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USCP Agronomy Check
BRENT BEAN
LUBBOCK, TEXAS
It’s hard to believe fall is here and the end of the calendar year is in sight. I wish I could say it’s time to relax, but, of course, we all know there really is no “off season” in agriculture anymore. In fact, the “off season” is when most of the important production decisions are made. And one of the most basic and pressing decisions will be: What will you plant next year?
When considering crops for next year, growers should keep in mind the following benefits of growing sorghum:
• Excellent rotational crop with soybean or cotton
• Allows for the use of alternative herbicides for control of resistant weeds, particularly pigweed.
•Soybean and cotton yields are typically higher the year they follow sorghum.
• Input costs are significantly less than other crops. For example, the 2016 Arkansas Extension budgets for dryland sorghum and traited corn show a cost difference of $81 just for seed.
• Sorghum is known for its ability to withstand short periods of drought without significantly reducing yield.
Sugarcane aphid
Although sugarcane aphid remains a pest in sorghum, much has been learned about its control since it was first introduced to the Mid-South in 2014. Excellent control guides are now available from land grant university extension and research entomologists. In addition, varieties have been identified that have some tolerance to the pest.
Although these varieties are not immune to the sugarcane aphid, populations build much more slowly on these varieties reducing the chance of needing to apply multiple applications of insecticide. List of hybrids with some sugarcane aphid tolerance can be obtained from state extension specialists as well as from the United Sorghum Checkoff website. It is important, however, that growers do not give up yield potential just for the benefit of planting a sugarcane aphid-tolerant hybrid. Make sure any variety planted has the yield potential that you are seeking under your growing conditions.
Herbicides
When used in a rotation with soybean or cotton, growers should consider the herbicides used in these crops and read the label to determine if they pose any risk to sorghum. Always carefully read and follow all label instructions. Staple LX/Pyrimax and Envoke are the two herbicides most often used in cotton that can cause sorghum injury the following year. Soybean herbicides are seldom a problem to sorghum the following year, but check the labels if Pursuit, Typhoon/Flexstar, Sonic/Python, or Canopy were used. ∆
BRENT BEAN: Agronomist, United Sorghum Checkoff Program
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