Sorghum Facts

  • Sorghum originated in Africa where it was an important crop during the Stone Age.  It was introduced and grown in India before recorded history and in Assyria as early as 700 BC.
  • Sorghum was introduced to America in 1853.
  • Historically it was an important currency of trade.
  • Kansas grows the most sorghum of any state in the U.S. today.
  • The U.S. currently grows about 15 million acres annually.
  • It is a member of the grass family.
  • Today there are many kinds and uses of sorghum from syrup to various forms of livestock (cows, sheep, etc) feed such as grain, hay, grazing and silage. In the U.S. grain sorghum is a major feed ingredient for both cattle and poultry.
  • Some varieties have long been used as material for making brooms.
  • Sorghum grain is higher in protein and lower in fat content than corn, but does not contain carotene as corn does.
  • Sorghum syrup (sometimes called sorghum molasses) is made by squeezing the juice out of the stems (stalks) and boiling it down, similar to the method used for sugar cane.  Sorghum syrup can be used as a food or crystallized into sucrose.
  • The U.S. produced 24 million gallons of sorghum syrup annually in the 1890’s.  Today that figure is only about 5 million gallons.
  • Sorghum is very draught tolerant and can be used for grazing during hot dry summers.
  • A type of sorghum called milo is grown for 3 purposes on Ganyard Hill Farm: 1) A crop maze for small children, 2) As a trap crop to deter aphids from carrying plant viruses from wild plants into the pumpkin crop and 3) For wildlife food in a field you will see along the hayride trail.  A wild type of sorghum called Johnson grass also voluntarily grows in a field you will see along the hayride trail on Ganyard Hill Farm and serves as wildlife food.
  • Johnson grass is sometimes used for grazing in some areas of the U.S., but more often grows in the role as a weed which in cultivated crops must be controlled or it will compete with the crop for food, water and sunlight.

Following are the sources of most of this information.