2. Production Technology of Sorghum Mubashar Shahbaz 2008-ag-2522

3. Scientific Classification Botanical Name : Sorghum bicolor (L) Kingdom : Plantae Order :Poales Family : Poaceae Subfamily :Panicoideae Genus :Sorghum L.

4. History Native to the tropical areas in Africa The oldest cultivation record dates back to 3000 B.C. in Egypt The original variety of sorghum was purple or red and the seed coat was red In the 1950s hybrid sorghums were developed for higher yields

5. CountryArea(000 ha) Production(000 MT) Yield(kg/ha) China78431073966 India92006500706 Pakistan400230575 Saudi Arabia1802001111 Thailand882002272 Yemen320260812 Sorghum cultivating areas in Asia:

6. Description Local names are “jawar”, “chari” Self-pollinating plant Height of plant 60-460 cm Sorghum seed is small and round The long, wide leaves grow off the stalk

7. Climate and Soil Sorghum is tropical plant More drought and temperature resistant Can grow on all types of soils except saline and waterlogged Heavy, loamy soils are most suitable Prefers hot, dry climate Does not grow well in areas with high summer rainfall

8. Seedbed Preparation Requires good seedbed Which can be prepared with 1 ploughing with mouldboard plough Followed by 2 ploughings with cultivator along with planking

9. Manuring 1.25 bag of Urea at first Irrigation FertilizerQuantity (per Ha) DAP 2.5 bags Urea 1.25 bags

10. Varieties JS 2002 Certified variety of Sargodha Long and sweet plants which remain green for long time Production is 700 mounds/acre Chakwal 2008 Best for Arid zone Sweet stemmed and remains green for long time

11. Hegari Tall, sweet stemmed and high yielding Production is 550 mounds/acre Good seed production also JS-263 Suitable for fodder and grain Production is 500 mounds/acre Attack of Red Leaf Spot disease

12. Method of Sowing Mostly sown by broadcasting Recommended method is line sowing (pora method) Line to line distance should be 30 cm for fodder crop 45-60 cm distance between lines in case of seed production

13. Seed Rate 32-35 kg/acre for fodder crop 6-8 kg/acre for grain purpose

14. Sowing Time In Punjab: For fodder in March-August For grain June-July Sindh: In June for both fodder and grain KPK: During June and July Baluchistan: In July and August

15. Intercultural Practices Fodder crops don’t require interculture 1 hoeing for grain crops in case of line sowing Irrigation 3-4 irrigations for March, June crops 1-2 irrigations for monsoon crops depending upon rainfall

16. Pests and Diseases Shootfly and borer cause serious damage Apply 3% Furadon granules @ 10-12 kg/acre Red leaf spot is most serious disease Seeds should be treated with Vitavax or Benlate @ 2g/kg of seed Light irrigation during disease attack

18. Time of Harvesting Best time for harvesting of fodder crop is at 50% heading stage At this stage fodder tastes good and is free of toxins For seed purpose crop is ready in November