WATER-SAVING SORGHUM: AnswersQuestions about milo's yieldability under deficit irrigation

摘要

As water becomes more scarce and more expensive to pump in the High Plains, more farmers are likely to turn to grain sorghum as one of their main crops. This is supported by the fact that sorghum is more drought-tolerant than corn and produces higheryields during moderate to severe drought conditions.However, some questions need answering before farmers commit to the crop under irrigation, according to Susan O'Shaughnessy, a USDA Agricultural Research Service engineer. For instance, what is sorghum's yield response to deficient irrigation? Farmers also have questions about whether to plant early-maturing varieties (that are seeded later in the season and are, thus, less vulnerable to drought) or late-maturing varieties (that have higher yields but only if they are given enough moisture).