

Alan Schlegel, Tribune

Net Returns for Different Tillage Systems in W-S-F, 2001-2007 Tribune, KS

-60-40-20

020406080

100

Wheat Sorghum Rotation

Yie

ld, b

u/ac

re

.ConvReducedNT

Alan Schlegel, Tribune;Troy Dumler, Garden City

Dryland Sorghum Yield Increases Over Time, Bushland, TX

• Yields increased 0.8 bu/a/year over 50 years• Improved hybrids accounted for about 33% of yield

increase• Soil water content at planting was single largest other

factor contributing to yield increases – related to reductions in tillage and increased surface residue(P.W. Unger and R.L. Baumhardt. 1999. Factors related to grain sorghum yield increases: 1939 through 1997. Agron. J. 91:870-875.)

y = 0.8x - 17.83

010203040506070

38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98Year

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Rotation and Tillage Summary

• Sorghum almost always yields more when in rotation, regardless of N rate.

• Increasing the number of years between sorghum crops can enhance “rotation effect”.

• Rotation is critical for no-till success.• No-till response can improve over time.• No-till can save enough soil moisture to

make a BIG yield difference.

Questions?