Introduction
An important food security crop for the drought prone regions of Kenya. Sorghum does well in warm climates of temperatures between 25 and 32 degrees Celsius receiving annual rainfall of 420mm to 630mm per year. Sorghum prefers pH of 5.5-6.8 soils, being a cereal crop. It reliably grown in semi-arid regions where rainfall amount is even below 300mm per season depending on variety suitability. Thus sorghum crop is climate smart crop and gives yield range of 3-4 tons per hectare or 1.5-2 tons per acre. The crop thrives in well drained loam sandy soils, with a pH of between 5.5 and 7.5.
Gadam (R. Kisilu 2021)
Attributes:
KARI-Mtama-1 (R. Kisilu 2021)
Attributes:
Sila (photo: Kenya Seed)
Attributes:
SC Smile (farmlinkkenya.com)
Attributes:
Kenya Seed Co.
EUSH 1 Hybrid
Attributes:
KM 32 -1 (Kamani) (Photo: R. Kisilu 2021)
Attributes:
Seredo (R. Kisilu 2021)
Attributes:
Serena (R. Kisilu 2021)
Attributes:
E97
Attributes:
BJ28
Attributes:
Variety Ikinyaluka (photo: R. Kisilu)
Attributes:
Variety E6518
Attributes:
Variety E1291 (Photo: R. Kisilu 2021)
Attributes:
Sweet Sorghum 4
Attributes
Sweet Sorghum 14
Attributes:
Sweet Sorghum 17
Attributes:
Sweet Sorghum 21
Attributes:
Kak Sweet Sorghum 1
Attributes:
EUSS 10
Grain yield 1.3 t/ha, Stalk yield 40t/ha.
Attributes:
EUSS 11
Attributes:
• Where necessary harrowing with tractor is important to achieve a fine tilth bed for ease of root establishment and water percolation.
Fertilizer management
Pest management
Pest type damage |
Control options |
Sorghum damage by Fall armyworm (Source: Kalro.org) |
|
|
|
Damage on sorghum Source: D. Mutisya 2016; 2021 |
|
Diseased sorghum heads (panicles) of Kernel and Head smut
Observation is made to make sure no presence of weevils on the panicles which would infest the grain further.
Determining the grain physiological maturity: Photo: D. Mutisya 2021)
Harvesting sorghum kernels at soft dough stage and drying (photo; Mutisya 2016) www.kalro.org
When sorghum grain is to be kept for long, safe storage insecticide could be applied as dust, otherwise hermetic bags can be used for safe human and animal consumption grain, but not for later planting.
Grain meant for flour product, ought to be kept in hermetic bags to avoid possible poisoning of food product.
Product |
Description |
Sorgum loaf bread |
|
Sorghum Ugali (D. Mutisya 2021) |
|
Marketing Systems |
|
|
|
The traditional production operations (manual land preparation = 5,000, planting= 3,000, weeding = 6,000, harvesting = 4,000, post- harvest storage losses = 3,000, totaling KES, =21,000) to achieve 1.5 tons of yield per acre costs (KES) are higher than new TIMPs (tractor land preparation = 3,000, planting= 1,500, Oxen-plough weeding = 3,000, machine harvesting = 2,000, post- harvest storage losses = 1,000, totaling KES, =10,500). Thus the saved costs are half (KES, 10,500); of 50%, with estimated actual returns depending on the final value added products of flour or grain.
https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cras/v10/8858D (Chapter 4 Print ISBN: 978-93-91215-16-3, eBook ISBN: 978-93-91215-17-0)
https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cras/v12/8859D (Chapter 6 Print ISBN: 978-93-91473-71-6, eBook ISBN: 978-93-91473-76-1)
Reference: https://www.kalro.org/amri/?q=node/106
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization
P.O. Box 57811-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
Call: 0111010100