How to cultivate Sorghum

How sorghum is cultivated in India.
Season of cultivation: Single-cut and dual-purpose types are concentrated in kharif, while multi cut types are best exploited during summer (Jan-Feb. sowing). Seed rate and spacing: In order to get higher biomass production from all forage varieties, they need to be sown densely at 30 X 10 cm spacing using a seed rate of 20 --25 kg/ha. Fertilizer management: The fertilizer schedule for sorghum is 80:40:40 (NPK) with two splits of N, one at basal and the other at 30 DAS. In case of multi-cut types, a 30 kg/ha N after each cut followed by irrigation is recommended.

Kharif Sorghum

Seed-bed preparation: Sorghum requires a well prepared seed

Planting time: Sowing of sorghum should be undertaken with the onset of monsoon. Dry sowing about one week in advance of monsoon (firm forecast) is also practiced in black cotton soils.

Early maturing: CSH 23, Medium duration: CSH 16, CSH 18, CSH 21
Varieties: CSV 17 , CSV 20

Hybrids: Seed rate, spacing and plant density: The optimum plant population depends upon the available moisture, soil fertility status and morphology of genotypes being cultivated.

The optimum plant population recommended is 1,80,000 plants/ha. This can be achieved by using 8 kg seed and planting at 45 cm x 12.5 cm or 60 cm X 9.5 cm.

Fertilizer management: Application of 10 tons/ha FYM at the last ploughing and 40 kg
N /ha fertilizer is advised. In the absence of FYM, 80 kg of N and 40 kg P2O5/hectare is recommended. One half i.e 40 kg N and full P2O5 is to be applied at sowing, while remaining 40 kg N is to be applied 30-40 days after sowing. In case of light soils with low rainfall, 60kg N and 30 kg P2O5 is recommended.
Weed management:
Timely sowing of crop to minimize crop weed competition. Proper spacing to facilitate inter weeding operation. Keep the field free from weeds.

Inter cultivation : Two weeding with one shallow hoeing up to 3 weeks after sowing will keep the field free from weeds. To check severe weed infestation apply Atrazine @ 0.5 kg a.i. per ha followed by hand weeding within three weeks of sowing.

Harvesting: Ideally Kharif sorghum should be harvested at its physiological maturity to avoid grain mold damage.