After completing this lesson, you have learned to answer:

1
Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum

• After completing this lesson, you have
  learned to answer
• Why sorghum cultivation is important?
• Can sorghum crop yield comparable to rice and
  wheat?
• Why sorghum yields are low where this crop is
  important?
• Is there a scope for sorghum farmers to increase
  their income and how?
• List major pests that significantly lower sorghum
  yields and the stages at which each of these
  pests affect the crop?

2
Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal
crop in the world after wheat, maize, rice, and
barley.
Source FAO 2004
World Area and Production of Major Grain Crops
during 2004
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
Sorghum is cultivated for grain and as a major
food crop in much of South Asia, Africa, and
Central America. In the USA, Australia and
South America, sorghum is grown mainly for animal
feed . In addition to these uses of the grain,
sorghum crop residues and green plants also
provide sources of animal feed, building
material, and fuel for cooking, particularly dry
land areas.
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
Sorghum is adapted to warm and dry climate but
the greatest area of the crop is cultivated in
drought-prone areas of the world. In these
areas, sorghum is usually grown with limited
inputs in conditions of sparse rainfall, low soil
fertility, and face a range of disease and pest
problems, with correspondingly poor yields.
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
Average yields of sorghum are lower than
important grain crops (Table).
Source FAO 2004
The lower average yields are primarily a result
of the hot, dry conditions where sorghum is
mostly grown, rather than sorghum plants
capability.
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
In fact, sorghum has high yield potential,
comparable to rice, wheat and maize (House
1985). On a field basis, sorghum yields have
exceeded 11,000 kg/ha, with above average yields
ranging from 7000 to 9000 kg/ha where moisture is
not a limiting factor.
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
In areas where sorghum is commonly grown yields
of 3000 to 4000 kg/ha are obtained under better
conditions, dropping down to 300 to 1000 kg/ha as
moisture and soil fertility become limiting.
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
A majority of the subsistence farmers who
typically cultivate this crop are unable to take
advantage of high yield potential because they
have limited options for improving their
management practices. Higher production in
sorghum can be achieved by growing
verities/hybrids with improved tolerance to
drought and low soil fertility, and resistance to
pests and diseases.
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
It is a well-known fact that insects being
widely distributed became more problematic in
tropical areas where sorghum is an important food
crop. Pest problem is one of the major
constraints for achieving higher production in
sorghum. The losses caused by insect pests like
shoot fly, stem borer, and midge are enormous.
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
Pests like shoot fly and stem borer which
attack in the very early stages of sorghum
results in complete loss of crop. An excellent
early growth of sorghum may turn out to be
disastrous if midge and ear-head bugs attack at
grain filling stage. Healthy ear-heads with
quality seed set when attacked by host of
ear-head pests may become a mass of shriveled
seeds with web of fungi.
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
It was estimated that insect pests attack
may cause 10 m to 20 loss in sorghum
production. Estimated crop losses due to
pests in India
SourceThirty-seventh report of Standing
committee on Petroleum Chemicals, Govt. of
India (2002)
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Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
However, there is hope. Most of the
sorghum pests can be avoided. Planting with the
onset of monsoon avoids the shoot fly. The en
bloc coverage and the choice of similar-maturing
types would avoid the midge. Both these
aspects need only education and changes in the
emphasis of extension efforts.
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Module 1 About Sorghum
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics
Lessons
Modules

Lesson 1 Importance of Sorghum
With this, the Lesson 1 on Importance of
Sorghum in this Module concludes. In the next
Lesson in this Module, you will learn briefly
about growth of sorghum plant. Click Lessons
button to select Lesson 2
Course on Insect Pests of Sorghum