Sorghum: types and varieties, cultivation and harvesting, application, beneficial properties of the plant
Sorghum is a little-known crop that has taken its rightful place among the main agricultural cereals over the past ten years. In the process of selection, the plant has absorbed many valuable substances. It retains its usefulness potential due to its undemanding nature and good yields. At the same time, many are interested in the types and varieties of sorghum, its cultivation and harvesting, application, useful properties of the plant.
Description of the plant
Sorghum is an annual or perennial cereal plant that belongs to the category of spring crops. East Africa is considered its homeland. There culture began to grow in the fourth century BC.
Sorghum ranks fifth in world production. The popularity of the plant is associated with undemanding care, high yield and useful properties. The culture is used in various industries. In addition, growing a plant does not require special equipment and equipment.
Sorghum is a heat-loving crop that needs a temperature of +25-30 degrees. Frost can cause the death of the plant. At the same time, the cereal is resistant to drought, parasites and diseases. It has a well developed root system. At the same time, the culture is considered undemanding to the composition of the soil. It develops equally well in loam, sandy soil and clay substrate.
Types of sorghum
Today there are several types of sorghum:
- Lemon - is a perennial plant, whose homeland is considered to be tropical countries.The culture is distinguished by long and tall leaves, similar to reeds. At the same time, the greens have a citrus aroma. It is often put in tea and other drinks. Essential oil is also prepared from fresh herbs.
- Sugar - Represents a drought tolerant crop. A characteristic feature is the high sugar content in the stems - its share reaches 20%. Sugar sorghum grows in the form of tall bushes that reach 3.5 meters. The yield is 20-30 tons per 1 hectare. This plant is used in the food industry, bioenergy and feed production.
- Cereal is an important crop that is used in feed and technical industries. The plant is not demanding on the weather and develops well in solonetsous, clayey and sandy loamy substrate. Grain sorghum grows in the form of low bushes 1-1.5 meters in size. The high level of drought resistance is due to well-developed roots that are able to absorb a lot of moisture from different soil layers.The leaves and stem are covered with a wax coating, which reduces the evaporation of the liquid.
Popular varieties
Sorghum seeds come in different shapes, colors and sizes. Grains are green, brown, red, orange. In shape, they can be oval, round, ovoid. Also, the seeds are divided into membranous and naked.
At the same time, breeders have bred many hybrids that differ in their characteristics. One of the most popular plants is the Bianca variety. It is productive and unpretentious. The composition of the grains of such sorghum contains a minimum of tannins. In addition, the plant is characterized by resistance to early lodging. Due to the high location of the lower leaves, cleaning can be done by ordinary mowing. There is no risk of getting too wet beans.
Slavyanskoye Pole variety was bred specifically for feeding cattle.The plant has nutritional properties and promotes weight gain in animals. This variety has several hybrids. Slavyanskoe Pole 207 is used in poultry farms and pig farms. This plant is high in amino acids, trace elements, lysine and carnitine.
Slavyanskoe Pole 600 hybrid has a high sugar content in the stem. This parameter reaches 25%. With an average sowing rate, the plant gives a good yield of green mass even in dry weather.
Growing technology
In order for sorghum to bring a good harvest, you need to follow the rules for planting and provide the plant with quality care.
Landing
Pre-sowing soil preparation is required to retain moisture in it and to control weeds. To retain more moisture, it is worth carrying out the early harrowing of the plough, using heavy toothed harrows. This procedure is performed in 1-2 tracks across and diagonally.After the end of the early spring harrowing of the soil, cultivation is not carried out until weed sprouts appear.
Before planting seeds, it is recommended to perform 2 cultivations and roll layers of plough. The first procedure helps to accelerate the heating of the soil and fill the earth with moisture. The second cultivation is carried out on the day of planting seeds to a depth of 5-7 centimeters. Rolling is carried out using a ringed roller. If there is excess moisture in the ground, it is not worth rolling the plantings, as this will lead to the appearance of a crust and slow down the germination of the seed material.
When preparing seed material for planting, its technical condition is of great importance, which depends on many factors - harvesting time, drying speed, sorting and storage. When sorting, the seeds should be divided into fractions, as this affects the field germination.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionIt is recommended to treat the grain 1.5-2 months before planting. This helps to destroy parasites and internal microflora, which can lead to reduced germination.The choice of sowing time is influenced by the condition of the soil, the climate, the biological characteristics of the varieties and the purpose of planting. With insufficient moisture content in the fields, planting work should be carried out as soon as possible.
Ground temperature matters a lot. At + 14-16 degrees, sprouts appear on the 10-12th day. However, as the temperature parameters increase to +28 degrees, seedlings appear on the 5-6th day.
When planting, the correct seed placement depth is important, as it needs to be placed in firm, moist soil at the optimum depth. Grains should not be planted deep into the soil, as this plant is considered small-seeded.In addition, a significant sowing depth negatively affects the development of sprouts and the progress of crop growth. The optimal depth for planting is 5-6 centimeters. Sugar sorghum should be deepened 7 centimeters.
The location of the seeds in the field and their density are of great importance for the future harvest. Most often, sorghum is planted in a wide-row dotted way with an interval of 70 centimeters. However, the maximum yield can be obtained with a row width of 60 centimeters.
During the use of the dotted method of planting, it is possible to obtain a higher yield of crops than when using the square-nest method. This method makes it possible to place the seeds on the beds, achieve a friendly emergence of sprouts and get a good harvest.
Care
Sorghum is slow growing early in its growing season and can be susceptible to weeds. When caring for the plant, post-sowing packing, which is carried out with spur rollers, helps a lot.
When carrying out such a procedure, you need to move as quickly as possible. The fact is that the torn off lumps of earth will fall back and form a mulch layer. Its appearance will lead to the protection of the soil from increased evaporation of moisture. Post-sowing rolling will help to achieve good seed-to-soil contact, encourage moisture flow from the bottom layers of the soil to the grains, and make the field surface evener.
4-5 days after planting, it is worth starting to fight weeds. This is required to be done with the help of obligatory harrowing. The second procedure is carried out when the sprouts reach 2-3 centimeters. The first harrowing helps to destroy up to 70% of unwanted vegetation, the second - up to 85%.
Subsequently, plantings are cared for by processing row spacing using mounted cultivators. This procedure must be started after seed germination, when the beds are clearly visible. When carrying out cultivation, it is worth maintaining the width of the protective zone measuring 12 centimeters.
At the very beginning of the growing season, varieties are clogged much more than other plants, since sprouts grow much more slowly than weeds. Because sorghum care involves the use of herbicides.
Useful properties
Sorghum grains have a unique chemical composition. They contain many vitamins, mineral s alts, polyphenols. Thiamine, which is present in grains, affects the activity of the central nervous system, improves appetite, and restores heart function. Riboflavin helps maintain he althy skin, nails, hair.
Lemongrass contains citral, which gives it a pleasant citrus aroma. The crushed stems of the culture are often used in cooking as a spice. Sorghum is considered an excellent antioxidant. It contains polyphenolic compounds that strengthen the immune system and provide protection against harmful factors.
Use as fuel
Sorghum is a valuable source of biofuels. This substance is obtained from the sugar variety of the crop. Scientists have conducted many studies that have proven the benefits of using cereals to make biofuels. It is permissible to make bioethanol and biogas from it. The substance is also used to produce solid fuel in the form of briquettes.
Sorghum is a sought-after cereal crop that is grown in many countries around the world. In order for the plant to develop normally, it needs to provide proper care.
