By Blake Jackson
Sorghum production is gaining momentum across Pennsylvania as growers look for flexible crop options that fit a variety of farming needs.
According to Dwight Lingenfelter, Weed Specialist with Penn State Extension, some farmers are using sorghum as an emergency forage crop when corn stands fail, while others are planting it in areas with heavy deer pressure because wildlife tends to avoid the crop. Sorghum is also being produced for birdseed and other specialty uses.
As acreage expands, effective weed management remains essential for protecting yield potential.
Several herbicides are available for sorghum production, including atrazine, s-metolachlor products such as Dual II Magnum and Bicep II Magnum, acetochlor products like Warrant and Degree Xtra, and dimethenamid products including Outlook.
Other herbicides used in sorghum include Callisto, Clarity, Huskie, Peak, Yukon, and Permit.
However, growers must pay close attention to herbicide labels because not every product is approved for all sorghum types. While many herbicides are registered for grain sorghum, only a limited number of preemergence products are labeled for forage sorghum, sudangrass, and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids.
Products such as atrazine, Dual II Magnum, Bicep II Magnum, and Warrant are among the few options carrying forage labels.
Lingenfelter also emphasized the importance of using seed treated with safeners like Concep or Screen when applying Group 15 herbicides to reduce crop injury risks.
For postemergence broadleaf weed control, products such as dicamba, Huskie, Maestro, Peak, and Starane Ultra are commonly used.
Since these herbicides do not control grassy weeds after emergence, newer sorghum technologies including DoubleTeam with FirstAct herbicide and igrowth with ImiFlex are helping producers manage in-season grass pressure more effectively.
Farmers considering sorghum after a failed corn crop should also review herbicide rotation restrictions carefully. Some corn herbicides allow immediate planting of sorghum, while others may require waiting months before rotational crops can be safely established.
Photo Credit: istock-mailson-pignata
Categories: Pennsylvania, Crops, Sorghum