Sorghum
Ashley Hastert
Description
-Grains are 3 to 4 mm in diameter
-Fibrous roots
-Annual plant
-Has a panicle head
-Spikilets occur in pairs
-Sessile is fertile and the Pedicellate is sterile
-Pollination begins at the top of panicle
Growing Places
2-Africa
3-Asia
4-Egypt
5-India
6-China
7-12 states in the US including the Great Plains
Why It Grows There
-Can survive long hot summers
-Grows in wide range of soil and climate conditions
-Can grow where corn can't make it without substantial irrigation
Planting
-May 15th to early June
-1 inch deep in heavy soil or 1.5 to 2 inches in sandy soil
-Rows of 10-40 inches width
Harvesting
-Wider wheel bats are need so the head of plant isn't thrown over
Pest Problems
-Root worm
-White grubs
-Whitefringed beetle larve
-Seedcorn maggots
-Southern corn root worm
-Lesser cornstalk borer
-Headworms
Mangement of Pests
-Maintaining fertility
-Early planting
-Timely harvesting
Uses
-Cereal and flour (cereal grain)
-Beer/Alcoholic beverages (cereal grain)
-Syrup(stalks)
-Paper(starch)
Fun Facts
-can be cooked like rice, made into porridge, baked into flat bread and popped like popcorn
Links
http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/aitc/lessons/extras/facts/milo.html
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AE/AE-82-w.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sorghum.html
http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/pubDetail.cfm?pk_id=7797#General
http://www.ehow.com/about_5037604_sorghum-used.html
http://www.ehow.com/about_5037604_sorghum-used.html
http://passel.unl.edu/communities/csi?idsubcollectionmodule=1130274170&idindependentpage=26