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Vignettes Page
Sorghum spp: grain sorghum, grass sorghum, sweet sorghum, broomcorn
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Sorghum test plots at Kentville, Nova Scotia.
Dwarf grain type on left, large silage type on right. |
Sorghum is an annual and perennial grain that was domesticated in Africa between 5000 and 0 B.C. It is a member of the grass family. There are four major types:
- grain sorghum which is used as a food staple and animal feed;
- grass sorghum which is grown for green feed;
- sweet sorghum which is grown for the production of sorghum syrup
- broomcorn which is grown for its branches and brush to make brooms.
Since sorghum can be grown in a wide range of soil types and weather it is grown in several regions of world including the U.S., Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Africa and Asia. The U.S. is the major grain sorghum producer. According to the National Grain Sorghum Producers of the U.S. more than 50% of the sorghum grown worldwide is used for human consumption. It is a major food staple in Africa and Asia. It is also used in the brewing industry, the production of ethanol as well as an adhesive in gypsum sheets. People who are sensitive to wheat gluten can use sorghum flour since there is no gluten in grain sorghum. Sorghum requires very little water, fertilizer, pesticides and any processing waste is biodegradable.
Contributed by Stuart Smith
Photograph by David Patriquin (Dalhousie University)
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