Sharing Experiences! Planting, Growing Sorghum: Lessons From 1-Year Trials

One year after we launched the Sorghum Production Program and after a series of painful and expensive experiments, I am now ready to share what lessons I have learned in planting, growing and processing Sorghum.
First, let me explain, bakit mahalaga ang Sorghum sa Agrikultura ng Pilipinas, especially for the Poultry and Livestock Industry.
Sorghum is an outstanding complementary protein-source to Corn, the traditional material for feed formulation, since it has a higher crude protein content of 11 to 12 compared to 8% in Corn.
With one planting, Sorghum gives the farmer three harvests because of its ratooning capability plus the seeds are less expensive and tolerant to long dry spells.
Here are some of the important things to remember when planting and growing Sorghum:
1.After thorough land preparation (disc plow and harrow), leave the field for 7 to 10 days to allow weed seeds to sprout, then spray with herbicide;
2. When the young weeds start to wither after 3 to 5 days, furrowing and seeding could be started;
3. When the Sorghum sprouts start to emerge after 10 days, apply through drenching the first fertilization composed of 4 drums per hectare of a mix of slurry (1 container of 20 liters of manure slurry per drum, 5 kilos of diluted 16-20-0, 5 kilos of 21-0-0 diluted in water before mixing);
4. On the 20th day after Sorghum seedling emergence and prior to hilling up, second fertilizer application composed of 4 bags of 50 kilos of a mix of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer (2 bags of Guano or crushed dried Chicken manure, 1 bag of 46-0-0 and 1 bag of 14-14-14);
5. After 2nd fertilization, hill up using mini-cultivators or Carabao-drawn “Pakpakan” to eliminate weeds in between rows and also to cover the fertilizer applied to. minimize evaporation;
6. On the 30th day after emergence, 3rd fertilizer application will involve a mix of 2 bags of crushed dried manure or Guano, 1 bag of 0-0-60 and 1 bag of 14-14-14;
7. On the 15th, 30th and 45th day prior to flowering, foliar fertilizer could be applied (in our experience, AMO Foliar Fertilizer has the best effect);
8. Pesticide or Insecticide application should depend on the presence of of the pests or insects which require constant monitoring.
This fertilzation protocol will largely depend on Soil Analysis to be conducted prior to planting to determine the type and volume of fertilizer needed.
The best formula, however, is Organic fertilization using animal and chicken manure and these efficiently rehabilitates the soil.
While Sorghum is a resilient and sturdy crop, it is sensitive to delayed application of required nutrients and this is something which we learned the hard way.
I hope these pointers will help future Sorghum farmers.

#FarmersSharingKnowledge!
(Video taken by Roselyn Parillo, Braveheart Farms & Nursery)