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Sorghum Production and Resources
Grain sorghum is an important but minor rotational crop in Tennessee. Sorghum is more drought tolerant than either corn or soybeans, and provides another non-host crop for managing soybean cyst nematode and cotton reniform nematode populations. Grain sorghum can be used in a double-crop system following wheat or as a late-planted grain crop. Acreage has fluctuated widely in previous years, but has stabilized to between 10,000 to 20,000 acres on average. Average yields typically vary between 80-120 bushels per acre.
Grain sorghum is grown in less than a dozen Tennessee counties. Most sorghum is grown in a no-till or conservation tillage system. Although sorghum is relatively drought tolerant, yields still depend on available moisture. Ongoing research includes insect and disease management regimes for improved yields.