Sorghums Prove a Money Crop for Drought South Dakota
A 13 year study at Cottonwood shows sorghums average 17.45 dollars per acre in cash, far above corn at 3.80. Native grasses and alfalfa rank next, with yields and profits detailing sorghum superiority in drier areas, including Brookings comparisons where sorghum yields exceed corn.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brookings
South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station
Cuttonwood
Cottonwood
Kale
Kalir
Proper seeding rates for sorghum depend on moisture and germination
The article cautions against heavy seeding to avoid poor stands when moisture is limited. It explains factors for rate decisions including row spacing, seed size, and germination tests. Variability between lab and field germination prompts sowing two to three times the apparent rate, with seed size ranging from 600 to 26 000 seeds per pound. It provides examples for large and small seeded varieties and references a 33 year table from South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station on planting methods.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
South Dakotanicultural Experiment
Cottonwood
Seeding Guidelines Indicate Varying Seed Rates
The text notes possible overseeding by many people and contrasts solid seeding needing 40 to 80 pounds per acre with 42 inch ing requiring only six to eight pounds. It emphasizes variable factors affecting seeding rates.
Fodder Sorghum Harvest Stages and Methods
Sorghums should be cut for fodder at medium dough stage to maximize nutrient yield per acre. For hay, wait until plants are fairly mature to reduce acidity. Grain harvest occurs at full maturity. Bundled harvesting via binder yields about 12 bundles per shock, then thresh with a stationary combine. Header harvesting dries heads in piles before threshing, but risks moldy grain and seeds unsuitable for seeding. A header can harvest more efficiently, with two men taking about 1.12 acres per day versus seven acres per day with other methods.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
South Dakota State College
Federal Agricultural Experiment Station
Home Grown Seed Rated Superior by Agronomist
South Dakota Agriculture Experiment Station reports home grown sorghum seed yields palatable nutritious forage equal to or better than imported varieties. Home grown types mature properly and cure more easily, reducing prussic acid risk. Three years needed for adaptation to new locations. field cured weights favor home grown varieties despite green weights of imported types.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
South Dakota
Scientists Seek Way To Overcome Grass Restoration Disease
BROOKINGS May 24 Experiments at South Dakota State College show seed treatments provide little long term gain against soil borne diseases impeding grass restoration. Agronomist Prof Clifford Franzke reports initial germination boosts but no sustained increase in total grass stand on infested soil across tests with crested wheat grass. Further studies across Brookings Huron Highmore Hayes Cottonwood and Torrington sites explore cropping systems and disease patterns.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brookings
South Dakota
Clifford Franzke
State College
Franzke
Huron
Highmore
Hayes
Cottonwood
Torrington
Wye
West River
Restoring Grass Proves Complex In Experimental Study
In South Dakota, Prof. Clifford Franzke of State College Experiment Station says no blanket grass regrassing rule fits all soils and climates. He notes seed bed, cover crop, seeding rate vary by condition. The station tests many varieties to find those best suited to local conditions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Clifford Franzke
State College Experiment , Station Agronomist
South Dakota
State College Agricultural Experiment Station
South ,Dakota
Franzke
Picnic at Lake De Smet with De Smet students
Special report notes De Smet High School pupils Martha Schroeder William Hauge and A M Nannestad organizing a May 24 Lake Kam Peska outing. Grade students also picnicked Thursday at Lake Campbell under adult supervision.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lake DE Smet
de Smet High School
Lake Kam
Do Sorghums Drain Soil Fertility Not Seriously
South Dakota farmers question whether sorghum reduces following crops’ yields. Agronomist C J Franzke says sorghum residues can temporarily tax soil nitrogen, especially for early maturing crops after sorghum, due to its sugar content and fibrous roots. He notes manure helps mitigate drain and reduces prussic acid risk, with long-term rotation data from Cottonwood.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
South Dakota
C. J. Franzke
South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Agronomist
Professor Franzke
Frenzke
Franzke
Cottonwood
Fattening Value Test For Cane And Corn Compared
South Dakota Experiment Station compares fattening value of shelled corn ground sorghum and cane seed for hogs. Seed from Dakota amber and low prussic acid cane used. sooner mile yields fastest gains while the others show similar feed per 100 pounds gain. Three year trial with notes on minerals and tankage. Turner Wright leads the project. A parallel beet trial runs three years.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
South Dakota
Dakota
Turner Wright
Sorghums Prove Tough in Drought Winds
Sorghums resist scorching winds by entering a dormant stage during droughts and revive after rain. Unlike corn and oats, sorghums endure hot spells and recover, earning the label a dry weather crow for their strong recuperative powers. They still require ample moisture ultimately, more than some hardier crops.
Warm And Mellow Seedbed Required For Germination
Brookings May 24 Agronomists warn that sorghum seeding relies on warm soil and not calendar dates. Optimal germination at about 92 degrees with seedbeds warm and light, best in early June in the east and with spring discing or harrowing in some areas. Listings show yields by date with June 15 at 6,324 pounds and July 15 at 4,000 plus pounds, while other dates peak around 7,474 pounds.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brookings
Dako
Paris
South Dakota's Sorghum Breakthrough Aids Plains Farmers
Agronomists study sorghum growth habits to pick hardiest varieties with high feeding value and low prussic acid. South Dakota State College pioneering low prussic acid sorghum, aiming to popularize the crop among state growers and boost farm prosperity.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Plains
South Dakota
South Dakota State College
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Ceresan
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R. W. Rye
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