Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)

		Sorghum Consultative meeting VC Pune
		Directorate of Sorghum Research, Hyderabad

I. SEASON AND VARIETIES

II. PARTICULARS OF SORGHUM VARIETIES

  

Growth stages of sorghum

SELECTION OF SEEDS

Good quality seeds are collected from disease and pest-free fields.

Quantity of seed required

                Irrigated                 Transplanted - 7.5 kg/ha;  Direct sown  -        10 kg/ha
                Rainfed Direct sown   - 15 kg/ha
                Sorghum under irrigated condition is raised both as a direct sown and transplanted crop.

Transplanted crop has the following advantages:

• Main field duration is reduced by 10 days.
  
• Shoot fly, which attacks direct sown crops during the first 3 weeks and which is difficult to control, can be effectively and economically controlled in the nursery itself.
  
• Seedlings which show chlorotic and downy mildew symptoms can be eliminated, thereby incidence of downy mildew in the main field can be minimised.
  
• Optimum population can be maintained as only healthy seedlings are used for transplanting.
  
• Seed rate can also be reduced by 2.5 kg/ha.

Population

150 plants for 10 m2, leaving only one healthy plant per hill.
 
II. NURSERY PRACTICES

1. NURSERY PREPARATION

For raising seedlings to plant one hectare, select 7.5 cents (300 m2) near a water source where water will not stagnate.

2. APPLICATION OF FYM TO THE NURSERY

• Apply 750 kg of FYM or compost for 7.5 cents nursery and apply another 500 kg of compost or FYM for covering the seeds after sowing.
  
• Spread the manure evenly on the unploughed soil and incorporate by ploughing or apply just before last ploughing.

3. LAYING THE NURSERY

• Provide three separate units of size 2 m x 1.5 m with 30 cm space in between the plots and all around the unit for irrigation.
  
• Excavate the soil from the inter-space and all around to a depth of 15 cm to form channels and spread the soil removed on the bed and level.

4. PRE-TREATMENT OF SEEDS

• Treat the seeds 24 hours prior to sowing with Carbendazim or Captan or Thiram at 2g/kg of seed.
  
• Treat the seeds with three packets (600 g) / ha of Azospirillum and 3 packets (600g) of phosphobacteria or 6 packets of Azophos (1200g) using rice kanji as binder.   
  

5. SOWING AND COVERING THE SEEDS

6. WATER MANAGEMENT

• Provide one inlet to each nursery unit.
  
• Allow water to enter through the inlet and cover all the channels till the raised beds are wet and then cut off water and
  
• Adjust the frequency of irrigation according to the soil types as follows:

NOTE: Do not keep the seedlings in the nursery for more than 18 days. If older seedlings are used, establishment and yield are adversely affected. Do not allow cracks to develop in the nursery by properly adjusting the quantity of irrigation water.

III. MAIN FIELD PREPARATION FOR IRRIGATED CROP

1. PLOUGHING

Plough the field with an iron plough once (or) twice. Sorghum does not require fine tilth since it adversely affects germination and yield in the case of direct sown crop.

To overcome the subsoil hard pan in Alfisols (deep red soils) chiselling the field at 0.5 m intervals to a depth of 40 cm on both the directions of the field followed by disc ploughing once and cultivator ploughing twice help to increase the yield of sorghum and the succeeding blackgram also. This was true with Sorghum followed by Groundnut also.

Application of FYM and 100% of recommended N can also be followed. In soils with sub-soil hard pan, chiselling should be done every year at the start of the cropping sequence to create a favourable physical environment.

2. APPLICATION OF FYM

Spread 12.5 t/ha FYM or composted coir pith along with 10 packets of Azospirillum (2000g/ha) and 10 packets (2000 g/ha) of phosphobacteria or 20 packets of Azophos (4000g/ha) on the unploughed field and incorporate the manure in the soil. Apply well decomposed poultry manure @ 5 t/ha to improve the grain yield as well as physical properties of soils.

3. FORMATION OF RIDGES AND FURROWS

• Form ridges and furrows using a ridger at 6 m long and 45 cm apart
  
• Form irrigation channels across the furrows

Forming ridges and furrows

Transplanted crop

Direct sown crop

• Apply NPK fertilizers as per soil test recommendations as far as possible. If soil test recommendations are not available, adopt a blanket recommendation of 90 N, 45 P2O5, 45 K2O kg/ha.
  
• Apply N @ 50:25:25 % at 0, 15 and 30 DAS and full dose of P2O and K2O5 basally before sowing and if basal application is not possible the same could be top dressed within 24 hours.
  
• In the case of bed planted crop, mark lines to a depth of 5 cm and 45 cm apart.  Place the fertilizer mixture at the depth of 5 cm along the lines. Cover the lines upto 2 cm from the top before sowing.
  
• In the case of sorghum raised as a mixed crop with a pulse crop (Blackgram, Greengram or Cowpea) open furrows 30 cm apart to a depth of 5 cm.
  
• Apply fertilizer mixture in two lines in which sorghum is to be raised and cover upto 2 cm.
  
• Skip the third row in which the pulse crop is to be raised and place fertilizer mixture in the next two rows and cover upto 2 cm with soil.
  
• Application of bio-fertilizers: When Azospirillum is used apply only 75% of recommended N for irrigated sorghum.
  
• Soil test based fertilizer recommendation may be adopted in Western and North Western Zone viz., Alfisol, Inceptisol and Vertisol for prescribing fertilizer doses for specified yield targets.

Sowing

5. APPLICATION OF MICRONUTRIENT MIXTURE

Transplanted Crop

• Mix 12.5 kg/ha of micronutrient mixture formulated by the Department of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu with enough sand to make a total quantity of 50 kg and apply the mixture over the furrows and on top one third of the ridges.
• If micronutrient mixture is not available, mix 25 kg of zinc sulphate with sand to make a total quantity of 50 kg and apply on the furrows and on the top one third of the ridges.

Direct Sown Crop

• Mix 12.5 kg of micronutrient mixture formulated by the Department of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu with enough sand to make a total quantity of 50 kg.
• Spread the mixture evenly on the beds.
  
• Basal application of 25 kg ZnSO4/ha^-1 for the deficient soils or 12.5 kg Zn SO4 ha^-1 + FYM for the Zn deficient soils.
• Basal application of FeSO4, 50 kg/ha along with 12.5 t/ha FYM for iron deficient soils.

IV. MANAGEMENT OF MAIN FIELD

Spacing: 45 x 15 cm

Population:15/m²

1. TRANSPLANTED CROP

• Pull out the seedlings when they are 15 to 18 days old.
• Prepare slurry with 5 packets of Azospirillum (1000g/ha) and 5 packets (1000g/ha) of Phosphobacteria or 10 packets of Azophos (2000 g/ha) in 40 lit. of water and dip the root portion of the seedlings in the solution for 15-30 minutes and transplant.
• Let in water through the furrows
• Plant one seedling per hill
• Plant the seedlings at a depth of 3 to 5 cm.
• Plant the seedlings on the side of the ridge, half the distance from the top of the ridge and the bottom.
• Maintain a spacing of 15 cm between plants in the row which are 45 cm apart (15/m²).

2. DIRECT SOWN CROP

• In the case of pure crop of sorghum, maintain the seed rate at 10kg/ha.
  
• In the case of inter crop of sorghum with pulse crop, maintain the seed rate of sorghum at 10 kg/ha and pulse crop at 10 kg/ha.
  
• In the case of pure crop of sorghum, sow the seeds with a spacing of 15 cm between seeds in the rows which are 45 cm apart.
  
• Maintain one plant per hill.
  
• If shootfly attack is there, remove the side shots and retain one healthy shoot.
  
• Sow the seeds over the lines where fertilizers are placed.
  
• Sow the seeds at a depth of 2 cm and cover with soil.
  
• In the case of sorghum intercropped with pulses sow one paired row of sorghum alternated with a single row of pulses. The spacing between the row of sorghum and pulse crop is 30 cm.

Forage cowpea CO 1 can be inter-cropped in sorghum at two rows of fodder cowpea in between paired rows of sorghum.

3. WEED MANAGEMENT

4. THINNING OF THE SEEDLINGS AND GAP FILLING

Direct sown crop

Thin the seedlings and gap fill with the seedlings thinned out. Maintain a spacing of 15 cm between plants after the first hand weeding on the 23rd day of sowing. Thin the pulse crop to a spacing of 10 cm between plants for all pulse crop except cowpea, for which spacing is maintained at 20 cm between plants.

5. DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS

Zinc: Deficiency symptoms first appear in the newly formed leaves at 20 to 30 days age. Older leaves have yellow streaks or chlorotic striping between veins.

Iron:Interveinal chlorosis will be observed. If the deficiency continues the entire leaf including the veins may exhibit chlorotic symptoms. Newly formed leaves exhibit chlorotic symptoms. The entire crop may exhibit bleached appearance, dry and may die.

Direct sown crop

• Spray only if micronutrient mixture is not applied.
  
• Apply in case of iron deficiency.
  
• If soil is calcareous.

V. WATER MANAGEMENT

Regulate irrigation according to the following growth phase of the crop.

NOTE : Adjust irrigation schedule according to the weather conditions and depending upon the receipt of rains. Contingent Plan: This should be done before 75% of soil moisture is lost from available water. Spraying 3% Kaolin (30 g in one litre of water) during periods of stress will mitigate the ill effects.

1. RAINFALL

Average and well distributed rainfall of 250-300 mm is optimum for rainfed sorghum.

2. DISTRIBUTION

Madurai, Dindigul, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Sivagangai, Tiruchirapalli, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Coimbatore and Dharmapuri Districts.

3. SEASON

The crop can be grown in South West and North East monsoon seasons provided  the rainfall is evenly distributed.

4. FIELD PREPARATION

Test the soil and apply fertilizers based on soil test recommendations.

• Field has to be prepared well in advance taking advantage of early showers. 
• FYM application should be done @ 12.5 t / ha and well incorporated at the time of ploughing.
• Chiseling for soils with hard pan
• Chisel the soils having hard pan formation at shallow depths with chisel plough at 0.5 M interval, first in one direction and then in the direction perpendicular to the previous one once in three years. Apply 12.5 t FYM or composted Coir pith/ha besides chiseling to get an additional yield of about 30% over control.
• To conserve the soil moisture sow the seeds in flat beds and form furrows between crop rows during inter cultivation or during third week after sowing.

Sow the seeds in flat beds

5. SEED RATE
 
15 kg/ha

6. SEED TREATMENT

Direct sown crop

Seed hardening ensures high germination. The seeds are pre-soaked in 2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution for 6 hours in equal volume and then dried back to its original moisture content is shade and are used for sowing.

• Harden the seeds with 1% aqueous fresh leaf extract of Prosopis juliflora and pungam,    (Pongamia pinnata) mixed in 1:1 for 16 hrs at 1:0.6 ratio (Seed and solution) followed by drying and subsequently pelleting the seeds with Pungam leaf powder @300 g/kg with gruel.
• Halogenise the seeds containing CaOCl, CaCO3 and arappu leaf powder @ 5:4:1 ratio or iodine based (containing 2 mg of Iodine in 3 g of CaCO3) formulation @ 3g/kg packed in polylined cloth bag to maintain seed viability for more than 10 month.
• Soak the seeds in 2% (20 g in one litre of water) potassium dihydrogen phosphate or 500 ppm of CCC (500 mg in one litre of water) for six hours and shade dry the seeds for 5 hours. Use 350 ml of solution for soaking one kg of seed.
• Treat the seeds with three packets of azospirillum (600 g) and 3 packets of phosphobacteria or 6 packets of Azophos (1200 g/ha). In the main field, apply 10 packets of azospirillum 2000 g/ha and 10 packets (2000g/ha) of phosphobacteria or 20 packets of Azophos (4000 g/ha) with phosphobacteria 2 kg with 25 kg FYM + 25 kg soil.
• The seed is pelletised with 15 g of Chloropyriphos in 150 ml of gum and shade dried.

 
7. SOWING

Sow the seeds well before the onset of monsoon at 5 cm depth (by seed drill or by country plough). The seed is pelletised with 15 g of Chloropyriphos in 150 ml of gum and shade dried.

Pre-monsoon sowing

Sow the hardened seeds at 5 cm depth with seed cum fertilizer drill to ensure uniform depth of sowing and fertilizer application before the onset of monsoon as detailed below:

• Sow the sorghum seeds over the line where the fertilizers are placed.
  
• Sow the seeds at a depth of 5 cm and cover with the soil.
  
• Sow the seeds with the spacings of 15 cm in the paired rows spaced 60 cm apart.
  
• Sow the pulse seeds to fall 10 cm apart in the furrows between the paired rows of sorghum.

8. SPACING

      45 x 15 cm or 45 x 10 cm.

9. FERTILIZER

Apply 12.5 t/ha of Composted Coir pith + NPK at 40:20:0; Apply enriched FYM 750 kg/ha. The recommended dose of 40 kg N and 20 kg P2O5/ha for rainfed sorghum can be halved if FYM @ 5 t/ ha is applied.

10. WEED MANAGEMENT

• Keep sorghum field free of weeds from second week after germination till 5th week. If sufficient moisture is available spray Atrazine 0.25 kg/ha as pre-emergence application within 3 days after the receipt of the soaking rainfall for sole sorghum and for sorghum based intercropping system with pulses, use Pendimethalin at 0.75 kg/ha.
• Under rainfed sorghum intercropped with cowpea as a pre- plant incorporation of isoproturba @ 0.5 kg ha-1 gave good control of weed with applied after 1st and 2nd spell of rainfall pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 will be safer for both the crops.

11. CROPPING SYSTEM

Tamarind and Neem trees upto 3-4 years from date of planting form an ideal tree component for agroforestry in black cotton soils of Kovilpatti. Sorghum and blackgram gave higher yield even at 50 per cent of the recommended level of fertilizer application

RATOON SORGHUM CROP
 
1. RATOONING TECHNIQUE

• Harvest the main crop leaving 15 cm stubbles.
  
• Remove the first formed two sprouts from the main crop and allow only the later formed two sprouts to grow.  Allow two tillers per hill.

 2. HOEING AND WEEDING

• Remove the weeds immediately after harvest of the main crop.
  
• Hoe and weed twice on 15th and 30th day after cutting.

3. APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS

• Apply 100 kg N/ha in two split doses.
• Apply the first dose on 15th day after cutting and the second on 45th day after cutting.
• Apply 50 kg P2O5/ha along with the application of N on 45th day.

4. WATER MANAGEMENT

• Irrigate immediately after cutting the main crop.
  
• Irrigation should not be delayed for more than 24 hours after cutting.
  
• Irrigate on 3rd or 4th day after cutting.
  
• Subsequently irrigate once in 7 - 10 days.
  
• Stop irrigation on 70 - 80 days after ratooning.

5. HARVEST

Harvest the crop when the grains turn yellow.
NOTE: The duration of the ratoon crop is about 15 days less than the main crop.

6. CROP PROTECTION

• Pest of Sorghum
• Diseases of Sorghum

7. POST HARVEST TECHNOLOGY

In India, sorghum grain is known as “jowar” and constitutes an important article of food after rice and wheat. The whole grain or the broken grain can be cooked like rice or the whole grain ground to flour and used to make chappaties. Sorghum grain is used as a source of starch in the fermentation industry for producing industrial alcohol and solvents. From a blend of wheat flour and sorghum flour, baked products like muffins, bread and cakes can be produced.

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