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Photo: Jewel Kinilitan-Bissdorf



Sorghum

Scientific name: Sorghum bicolor
Family: Poaceae

Growth stages 

 

Pests 

For weeds and diseases please see further down on this page. For rodents, snails and slugs please click here 

Seed

 
Sown seeds  Ants

Seedling Stage

 
Roots  Rice/Corn seedling maggot
White grub
Wireworm
Stem   Cutworm
Leaves   Cutworm
Grasshoppers

Vegetative Stage

 
Leaves  Aphids
Armyworm
Corn borer

Reproductive Stage

 
Panicle  Aphids
Armyworm
Corn borer
Corn earworm
Thrips
Grain   Aphids
Sorghum midge
Head   Sorghum midge

Maturation stage

 
Grain   Sorghum midge
Head   Sorghum midge

Weeds

Grasses
Sedges
Broadleaf

Diseases

Fungal
Bacterial
Viral

Agro-ecology

Sorghum when rotated with cotton and soybean significantly reduces the abundance of soil pests like wireworms and white grubs. It also reduces the presence of some cutworm species which have a limited host range, long life cycle, a limited ability to move from one field to another, and have only one generation a year. To manage sorghum insect pests, it is vital to select the proper sorghum varieties. These varieties should be resistant to pests and diseases like compact panicles, should mature early and uniformly, and should be adaptive to the local environment.

Incorporate organic manure, compost, or crop wastes into the soil during land preparation to improve soil water holding capacity. This may be enough for low-yielding sorghum, but in places where organic materials are scarce, apply mineral fertilizers as supplement. The rates required depend on the ecological conditions and yield potential. However, fertilizer recommendations based on soil analysis offer the very best chance of getting the right amount of fertilizer without over or under fertilizing. Ask for assistance from the local agriculturist office for soil sampling and soil analysis procedures.

External links


References


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