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Sorghum
Climate and soil

Climatic and soil requirements

  • Rainfall: ³250 mm
  • Temperature: up to 33°C
  • pH = 5.2 to 7.5

 

Land preparation and fertilizer requirements

  • Heavy soil: Double plowing; first one right after harvest and the second in spring
  • Phosphate should be applied as recommended on the basis of soil test results. Basal application of 2:3:2 (22) at 200 kg/ha
  • Nitrogen: 75 kg of Lime Ammonium Nitrate (LAN-28%N) or 50 kg of urea (46% N) per hectare. It should be top-dressed 5-6 weeks after emergence.
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Planting

Planting

  • Late November to early December

 

Plant spacing and plant population

  • Plant spacing: 0.75 x 0.3 m
  • Population: 40 000 plants/ha for low rainfall area and 50 000 plants/ha for high rainfall area

 

Seeding rate

  • 5-10 kg/ha for broadcast and 1-2 kg/ha for row planting
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Recommended sorghum cultivars and their characteristics

Cultivar

Seed color

Maturity (days)

Tilling

Plant height (m)

Uses

Days to 50% flowering (days)

Yield potential (t/ha)

Phofu

Cream

112-125

3-4

Semi-dwarf

Meal

60-65

1.5-3.5

Mahube

Red

100-125

2-3

0.9-1

Malt

52-63

1.0-3.0

Mmabaitse

Cream white spotted

125-130

3-4

1.1-1.3

Meal

60-70

1.0-3.0

Segaolane

White

125-130

3-4

1.5-1.8

Meal

60-65

1.0-3.5

Town

Light red

130-135

2-3

2.0-2.4

Meal

65-70

1.5-3.5

BSH1

Cream

120-130

2-3

1.3-1.6

Meal

68-78

3.0-6.0

Marupantse

Red/white

125-130

2-4

1.5-1.8

Meal

65-70

1.5-3.5

65D

White

65-100

1-2

0.9-1.2

Meal

55-62

1.0-3.0

8D

Red

80-105

1-2

0.8-0.9

Meal

50-60

1.0-3.0

Sephala

Cream

 

 

≈ 1.05

Meal

≈ 70

≈ 2.50
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