Sorghum in Poland: Growth Driven by Varietal Innovation

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To Tadeusz Michalski, Head of PZPK – the Polish Corn Producers’ Association – , “sorghum is a plant that offers new crop perspectives and increases biodiversity, therefore improving the biological quality of soils. It is particularly adapted to Polish conditions, where more than half the soils are poor.”

Sorghum is gaining ground in Poland as an agronomic and economic solution to crop diversification and weather hazard mitigation. Thanks to the breeders’ ongoing work, the plant now provides early varieties that are drought-resistant and suitable to poorer soils. In Poland, where field trials are being organised all the time, sorghum captures interest by its low input use and its ability to harness difficult soils whilst meeting growing needs in terms of feed, gluten-free grains, and biomass.

A Range of Varieties that Is Adapted to the Polish Market

Genetic research has enabled breeders to develop sorghums that meet the Polish farmers’ specific needs:

Early grain sorghum: mainly used for grain production for food and feed. Adapted to regions with short growth cycles, it can also be used as silage when weather conditions do not allow full grain maturity.
Feed sorghum: particularly adapted to poorer soils or to regions that are vulnerable to pests such as corn borers. Its silage is rich in starch (25-35 percent dry matter), it has an energy value that equals 95 percent of that of corn, while at the same time reducing exposure to weather hazards.
Multi-cut feed sorghum: it allows for two to three harvests a year, with minimum production costs, thanks to its high water stress tolerance and fast growth rate. An economic solution to maximise one’s feed production.
Feed sorghums can be developed from BMR (Brown Midrib) varieties. Characterised by highly-digestible fibre contents, they are ideal in completing corn-based rations. While their energy level is similar to that of corn, their nutritional profile is different: less starch but higher fibre digestibility, which can give higher milk fat.

Is Sorghum the Future Pillar of Polish Agriculture?

Poland has witnessed a significant increase in its sorghum area. Latest data indicate that the country saw a 17-percent annual increase between 2020 and 2025, reaching a combined total of 14 670 hectares of grain and feed sorghum, in 2026. These figures place Poland among the most dynamic sorghum-growing countries in Central Europe.