Sorghum 101
This is week two of Harvest Update, which comes to us from Texas and Oklahoma. One of the crops grown in these states is sorghum. Sorghum is not the most well-known crop; most consumers never see the crop before its processed but it really is an amazing and versatile plant.
Sorghum, a grain, forage or sugar crop, is among the most efficient crops in conversion of solar energy and use of water. Sorghum is known as a high-energy, drought-tolerant crop. Because of its wide uses and adaptation “sorghum is one of the really indispensable crops” required for the survival of humankind (From Jack Harlan, 1971). The inherent tolerance of sorghum to marginal lands and environmental conditions, its versatility as a food and feed grain and its ability to produce high yields, ensure its important role in the lives of millions of people throughout the world.
A bit of history…
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The origin and early domestication of sorghum took place in Northeastern Africa and the earliest know record of sorghum comes from an archeological dig at Nabta Playa, near the Egyptian-Sudanese border and had been dated at 8,000 B.C. It spread throughout Africa and along the way adapted to a wide range of environments, from the highlands of Ethiopia to the semi-arid Sahel.
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The development and spread of five different races of sorghum can, in many cases, be attributed to the movement of various tribal groups in Africa. Sorghum then spread to India and China and eventually worked its way into Australia. The first known record of sorghum in the United States comes from Ben Franklin in 1757, who wrote about its application in producing brooms.
What can sorghum be used for?
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In the United States, South America and Australia sorghum grain is used primarily for livestock feed and in a growing number of ethanol plants. Sorghum produces the same amount of ethanol per bushel as comparable feedstocks and uses one third less water. In the livestock market, sorghum is used in the poultry, beef and pork industries. Stems and foliage are used for green chop, hay, silage and pasture. A significant amount of U.S. sorghum is also exported to international markets where it is used for animal feed and ethanol.
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Sorghum has recently appeared in food products in the U.S., because of use in gluten-free food products. Sorghum is an excellent substitute for wheat for those who cannot tolerate gluten. Sorghum is used to make both leavened and unleavened breads. In Sahelian Africa, it is primarily used in couscous. Various fermented and unfermented beverages are made from sorghum. It can be steamed or popped and is consumed as a fresh vegetable in some areas of the world. Syrup is made from sweet sorghum.
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Sorghum is also used for building material, fencing, floral arrangements, pet food and brooms.
And then there’s biofuels….
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Sorghum is a good fit for a many different types of ethanol production including traditional starch-based, sugar-based and cellulosic ethanol production.
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Grain sorghum is an excellent crop for ethanol production because it produces the same amount of ethanol per bushel as comparable feed grains while utilizing one-third less water.
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Sweet sorghum, which is also a water-sipper, grows very tall and the stalks contain a high volume of potent sugars. Ethanol can be distilled from those sugars. Research is ongoing into infrastructure development needs to make sweet sorghum ethanol a mainstream reality.
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In cellulosic ethanol production processes, the whole plants are used to make ethanol. Forage sorghum is an excellent candidate for cellulosic ethanol production, again, because of its high biomass nature (growing 8-15 feet tall) and its low water-use qualities.
Source: National Sorghum Producers
