Raising sorghum in the Sunflower State can provide profit opportunities because of the crop’s value in other countries. Kansas State University specialists also noted producers should do their homework before planting this spring.
In February, K-State Research and Extension, in conjunction with the Kansas Sorghum Commission, hosted sorghum schools in Dodge City, Hutchinson and Washington.
Kansas harvested about 2.36 million acres of grain sorghum in 2017 and is the nation’s top grower, followed by Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Kansas raised 189 million bushels and averaged 80 bushels per acre in 2017.
Pat Damman, field director of the Kansas Sorghum Commission, said sorghum, a non-genetically modified crop, is a popular feed crop in China, Mexico, South America, Africa and Morocco. Sorghum oil is expected to be on parity with corn and that will provide future opportunities for producers, he said. Sorghum was caught up in a trade dispute with China in early February and Damman believed it will be resolved.
Trade talk
Dan O’Brien, an agricultural economist in Colby, said trade disputes are an unfortunate variable because there is a lack of clear direction on trade agreements from the Trump administration.
The volatility of the stock market, including the day it dropped 1,200 points, is a result of economic uncertainty as a result of the concerns over the threat of inflation and if the Fed will raise interest rates to stay ahead of it. A cheaper dollar helps export farm commodities, O’Brien said.
A stronger dollar and higher interest rates are historically tough on producers, he said. Farmers need to watch for opportunities to sell in tighter marketing windows. If a drought does not occur then there is a significant risk to holding on to crops too long in storage, he said.
During the school, experts said to treat sorghum as a valuable commodity and not an afterthought. Several pointed to studies that showed grain sorghum planted in May can pay dividends with increased yields and greater tolerance to insects.
Regardless of region, they believe producers should review seed quality, make sure planting equipment is in good working order and plant sorghum in a crop rotation.
Resistance to watch
Curtis Thompson, an Extension specialist in weed science, said weed resistance to herbicides is something farmers who plant spring crops have to watch. Weeds show a remarkable ability to build up resistance to herbicides and he expects that to continue.
Palmer amaranth and waterhemp are two invasive weeds that are becoming more difficult to kill, he said. Researchers are challenged to find a way to stay ahead of those weeds. The use of dicamba in soybeans and cotton is promising, but it is only a matter of time before resistance occurs. Long term, he believes Kansas crop producers will have to stay on top of it. He expects the problems to increase.
“With increasing dicamba use it will happen,” he said. “In a matter of time we will have dicamba resistance. Right now it’s still working.”
Weed management is becoming increasingly difficult, Thompson said.
Atrazine is a product he likes and is still available for sorghum producers. In some areas, where urban areas and watersheds are adjacent to crops there maybe a push to limit its application due to off-target drift.
“We’ll see what 2019 brings,” he said. “So far so good for sorghum growers.”
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
