Sorghum: a unique plant. Sorghum

A little-known sorghum crop has gained its rightful place among agricultural grain crops over the past ten years. During the selection process, the crop has absorbed many useful substances. Sorghum retains its usefulness potential due to its unpretentiousness and high yields. The plant is actively used by both large agro-industrial enterprises and small farms in crop rotation and to meet feed needs.

Sorghum is a plant with great potential

Sorghum is an annual spring crop. The plant belongs to the cereal family and has been grown since the dawn of agriculture. The wide popularity of the cereal is due to its unpretentiousness to the places of growth, high viable indicators, low maintenance requirements and high yield. In global production, sorghum ranks fifth among agricultural crops.

For a normal growing season, sorghum only needs a temperature above 25 degrees. It is the temperature that determines the further development and growth of sorghum, since the plant reacts quite capriciously to low readings outside the window. Despite this, sorghum has amazing resistance to drought and disease. It does not disdain poor soils and grows in almost any soil.

Sorghum grains are widely used for the preparation of highly nutritious feed mixtures, and also as the main source of nutrition for animals. This low-growing cereal crop is one of the most ancient agricultural plants. There are several varieties of grain sorghum: Guinea, Kaffir, Negro and grain.

Grain sorghum has gained great popularity among people watching their weight; nutritionists, in turn, recommend replacing wheat grains with sorghum grains. It's all about a special protein, it is found in wheat, and has high histamine activity, is easily digested, converted into fat deposits in the body. Sorghum grain, on the contrary, contains small quantities of gluten and large quantities of fiber. Sorghum grain is a dietary product and has a low glycemic index. Therefore, it is suitable for the diet of diabetics and people on a gluten-free diet.

Sweet sorghum

This type of sorghum received its name due to the high level of sugar in the stems. This type of sorghum, due to its “sweetening” properties, is used to prepare alcohol and various sweets. The tops of the plant are also used as animal feed. Sweet sorghum produces high yields and is used to produce molasses. And the low cost of sugar obtained from sorghum, compared to cane and beet sugar, brings sorghum to a competitive position.

Since sorghum is immune to most diseases of cereal crops, fewer pesticides are used in its cultivation. The widespread use of sorghum as animal feed, in the form of silage and hay, after primary processing of the stems to produce molasses and sugar, makes the crop waste-free. Sweet sorghum is also used as solid fuel. The plant can have a beneficial effect on the soil, enriching it, providing a phytomeliorative effect and drawing out excess salt from the soil.

Grass sorghum

The direct purpose of grassy sorghum is feed for large and small livestock. Forage sorghum is a juicy green, rich in vitamins. Sorghum grain is enclosed in a hard shell, so before feeding, the grain must be steamed or crushed. In order for the feed ration to be balanced, the content of grass sorghum should not exceed 35% of the animal’s total consumption, the reason is the high tannin content in the grains, which impairs the digestibility of the consumed feed.

Industrial sorghum

Industrial sorghum, or broom sorghum, is grown to produce panicles. The plant is unpretentious. Grows in dry weather, even in poor soils. Industrial sorghum seeds can be used as poultry feed. But panicles and dried shoots of sorghum can be used for weaving various kinds of things, as mulch, bedding for animals and for making brooms and paper.

High-yielding sorghum varieties. Sorghum seeds their classification

Sorghum seeds are classified by shape, color, and size. Sorghum grains have different colors, they can be red, white, black, brown, orange. The shape of sorghum seeds varies: oval, barrel-shaped, ovoid, elongated and round. The sizes are large, medium and small. Sorghum seeds are also classified into filmy and naked.

In our country, the sorghum crop is represented by two main types: ordinary sorghum (used for feed and food needs) and Sudan grass (plant for livestock feed).

Early ripening and productive varieties of grain sorghum that are of particular interest to farmers include the following varieties: gaoliang and dzhugara.

The hybrid variety of sorghum “Bianca” has gained great popularity in the market. High-yielding and unpretentious, contains a low level of tannin, is resistant to early lodging, due to the low growth of the plant and the high location of the lower tier of foliage, harvesting can be done by simple mowing and avoiding excess moisture in sorghum grain.

The grain sorghum variety “Slavyanskoe Pole,” a hybrid of breeders, bred specifically for feeding cattle, increases the weight gain of animals due to its high nutritional value.

The hybrid variety “Slavyanskoe Pole 207” has found its application on pig farms and poultry farms, due to its low tannin content and highly nutritious, vitamin-containing composition, it increases the egg production of chickens and helps in gaining live weight in pigs. The hybrid crop has no competitors among sorghum in terms of the content of amino acids and microelements, lysine and carnitine in grains.

The sweet sorghum hybrid “Slavyanskoe Pole 600” is valuable due to the high level of sugar in the plant stem and amounts to 25%. And since all hybrids boast a low level of tannin, it is ideal for fattening farm animals. With an average seeding rate it produces a high yield of green mass, even in drought.

Sudanese sorghum hybrids “Novator 151”, “Sordan” and “Reliable” have earned attention among farmers for their high yield. The plant is grown for hay and animal feed.

Growing technologies, sowing sorghum and its place in crop rotation

Sorghum is not demanding on soil; any soil is suitable. But in order for the plant to produce a high yield, it is necessary to carry out a number of agrotechnical measures: destroy pests and weeds, the area for crops must be level and clean, moderately moistened. The most suitable are loose soils with good breathability. The plowed land is harrowed in advance. The most suitable sowing dates are considered to be from the second half of April to May; the soil at this time is sufficiently warmed up, and sorghum loves warmth.

In order for sorghum seeds to sprout vigorously, the grains should not be planted deeply. In turn, excessively small seed placement can lead to complete drying of the sorghum grain and simply not sprout. The optimal depth for sorghum sowing is 5 cm.

Crops should be fertilized with phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important component in the process of intensive formation of sorghum foliage. Phosphorus fertilizers are used in the form of irrigation; this is an economical way to saturate the plant with the necessary element. Sweet sorghum requires potassium, which helps the plant store sugar. The yield of sorghum depends on the correct approach to the fertilization process. When shoots are vigorous and frequent, there is often a shortage of fertilizers; for this purpose, mineral substances of 30-40 kg/ha are added to the soil; in other cases, sorghum is able to provide itself with everything it needs on its own.

The application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and nitrogen should not be done on the same day, as this may negatively affect the germination of sorghum.
It is better to apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in advance, before sowing, and nitrogen fertilizers during the growing season of the plant, to increase green mass. Sorghum will not refuse organic fertilizers; add manure to the soil in the fall and plow it, and in the spring you can sow.

The crop is not picky about watering. Sorghum seeds are able to withstand drought for a long time, falling into suspended animation, and then resume the growth process again.

Beneficial properties of sorghum and its role in the food industry

The beneficial properties of sorghum can be explained by its chemical composition. Sorghum grain is a source of complete nutrition. Lemon sorghum decoctions have a powerful antioxidant effect on the body, thanks to the high level of carnitine, sorghum promotes weight loss, and the low glycemic index makes sorghum accessible to diabetics. Sorghum decoctions remove salt, help strengthen the immune system, and have local antiseptic properties.

Daily consumption of sorghum helps stabilize blood sugar and increase hemoglobin.

Eating porridges made from white and black sorghum helps normalize digestion. Thanks to the high content of folic acid and thiamine, sorghum grain helps maintain skin tone. And athletes, including bread sorghum in their diet, build muscle mass. Sorghum is used industrially for the production of starch, flour and cereals. To make baked goods from sorghum flour, it is mixed with wheat.

Harvesting sorghum

You should not delay harvesting sorghum; complete shedding will not occur, but sorghum seeds can absorb moisture, which will require additional costs for drying. Harvesting is done with combines at low drum speeds. During the harvesting process, sorghum harvesting machines can also be used. Grass sorghum is harvested by mowing until panicles appear, otherwise the greens will become stale.

The most favorable conditions for harvesting for silage are considered to be those in which the ripeness of the grain enters the waxy phase. At the beginning of harvesting, unripe grain has high moisture content, and the greens are suitable for silage. Therefore, after harvesting, the sorghum seeds are placed in a dryer, and the greens are used for feed.

Industrial sorghum is harvested manually or with special combines.

Sorghum as fuel, myth or reality?

Despite its plant origin, sorghum can serve as a source of fuel. Sweet sorghum is used to produce biofuels. Bioethanol and biogas are obtained from sweet sorghum during the technical production process. Sorghum is also pressed into briquettes to produce solid fuel. The undoubted advantages of sorghum for fuel production and bioenergy industry consider unpretentiousness in care, high plant yields, stable resistance to pests and diseases, moreover, sorghum is not demanding on the soil and can tolerate droughts. Growing sorghum does not require enormous costs and pays off due to its waste-free nature. Until now, corn was considered the main unit of biofuel. But as a result of numerous studies by foreign specialists in the field of bioenergy, they came to the conclusion that sorghum is much more profitable to use for fuel production, due to the low cost of cultivation in general. Sorghum has long carved out a niche for itself in agriculture and has recently been rapidly gaining momentum in popularity. It is not for nothing that sorghum is called the camel of the plant world; this crop is hard to beat in terms of durability and productivity.

Kirill Sysoev

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Content

The sorghum plant is known to few people, but this crop has been used by humans for many millennia in many industries: industry, cooking, medicine, and is widespread in agriculture. Once upon a time, China, India, and Africa used cereals to make flour for baking flatbreads. Recently, the plant is not so common, although almost 70 million tons are grown annually around the world.

Sorghum - what is it?

The gaoliang plant (gumai) or sorghum is an annual and perennial herbaceous spring crop that belongs to the grass or bluegrass family. The translation from the Latin word “Sorgus” means “to rise.” In terms of scale of production, cereal is in fifth place, which is explained by high yield, productivity, and resistance to weather conditions. The variety is unpretentious; growing the crop does not require the use of special equipment and machinery.

Places of growth

The homeland of sorghum is considered to be the regions of East Africa. It began to be grown there from the 4th century BC. Today there are approximately 70 species of this plant, which are cultivated in the southwestern part of Asia, Equatorial and Southern Africa, the southern part of the European continent, and Australia. Gaoliang also grows in Moldova, the steppe zone of Ukraine, and the southern part of Russia.

Energy value and composition

The plant is a natural antioxidant. Kaoliang contains more protein than corn, but lacks the amino acid lysine. 100 grams of sorghum grain contains 339 kcal. Sorghum grain has the following nutritional values:

• carbohydrates – 68.3 g;
• ash – 1.57 g.
• water – 9.2 g;
• fats – 3.3 g;
• protein – 11.3 g.

The table shows the content of essential vitamins and minerals per 100 g of seed:

Vitamins	Quantity
Vitamin B1, thiamine
Vitamin B2, riboflavin
Vitamin RR, NE
Macronutrients
Calcium, Ca
Sodium, Na
Phosphorus, Ph
Microelements
Iron, Fe
Essential amino acids
Histidine
Fatty acid
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-6 fatty acids
Monounsaturated fatty acids
Palmitoleic
Oleic (omega-9)
Polyunsaturated fatty acids
Linoleic
Linolenic

Beneficial features

The composition of microelements and vitamins in sorghum determines its characteristics and medicinal properties. The plant is capable of:

• strengthen the heart muscles;
• stimulate appetite;
• improve brain activity;
• break down fats, activate the body's metabolic processes;
• accelerate protein synthesis;
• remove salts from the body;
• stimulate the production of hemoglobin.

Gaoliang is often used for various gastrointestinal diseases, the occurrence of rheumatism, and for the prevention of strokes and heart attacks. The grain, due to the content of folic acid in it, is very useful for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Lemongrass tightens the skin, makes it fresh and elastic, which is why the plant is often used in the manufacture of anti-aging cosmetics.

The content of proteins and carbohydrates makes the plant nutritious, thiamine tones the muscles, stimulates gastric secretion, and has a beneficial effect on the higher nervous activity of the body. Antioxidants, which grain contains in large quantities, protect the human body, prevent premature aging and inflammation. Vitamins regulate metabolism and break down fats. The product is suitable for use by diabetics, skin diseases, and nervous disorders.

• potassium regulates blood pressure, acid, water, electrolyte balance;
• Vitamin B1 provides the body with energy, promotes metabolism, improves the functioning of the digestive, nervous, and cardiovascular systems.
• phosphorus is involved in many physiological processes;
• vitamin PP is involved in the restoration and normalization of the skin, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system;
• iron prevents anemia, skeletal muscle atony, atrophic gastritis

Classification

There are about 70 cultivated and 24 wild varieties of sorghum. Depending on the area of ​​use, there are grain sorghum, sugar sorghum, lemon sorghum, broom sorghum, and grass sorghum. All varieties are very productive, but in first place in terms of fertility: “Durra”, “Gaoliang”, “Dzhugara”. Several hybrids have been developed that produce no less yield. These are: “Quartz”, “Titanium”, “Emerald”, “Eritrea”. There are 4 main groups of sorghum:

1. sugar;
2. lemon;
3. technical or broom;
4. herbaceous.

There are several types of sorghum. There are 8 of them in total, some of them have their own subspecies. There is sorghum:

• Guinean grain;
• Kaffir;
• Negro;
• bread (Ethiopian, Nubian, Arabic);
• Chinese (common and waxy gaoliang);
• sugar;
• herbaceous or Sudan grass;
• technical (East Eurasian and West Eurasian).

The stalk of sweet sorghum contains approximately 20% sugar. The highest concentration of carbohydrates occurs immediately after the plant blooms. It is used in the production of jam, honey, sweets, alcohol, vitamins, and food additives. Sugar made from gumaya can be consumed by people suffering from diabetes. The cost of this substance is lower than that of cane or beetroot. The crop is capable of producing a good harvest in drought, high temperatures, and on infertile soils. The plant is resistant to diseases and pests, so less pesticides are used when growing.

The culture is indispensable when it is necessary to restore the fertility of dry, depleted soil. Grain antioxidants are able to remove all toxic substances from the soil, and it is replenished with useful minerals. After such treatment, sowing other crops and their growth will be productive. Sweet sorghum is increasingly used in the field of bioenergy for the production of bioethanol, biogas, and solid fuel. In China, this crop is one of the main ones in the production of biofuels.

Lemon gumai is easily recognized by its pronounced lemon aroma. This feature of the plant allows it to be used by perfumers and cooks. The plant is used both dried and fresh. For cooking - this is the pulp, onion and stem, juice, perfumes use essential oils. As a spice, the culture is suitable for meat and fish dishes, vegetable soups and salads. It is especially often used for preparing marinades and brewing tea.

Lemon sorghum copes well with seborrhea, strengthens hair, and prevents baldness. Essential oil from kaoliang is effective against tsetse fly and mosquito bites; it is antibacterial, antiseptic, and antipyretic, which is proven by its widespread use by medical workers in India, China, and Vietnam. The plant is often used in the treatment of infectious diseases.

Technical or sorghum broom is grown in personal plots. The plant does not require serious care; the land can be cultivated in the usual way. Technical kaoliang is distinguished by the color and shape of the panicles that are used to make brooms. Red varieties are less valuable because they have hard, tough branches. The most valuable varieties have elastic, even, equal in length, dense panicles at the ends. In addition to brooms, the plant is suitable for making wicker items and paper. Growing a broom variety can be a good start for your own business.

Grass sorghum is widely used for feed purposes. The sugar variety is indispensable as livestock feed. Hay and silage produced from this variety are rich in nutrients. In livestock farming, the most optimal feed for feeding livestock is a mixture of sorghum and corn. The plant is used for land irrigation, crop rotation, has a phytomeliorative effect on the soil, and is capable of removing salts from the soil.

Application of the plant

Sorghum is a real storehouse of vitamins and useful elements, so the crop is in great demand. From kaoliang you get:

• silage;
• soil fertilizers;
• essential oils;
• starch – used in the mining, food, paper, textile, medical sectors;
• flour – used for food purposes in baking and preparing porridges;
• cereals;
• seasonings for dishes, etc.

In cooking

Due to the thick and bitter-tasting peel, it is difficult to use the plant in cooking, but it is possible. Sugar (for making sweets, baked goods, honey, alcohol), lemon (seasonings for many dishes, drinks, teas), grain sorghum (porridge and side dishes are prepared from cereals, flour is used for baking bread, flat cakes, preparing couscous) ).

Depending on the type of gumai, it is recommended to use it as an ingredient or a separate dish. For example:

• as part of rice dishes, the taste is more refined and vibrant;
• as a main side dish it is an alternative to buckwheat, oatmeal, and rice;
• as a component of individual cold appetizers, many salads;
• in the production of baked goods;
• prepare syrups and baking creams based on lemon varieties.

Lemongrass is versatile. To obtain the drink, the stems are poured with boiling water and infused for about ten minutes. The drink lowers the temperature and tones the body. Lemon gaoliang is a common ingredient in the cuisines of different nations:

• Asian - used as a seasoning in fresh, boiled form;
• Thai - as a side dish and seasoning for soups, sauces, pastes;
• Vietnamese - for preparing fondue.

The grain form of the grass is processed into flour for baking. Since the resulting product does not contain gluten, when kneading the dough it should be mixed with wheat flour. In its pure form, such flour can be added when preparing soups, adding gravy. Porridges made from Sudanese grass grains provide a long-lasting feeling of fullness. Mushrooms, citrus fruits, and fresh vegetables go well with them.

In agriculture

In its nutritional properties, sorghum is not inferior to maize, so in agriculture the plant is used as animal feed. The plant is eaten by suckling piglets, hens and chicks. The amino acids, proteins, and carbohydrates included in the composition contribute to the rapid growth and weight gain of livestock and poultry, but the dosage must be observed - no more than 30% of the total feed. The culture is often fed to fish, which increases fat mass by 34%.

Hazardous properties

Kaoliang cereal has a unique chemical composition, but there are substances that can impair the bioavailability of its own minerals. Inhibitors are mainly contained in the grain shell. Therefore, before use, it is recommended to soak sorghum in water acidified with lemon juice or vinegar. Large amounts of fiber can cause constipation. It is not recommended to use cereal for flatulence. In other cases, harm from the crop is possible only if there is an individual intolerance to the product.

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Sorghum is a promising crop that can withstand drought without harming the crop. Grain sorghum contains a large amount of useful substances that help maintain the health of the body, and forage varieties are indispensable in livestock farming. How to grow sorghum is useful for farmers who are interested in this crop to know.

Not all residents of Russia know what sorghum is, and this cereal is grown only in a few regions. This herbaceous plant is native to Equatorial Africa and belongs to the Poaceae family. There are about 30 species of sorghum, which are grown as grain, industrial and fodder crops.

Brooms are made from sorghum. Externally, its stems are similar to corn, only without heads. The seed panicle resembles millet, and the grain is edible. Sweet sorghum stalks are used to make sweet syrup for baking. There are modern hybrids whose stems reach 4 meters in height (Purumbeni).

The plant is drought-resistant and easily adapts to any soil. The optimal air temperature for seed germination is +20°C. Spring frosts can destroy seedlings, so you should not rush into sowing dates.

A peculiarity of the plant is its slow growth at the beginning of development and its complete stop under unfavorable conditions.

In Russia, cereal is grown in the southern regions - Samara, Saratov, Rostov, Volgograd. Frosts in spring can lead to the destruction of crops. Sorghum has a long growing season (80–140 days), and in the north it does not have time to ripen. The crop is sown in fields where barley, wheat, legumes and potatoes previously grew.

Calorie content and chemical composition

The most nutritious grain sorghum varieties. In Russia, they are grown only in the Saratov region, because in other regions the grain does not ripen. 100 g of dry grains contain 323 kcal (boiled grains contain about three times less).

Chemical composition of cereal:

• proteins – 10%;
• fats – 4%;
• carbohydrates – 60%;
• dietary fiber – 3.5%;
• water – 13.5%;
• B vitamins, biotin;
• mineral salts K, Ca, Si, Mg, Na, Ph, Fe, Co, Mn, Cu, Zn.

Some varieties of sorghum have a dense, bitter hull that must be removed before cooking. This reduces the content of beneficial vitamins and minerals in the grain.

Cereals, starch and flour are made from sorghum. Before cooking the porridge, the cereal is soaked and washed. Sorghum flour does not contain gluten, so it is mixed with wheat flour to make soft bread.

Description and types of plants

Sorghum is a heat-loving crop, it easily adapts to different soils and tolerates drought well. The plant stem has a height of 50 cm to 7 meters in some tropical species.

Inside, the sorghum stem is filled with loose plant tissue - parenchyma.

Sweet sorghum varieties retain the juiciness of the stem during the grain ripening stage. They are suitable for producing sweet syrup.

The sorghum root can grow to a depth of 2.5 meters, providing the plant with the necessary moisture and nutrients. The leaves of the plant are lanceolate, with sharp edges. It takes about 4 months from sowing to harvest ripening.

The diverse types of sorghum crops are divided into 4 large groups depending on economic use:

• grain sorghum;
• sweet sorghum;
• grass sorghum;
• technical or broom sorghum;
• lemongrass.

However, such a classification, proposed in the post-Soviet space in the middle of the last century, is not the only possible one.

Useful properties of sorghum

Sorghum grain has a unique chemical composition; it contains many mineral salts, vitamins, polyphenolic compounds, unsaturated and saturated acids.

Lemongrass contains citral, which gives it a pleasant citrus aroma. The crushed stems of the plant are used in cooking as a gourmet spice.

Sorghum is a good antioxidant. The polyphenolic compounds it contains strengthen the immune system and protect against adverse factors. But cereals also have a drawback - they are poorly digested. Sorghum contains a special protein, kafirin, which is not very well absorbed in the body.

Growing sorghum

Growing cereals begins with preparing the soil and seeds for planting.

1. The plowed land is harrowed to preserve moisture in the soil. When weeds emerge, cultivation is carried out.
2. The second cultivation is done on the day of sowing sorghum to a depth of 5 cm, then rolling is carried out using a ring roller.
3. The grain is divided into fractions, as this affects germination.
4. 2 months before sowing, the seeds are treated to destroy pests and microflora, which can reduce the number of seedlings.

Sowing time depends on weather conditions and the characteristics of the variety; grain is sown manually or using special equipment. The speed of emergence of seedlings depends on the soil temperature: at +14°C they will germinate on the 10th day, and at +28°C – on the 5th day.

Further care involves controlling weeds, pests and diseases. Treatment with mounted cultivators begins when seedlings appear, maintaining a protective zone width of 12 cm.

The crop has strong immunity, but young crops need to be carefully examined in order to notice the onset of the disease in time and eliminate it.

The main diseases of sorghum include:

• root and stem rot;
• firebrand;
• fusarium and alternaria;
• rust.

Pests of sorghum:

• cereal flies;
• meadow moth;
• wireworms;
• cereal aphid;
• scoop caterpillars.

The green mass is mowed for livestock feed from mid-July to the end of August. To harvest more crops, seeds are sown in several passes with an interval of 10 days.

Brooms are made from ripe panicles of industrial sorghum, first drying them in a dry room for about a month.

Sorghum is harvested for grain after full ripening, and harvested for silage at the onset of milky-waxy ripeness.

Sorghum is a forage and partly industrial and food crop. Grain is an excellent raw material for compound feed; it can be used to feed pigs, cattle, horses and birds. Green mass and sorghum hay are good feed for dairy cattle. Sorghum silage is close in quality to corn silage. Sorghum grows back well after cutting; its crops can be used as pasture. Leaves and stems remain juicy until the grain is completely ripe

Grain sorghum produces stable yields - from 2.5 to 5 t/ha. The yield of green mass for silage is 18-30 t/ha, and with irrigation - 80-100 t/ha.

Sorghum grain is used in starch, molasses and alcohol production. Cereals are obtained from grains. Sorghum syrup can be obtained from the stems of sugar plant varieties containing up to 10-15% sugars (24% in juice). The panicles of broom varieties are used to make brooms, brushes and other products. Sorghum is widely used as a canopy plant.

The centers of origin of sorghum are considered to be Equatorial Africa, India and China. Sorghum was cultivated in India and China as early as 3000 BC. e. In Central Asia, its culture dates back 2500-3000 years. Sorghum appeared in Russia in the 17th century.

The sown area of ​​sorghum in the CIS is about 200 thousand hectares. In the future, it is planned to expand its crops. The main areas of sorghum culture should be considered the arid steppe regions of the south of Ukraine and Moldova, the North Caucasus, the Lower Volga region, Kazakhstan, the irrigated areas of Central Asia and Transcaucasia (on saline soils), as well as rainfed soil, which is semi-moisture-rich.

The world area under sorghum crops is about 47 million hectares. It is cultivated over large areas in India. China and Africa, as well as in arid regions

Rice. 14. Sorghum panicles;

1-lump with straight stem; 2 - lump with a curved end of the stem (jugara); 3 - Broom (spreading) with a shortened main axis and long lateral branches; 4 - spreading with a developed main axis.

States of the USA. Sorghum is also cultivated in the Middle East and European countries. In world agriculture, the average sorghum grain yield is about 1.5 t/ha.

Most common types of sorghum . Sorghum belongs to the genus Sorghum, which includes many annual and perennial species. Among the cultivated species on the territory of the CIS, common sorghum - S. vulgare Pers., gaoliang - S. chinetlse Jakushev. jugara - S. cernuum Host and sudan grass - S. sudanense Pers. All of them are annual and are cultivated for food, technical and feed purposes. Among the wild species of sorghum in Central Asia and the Caucasus, gumai, a malicious weed, is found.

According to the nature of the panicle and the density of arrangement of branches of different orders, sorghum is divided into three subspecies (Fig. 14): spreading (paniculate) -ssp. effusum Korn., compressed - ssp. contractum Korn, and lump - ssp. compactum.

The spikelets of sorghum panicles are single-flowered, arranged in twos or threes. The predominant type of pollination is cross-pollination, but self-pollination is also possible.

The grain of sorghum is round, without grooves, bare or membranous, with spikelets and flower scales, weight of 1000 seeds is 20-30 g. From 1600 to 3500 grains are formed in one panicle.

Based on the nature of its use, sorghum is divided into four groups.

Grain sorghum - Relatively low-growing, weakly bushy, cultivated for grain. The core of the stem is semi-dry. The grain is open and collapses easily. Food grades are white grain, without tannin taste.

Sweet sorghum - Tall plant, bushes well. The juicy stems are used to produce molasses and syrup, as well as for silage. The largest amount of sugar (in raw stems up to 15%, in sake stems up to 24%) is observed in the phase of full ripeness of the grain. The grain is usually membranous and semi-membranous, difficult to hull.

Broom sorghum It is cultivated to produce panicles used for making brooms, brushes, etc. It is less suitable for fodder purposes. Distinguished by the dry core of the stem. The panicles are long (50-90 cm) and do not have a main axis (the axis is shortened). The grain is filmy, difficult to hull. From panicles collected from 1 hectare (1.5-2 tons), 2-4 thousand brooms can be made. The panicles are of the best quality - bright green, without reddish spots, 35-50 cm long, thin, flexible, even.

Grass sorghum (Sudan grass) is characterized by intensive growth of thin stems and great bushiness. Cultivated for green fodder and hay.

All types of sorghum interbreed easily. The first generation of hybrids provides increased productivity. Hybrids of dzhugara with broom sorghum and sorghum with Sudan grass deserve attention.

Biological features . Sorghum is a very promising crop for the arid southern and southeastern regions of the country (even semi-deserts) due to its exceptional drought resistance, thermophilicity, heat resistance and salt tolerance. Its transpiration coefficient is 150-200.

In irrigated agriculture on saline soils of Central Asia, jugara (a type of cultivated sorghum) is more productive than corn, while on non-saline soils corn is preferable.

Sorghum makes good use of the rains of the second half of summer and early autumn. It is extremely resistant to heat, drought, and dry winds: when corn leaves already lose turgor and curl up, sorghum leaves continue to assimilate.

In the initial period before rooting (30-40 days), sorghum grows slowly and can “freeze” during drought (leaves curl, growth stops, the plant weakly adheres to the primary roots).

In terms of heat requirements, sorghum is superior to millet, chumiza and corn. Its grain begins to germinate at a temperature of 12 - 13°C. The seedlings are very sensitive to low temperatures, even short-term frosts (below -2°C) are destructive. Sorghum develops well at a temperature of 30-35 °C. The minimum average daily temperature for flowering sorghum is 14-15°C, for ripening - 10-12, the sum of temperatures during the growing season is 2250-2500°C. Sorghum is a light-loving short-day plant.

It is undemanding to soil and grows in both heavy and very light soils. It has good salt tolerance, but prefers warm, loose, weed-free soils with permeable subsoil. It responds well to the application of manure and nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer.

Place in crop rotation. Sorghum is placed in crop rotation after winter grains, grain legumes, and corn for silage. It tolerates repeated sowings well and can be cultivated in permanent plots. As a row crop, sorghum is a satisfactory predecessor of spring grains.

Tillage. The soil for sorghum is cultivated in the same way as for millet. Sorghum is responsive to deep plowing, and the yield of green mass increases by 22-25%.

Fertilizer. The fertilizer requirement of sorghum is approximately the same as that of millet and corn. Sorghum responds best to complete mineral fertilizer (N60P60K60) applied under the fallow land; it is necessary to apply fertilizer to the rows at a dose of N10P10.

Sowing. Sowing begins when the seed layer of soil warms up to 12 - 15°C. In unheated soil, seeds do not germinate for a long time and rot. Before sowing, the seeds are sorted and heated.

Sorghum is sown in a dotted manner with row spacing of 60-70 cm, the distance in the row is 15-20 cm (seeding rate 10-14 kg/ha). When cultivating for grain, you can also use the square-nest method according to the 70X70 or 90 x 90 cm pattern, 4 - 6 seeds are sown in a nest (seed rate 6-10 kg/ha).

For green fodder and hay, sorghum is sown in the usual row method (15 cm), alternate row (30 cm) or wide row two-row [(45...60) x 15 cm] with a seeding rate of 20-30 kg/ha. The sowing depth of seeds is 3-5 cm, on dry sandy soils - 7-8 cm.

To increase the feed value of green mass, it is advisable to sow sorghum in a mixture with soybeans, china, beans or vetch. Legumes are sown in independent rows or in a cross direction (50-80 kg/ha). Joint cropping of sorghum with soybeans and corn for silage is quite effective.

Crop care. Immediately after sowing, the field must be rolled with ringed or ribbed rollers to speed up the emergence of seedlings. The first harrowing is carried out before emergence to destroy weed seedlings and loosen the soil; second harrowing on seedlings (3-4 leaves) - for loosening the soil and thinning; sometimes a third harrowing (6-7 leaves) is carried out to control weeds. On wide-row crops, 1-2 inter-row treatments are required. For chemical weed control, crops in the 3-b leaf phase are treated with herbicides of the 2,4-D group

Cleaning. Grain sorghum does not fall off when ripe; it is harvested at full ripeness using combines with a reduced drum speed - up to 500-600 per minute. When grain moisture content is above 20%, separate harvesting is used with a converted grain combine or sorghum harvester SM-2.6. When cultivating sorghum for green fodder and hay, harvesting begins before the mass coarsens - no later than the beginning of the ejection of panicles. The time for harvesting sorghum for silage is the phase of waxy ripeness of the grain. Sweet sorghum is harvested at the end of waxy ripeness at a low cut. Broom sorghum is harvested at the beginning of full ripeness (the branches of the panicles should still be green). The panicles are cut off by hand, and the stems are harvested for silage.

Sorghum mowed for green fodder grows back and produces regrowth. Hydrocyanic acid can accumulate in young plants (especially when growth is stunted) and in the aftertaste. With age, the content of hydrocyanic acid decreases. In the beveled dried mass, hydrocyanic acid disintegrates.

Culture. It is characterized by its heat-loving nature, very high drought resistance, and salt resistance. Easily adapts to various soils. The growing season is 120-130 days, cross-pollination.

Sorghum has a straight, tall stem ranging from 0.5 m (in dwarf forms) to 7 m (in tropical forms) in height. The root system of sorghum penetrates the soil to a depth of 2-2.5 m.

Growth

Industry

Sorghum production by year (FAOSTAT)
thousand tons

A country
USA	28 456	11 650	9 848
Nigeria	4 911	6 997	8 028
India	10 197	9 327	8 000
Mexico	6 597	4 170	6 300
Argentina	6 200	1 649	2 900
Sudan	3 597	2 450	2 600
China	5 696	4 854	2 593
Ethiopia	-	1 141	1 800
Australia	1 369	1 273	1 748
Brazil	268	277	1 530

Farm with traditional and hybrid varieties of sorghum

Worldwide, 55.6 million tons of sorghum were harvested in 2010. The average yield was 1.37 tons per hectare. The most productive farms were in Jordan, where yields reached 12.7 tons per hectare. The average yield in the largest sorghum producer, the United States, was 4.5 tons per hectare.

The area allocated for sorghum cultivation is decreasing, while the yield per hectare is increasing. Over the past 40 years, the world's largest amount of sorghum was produced in 1985 - 77.6 million tons.

Usage

Sorghum field in Central America

Sorghum grain is processed into cereal, flour and starch; wickerwork, paper, and brooms are made from straw. The green mass is used for silage (young plants of many types of sorghum are poisonous).

The most common annual species of this plant are:

• Sorghum bicolor() Moench - Grain sorghum
  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor - durra, dzhugara;
  • Sorghum bicolor nothosubsp. drummondii (Steud.) de Wet ex Davidse- Sudan grass, or Sorghum sudanese, or sudanese

The feasibility of cultivating sorghum in arid and semi-arid regions of the planet is determined by its versatility and high productivity. Green mass and grain are readily eaten by many types of farm animals. Sorghum is not only a high-yielding crop, it is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, carotene, tannins, and vitamins, which play an important role in increasing animal productivity.

In terms of nutritional properties, the grain and green mass of sorghum are almost as good as corn, and in some regions even surpass it. In addition to fodder, sorghum grain is used for the alcohol and starch industries. Technical (broom) sorghum is widely used for the production of various brooms and brooms. According to S.L Patil and H. Basappa, during the dry season, sorghum is the main food product in the semi-desert regions of India.

Many types of sorghum, along with the high quality of grain and green mass, contain tannin in the grain and hydrocyanic acid in the leaves and stems of plants, which in some cases led to poisoning of animals.

Sweet sorghum and Sudan grass have proven themselves well in mixed crops with legumes, corn, and sunflowers. The juicy stem, rich in sugars, allows you to obtain balanced silage and haylage, while the crop productivity remains very high.

general characteristics

According to biological characteristics, there are no big differences between sorghum groups. Sorghum is a heat-loving crop, heat- and drought-resistant. The optimal temperature for seed germination, plant growth and development is +20...+30C. Plants do not tolerate frost at any stage of development. Spring frosts can completely destroy or significantly thin out crops, so do not rush into sowing dates. Cooling during flowering, even at positive temperatures, can lead to throughgrain.

For complete ripening of most sorghum varieties, the sum of positive temperatures should be 3000-3500°C. As S.L. Patil and H. Basappa (2004) point out, during severe drought, the yield of sorghum hybrids of different productivity is leveled out.

Sorghum is not demanding on moisture. The amount of water required for swelling of sorghum seeds is 35% of the total weight of the seeds (for corn - 40%, chumise - 42%, mogar - 58%, wheat - 60%). It has also been established that sorghum consumes 300 parts of water to form a unit of dry matter (Sudan grass - 340, corn - 338, wheat - 515, barley - 534, oats - 600, peas - 730, alfalfa - 830, sunflower - 895, castor bean - 1200) Therefore, N.I. Vavilov called sorghum “the camel of the plant world.” As a tropical plant, in the process of evolution it has developed greater adaptability to a lack of moisture and its economical use.

Studies of the anatomical structure, biological and physiological characteristics of sorghum have shown its high xerophytic nature, which is determined not only by the power and selective ability of the root system, but also by the structural features of the leaf surface, stomatal apparatus, the presence of a dense epidermis and a white waxy coating.

A characteristic feature of sorghum is its low growth rate in the initial period, as well as the ability to suspend its growth during periods of unfavorable conditions for growth and development and remain in an anabiotic state until favorable conditions occur.

Sorghum crops grow back well after mowing, which is actively used in feed production. In the conditions of the Stavropol Territory, with irrigation, you can get up to 4 full-fledged mowings per season. M. N. Khudenko and I. P. Kuznetsov (1991) note that for irrigation, the most economically profitable is mowing Sudan grass in the “beginning of sweeping” phase. This makes it possible to shorten the inter-cutting period and, in the conditions of the Saratov region, obtain three full-fledged cuttings of green mass per season.

Despite its high drought resistance, sorghum responds strongly to moisture availability and gives a large increase in yield. In the conditions of the foothill dry-steppe zone of Kazakhstan, with irrigation, grain sorghum is capable of producing grains from 52.6 to 62.5 / ha.

Sorghum is a light-loving short-day plant. This is due to its adaptation to the high solstice and is associated with great demands on the intensity of short-wave radiation. In most sorghum samples, the vegetation period is reduced with a short day, and with a long day (over 15 hours) it increases. At the same time, there are neutral and weakly sensitive to day length varieties and forms of sorghum.

Sorghum is a fairly unpretentious crop to soils and can grow on fertile loams, light sandy and well-aerated clayey, weed-free soils. Sorghum is often used to develop virgin and reclaimed lands. In addition, having a powerful root system, sorghum can produce satisfactory and good yields for a number of years on soil that is depleted and depleted for other cereals. Sorghum only does not tolerate cold, waterlogged soils and does not grow well in acidic soils. Its unpretentiousness to soils makes it possible to use sorghum as the first crop when developing eroded slopes.

Sorghum, being undemanding to soils, responds positively to improving mineral nutrition conditions, especially on poor soils.

Classification of sorghum

Sorghum has an extremely wide variety of species, subspecies and varieties. Genus Sorghum Moench. belongs to the bluegrass family (Poaceae Bernh.) and includes 60-70 species of cultivated sorghum and a group of semi-wild and wild plants. According to some data, sorghum was introduced into cultivation in Africa 2500-3000 BC. e. On the European continent somewhat later, around 2000 BC. e. . As a result, during the entire period of studying and growing sorghum in the world, many scientists tried to systematize sorghum. By J.D Snowden, De Wet, J.P. Huckebay systematized sorghum and divided it into 28 cultivated and 24 wild related subspecies. English botanists O. Stapf and J.D. Snowden divided the sorghum genus into two sections, and the largest of them into two subsections: the first consisted of annual species, the second - perennial. In each subsection, botanist J.D. Snowden installed two sections. To the first he included more than 30 cultivated species of grain, sugar and broom sorghum, grouped into six subseries; the second - Sudan grass and 16 wild species of sorghum. Subsequently, several more species of sorghum were described, as a result of which the sections already included 56 species of sorghum plants. Currently, the systematization of sorghum proposed by E. S. Yakushevsky (1969) is used, where the entire variety of forms of sorghum crops is divided according to the principle of economic use into 4 groups (grain, sugar, grass and broom) and 8 species (Guinean grain sorghum, grain sorghum kaffir grain sorghum, black grain sorghum, grain sorghum, Chinese grain sorghum, sweet sorghum, grass sorghum, industrial or broom sorghum).

1. Guinea grain sorghum (S. guineense Stapf., Jakuschev.) has the greatest varietal diversity in the countries of Western Equatorial Africa, located south of the Sahara and adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea. This type of sorghum has restorative properties. The VIR collection contains several late-ripening low-growing forms of Guinea sorghum with high combining ability.

2. Kaffir grain sorghum (S. caffrorum Beauv., Jakuschev.) has the greatest varietal diversity in the countries of Southern Africa located south of 10° S. w. Kaffir sorghum is the most common species in our country. As a result of its hybridization with forms of grain sorghum, Russian breeders, primarily E. S. Yakushevsky, developed a number of varieties of grain sorghum, fertility restorers and sterility fixers.

3. Grain sorghum black (S. bantuorum Jakuschev.) has varietal diversity in the countries of Central and Eastern Equatorial Africa. In our country, black sorghum has not become widespread.

4. Grain sorghum (S. durra Forsk., Jakuschev.) mainly distributed in the countries of North-East Africa, the Near and Middle East, Arabia, India and Pakistan, where it has been an important food and feed crop since time immemorial. It is represented by the variety-types Durra, Dzhugara, Milo. Bread sorghum is divided into the following subspecies according to the shape and nature of the fertile spikelets, films and grains:

• Ethiopian sorghum (S.durra ssp. aethiopicum Jakuschev.);
• Nubian sorghum (S.durra ssp. nubicum Jakuschev.);
• Arabic sorghum (S.durra ssp. arabicum Jakuschev.).

5. Chinese grain sorghum (S.chinense Jakuschev.) or kaoliang, has the greatest varietal diversity in East Asia. This species is characterized by relative cold resistance and early ripening. The color of the grain of varieties of this species is usually reddish-brown with different shades. The grain contains many tannins, which give it a bitter taste. Therefore, it is practically not cultivated in Russia. Gaoliang is used in breeding programs as a donor of cold resistance, early maturity and resistance to certain types of diseases and pests. According to the nature of the endosperm, the grains of the sorghum-gaoliang variety are divided into two subgroups:

• common gaoliang (S. chinense convar.communis Jakuschev.) has a grain of glassy or mealy consistency containing starch, which gives a typical blue color in a solution of potassium iodide.
• waxy gaoliang (S. chinense convar, glutinosum Jakuschev.) has a grain of matte white or waxy consistency (in cross section) and starch, which gives a violet-red color in a solution of potassium iodide. Forms and varieties contain starch, which is valuable in food and technical terms, but they are not common in Russia.

6. Sweet sorghum (Sorghum saccuratum Jakuschev.) It is used for feed purposes, and due to the high content of water-soluble sugars (up to 18%) in the juice of the stem, it is also a source for the production of molasses, which is widely used in confectionery products.

7. Grass sorghum (Sorghum sudanense Jakuschev.). Of the entire species of grass sorghum, only two varieties - Sudan grass and generous sorghum - have been introduced into the culture. Sudan grass is one of the most valuable annual grasses and is widely cultivated in various soil and climatic conditions. It is somewhat inferior to sorghum in terms of drought resistance, but can withstand a certain degree of soil salinity. Breeders have created a wide variety of varieties of Sudanese grass. And when crossed with sterile lines of grain sorghum, it produces sorghum-sudanese hybrids, which are superior to their parents in many respects. Sudan grass and sorghum-sudan hybrids grow well and can produce a full second cutting of excellent green fodder.

8. Sorghum technical or broom (Sorghum technikus sonvar, occidentocuresicum Jakuschev.). This type is mainly used for the production of high-quality brooms, brushes, and brooms, which are in great demand in the national economy. Separate lines are used to create hybrids, some of them (Saratov silage) are highly productive.

Thus, the classification of E. S. Yakushevsky (1969) quite fully and specifically covers the planetary species diversity of sorghum, which is currently used in various sorghum-growing countries of the world.

In modern classification, the genus is divided into sections: Chaetosorghum, Heterosorghum, Parasorghum, Sorghum, Stiposorghum.

Some types

• Sorghum amplum Lazarides
• Sorghum angustum S.T.Blake
• Sorghum bicolor()Moench
• Sorghum brachypodum Lazarides
• Sorghum bulbosum Lazarides
• Sorghum ecarinatum Lazarides
• Sorghum exstans Lazarides
• Sorghum grande Lazarides
• Sorghum halepense () Pers.
• Sorghum interjectum Lazarides
• Sorghum intrans F. Muell. ex Benth.
• Sorghum laxiflorum F.M.Bailey
• Sorghum leiocladum (Hack.) C.E.Hubb.
• Sorghum macrospermum E.D.Garber
• Sorghum matarankense E.D.Garber & Snyder

see also

Literature

• Demidenko B. G. Sorghum. - M.: Selkhozizdat, 1957. - 158 p.

Notes

1. Sorghum- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. N. S. Kalashnik
2. Agricultural Production, Worldwide, 2009. FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2010). Archived
3. Sorghum and its characteristics. uralniishoz.ru. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
4. Crop Production, Worldwide, 2010 data. FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2011). Archived from the original on June 23, 2012.
5. Kalashnik N. S., 1960; Kuznetsov M. I., 1961
6. Patil S.L., Basappa H., 2004
7. Orlov V.M., 1960; Shibraev N. S., Ogurtsov V. N., 1968
8. Khudenko M.N., Kuznetsov I.P., 1991; Asanov Sh. Sh., 2003
9. Naumenko A.I., Kalashnik M.F., 1972; Radchenko A.F., 1988; Matowo P.R., 1992; J.E.Jahagirdar, S.T. Borikar, 2002; Nafikov M. M., 2006
10. Zavarzin A.I., 1994; Bolshakov A. Z., Kolomiets N. Ya., 2003
11. Shorin P. M., 1976; Shepel N. A., 1985
12. Krylov A.V., Filatov V.I., 2002
13. Kuzmichev V.N., 1959, Nooman Said Abdo, 1989; McGowan M., Taylor H.M., 1991; Sow A.A., 1992; Patil S.L., 2002