Fodder Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)
Common varieties: Commercial dual purpose, Columbus grass, Sudan grass.
One of the most important crops in Kenya that can be used both for grain and forage. While
some varieties are used solely for grain, other varieties have been developed for fodder while
other are dual purpose. Sorghum is a hardy crop that is well adapted to drought and therefore
requires less water to grow compared than maize and can be grown in different ecological
zones and therefore offer a good option in supplementing animal feeds during dry seasons.
Characteristics
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Tolerates conditions of limited moisture
and produces a lot of feed during long
periods of drought.
It can be grown under wide range of soils
and can be ratooned) cut and left to grow
again
Surplus can be conserved as silage and
used during shortage
Rich in energy but low in proteins
Planting
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Management
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Summary
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Yield potential:
15 – 20 DM t/ha/yr
Altitudes grown:
1,500–2,400m a.s.l.
Rainfall Requirement:
500–1000 mm
Land Preparation
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Soil should contain fine tilth without clods,
weeds or rocks
Seed bed should be fine to allow proper
soil-seed contact
Soils of at least medium fertility are
necessary
Sorghum should be planted in in furrows
dug 75 cm apart.
It is advised to use certified treated seeds
Sorghum seeds are small and should be
planted 2 -4 cm at the cool tome of the day
Seed rate is 3 kg/acre
Use fertilizer rate at 50 kg/acrephosphorus.
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Sorghum is very susceptible to weed
competition at early phases of growth.
Ensure you plant on clean soil free of
weeds
Herbicides can be used to control weeds at
emergence or at three leaf stage
Thin the plants when they are 15cm high to
10 cm intra plant.
Harvesting
Conservation and Feeding
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The aim is to harvest when the dry matter
is between 27% to 30% so as to have
quality silage.
With the grain bearing variety, harvesting
should be done when the grain in the
middle of the pinnacle is in the milkydough stage.
Crop should be harvested as long as the
lower leaves start showing signs of drying
out
Observe hygiene and ensure soil particles
don’t mix with the fodder
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Sorghum can be fed fresh or conserved as
silage
Fresh sorghum contains prussic acid which
can be toxic. Therefore, wilt for 3 days for
acid to go down
Sorghum silage should not be chopped to
fine or too coarse to ensure that the silo is
stable
Silo should be built to allow a feeding speed
of about 25cm per day
The plant should be layered and compacted
in a silo to expel air and then sealed
Since sorghum is high in fiber and energy, it
should be used in a feed ration together with
feed high in energy and minerals.
Sorghum classified as “forage sorghum” can
form up to 50% of the silage-based feed
ration
Dual purpose sorghum must not go beyond
25% of the forage
Acknowledgements
“This factsheet was developed with funding from Dutch government (NOW) through the project “Feed
and Forage Seed Business Models to support further professionalisation of the dairy sector in Kenya
and Uganda”, registered under W 08.240.106, coordinated by KIT Royal Tropical institute and
implemented by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, ILRI and NaLIRRI.”