As the 5th most widelygrown crop world-wide, with 40 Mha to its name, sorghum has been part of the farming landscape for decades.
Little-grown in Europe (hence the continent’s high import levels), sorghum has everything it takes to develop on our soil.
Its relatively-short vegetation period, (which makes it a good intermediate crop), its ability to take root in all types of soils, its low fertiliser demand and its ability to adjust to climate change..
Sorghum is one of the crop species to have had its genome sequencing completed, which allows significant genetic variability.
Sorghum offers good economic performance and an easy path toward productivity gains: by selecting the best-suited varieties (hybrid, early-growing, etc.) and the most reasoned
technical procedures throughout the growth pathway (seeding dates and density, harvest and conservation stage, etc.).
Sorghum makes it possible to bring a new crop into the rotation cycle, in a move toward diversifi cation that helps curb weed growth.
Fabienne Coletti, an Italian farmer, started growing sorghum in 2017 when she converted her farm to organic farming. Two harvests later, she notes that results are convincing both for returns and for profitability.
By diversifying their crop production thanks to sorghum, growers can enjoy an additional crop with multiple benefits in the face of unpredictable events (climate, parasite onset, fluctuation in raw materials prices, etc.). All of which make sorghum a particularly reassuring product to have.
Sorghum grains yield 7t/ha in Italy, 5 to 6 t/ha in France, and regularly yield over 10 t/ha in areas with good water supply (rain or irrigation) and in Eastern European countries. Major yield improvement is within easy reach, thanks to hybrid varieties… A gene-based offer for all regions: grain sorghum, fodder sorghum whether single-cut or multi-cut… Thanks to the vitality of Europe’s growers, new varieties have been created to fulfil the needs of all farmers and all outlets.
