Forage Alternative For Alfalfa Winterkill or Saturated Ground

Mar 23, 2021


Forage Sorghum

Forage Sorghum 

Each spring farmers face different challenges. One challenge is alfalfa failing to over winter, and another is wet acres. The answer to both of these challenges is forage sorghums. 

Benefits

Genetics

Improved plant genetics provide excellent nutrition and tonnage, with very high total plant digestibility and palatability.

Economics

Sorghums have an economic advantage over corn by producing more with less.

  • Sorghums can produce yields equal to corn silage and are extremely productive, even on marginal soils.
  • Sorghums have a higher tolerance to stresses such as drought, heat and salinity.
  • Sorghums use about 30 to 50 percent less water than corn to produce similar yields.
  • Sorghums do not require the same high level of soil fertility as corn — about 30 percent less nitrogen is needed to achieve tonnage yields for sorghums similar to those for corn.

Sorghum Plant Types

  • Forage sorghums — single-cut, best used for silage
  • Sorghum x sudangrass — multi-cut, best used for haylage, dry hay or grazing
  • Sudangrass — multi-cut, best used for hay and grazing
  • Pearl millet — multi-cut, best used for grazing, dry hay and for horses


forage-600x400.jpg

Fill out the form below to contact a Premier agronomist and learn more about how using forage sorghum could benefit your operation



Todd Beuthin

Location Manager

Recent Posts

May 01, 2025
As spring greens-up begins across the region, evaluating the condition of your alfalfa stands is a crucial step to protect yield potential and make timely crop management decisions.
May 01, 2025
As we move into the growing season, ensuring your crops have the nutrients they need to thrive is critical. Whether you and your agronomist planned for split-applied nitrogen or not, one of the most effective strategies to boost corn performance is with an in-crop application of nitrogen. This practice delivers nitrogen directly to plants when they need it most, supporting vigorous growth and optimizing yield potential. For farmers looking to enhance productivity while maintaining efficiency, top-dressing urea is a proven practice for success.
May 01, 2025
Although I’m a huge fan of winter, I also enjoy the way the earth comes alive at this time of year. The grass is greening up nicely, the trees are budding and farmers are beginning to till up the soil and plant this year’s crops. My biggest problem this time of year is figuring out what to wear. One day I’m in a t-shirt and the next I’ve got to put on a sweater. Do I wear spring colors or dark colors to hide the weight I gained over the winter? The struggle is real.

Related Topics