Stover selling, transporting, trading and its use in dairy production support the livelihood of many people from producers (farmers) to the end users in Hyderabad, India. This study explored the economic value of sorghum stover in fodder trading and the relationship between stover price and quality.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is a starch-rich grain similar to maize (Zea mays L.), but sorghum has been underutilized for biobased products and bioenergy. This study was designed to investigate the effects of supercritical-fluid-extrusion (SCFX) of sorghum on ethanol production. Morphology, chemical composition, and thermal properties of extruded sorghum were characterized. Analysis of extruded sorghum showed increased measurable starch content, free sugar content, and high levels of gelatinized starch. SCFX cooked and non-extruded sorghum were further liquefied, saccharified, and fermented to ethanol by using Saccharomyces cervisiae. The ethanol yield increased as sorghum concentration increased from 20 to 40% for both extruded and non-extruded sorghum. Ethanol yields

A study on the mixed cereal-legume cultivation in different planting patterns was undertaken for two consecutive years. The aim was to investigate the contribution of the association of legumes towards yield and grain quality of cereal crops. The data indicated that the association of legumes in different planting pattern with sorghum affected the yield and grain quality of sorghum. During both the years of study, the double row strips (30/90cm) planting pattern significantly increased the grain yield of sorghum, as compared with single rows (60 cm apart) and triple row strips (30/120 cm). The grain yield of sorghum decreased when sorghum was associated with mung bean or guar, but the additional harvest of intercrops increased the total productivity. The difference in grain yield between the treatment means of interaction was non-significant. Moreover, in the first year of study, protein content of sorghum grain was not significantly affected by the planting pattern, but in the second year of study, double and triple row strips planting pattern significantly increased the grain protein content (respectively, 9.41% and 9.34%) of sorghum, as compared with single row planting pattern (protein content of 9.19%). Sorghum grain protein content of 9.51 and 9.49% produced in association with mung bean was significantly more than the grain protein content of sorghum alone or sorghum grown in the association with guar during 1999 and 2000, respectively. Increase in grain protein content of sorghum, when associated with mung bean, was attributed to the N transfer from companion mung bean to sorghum. It may be concluded from the results obtained that sorghum + mung bean association in the double row strips (30/90 cm) planting pattern can efficiently utilize the available resources to improve the grain quality and overall production of sorghum-based cropping system.

Effects of processing methods on sorghum wort filtration were investigated using three mashing processes to produce wort namely; infusion at 65°C, modified mash at 80°C and modified mash at 100°C. Sorghum was malted at the temperatures of 20°C and 25°C for 8 days to produce two types of malts. Well-modified barley malt was used as control. Brewing parameters measured were filtration rate, specific gravity, viscosity, reducing sugars, hot water extract, soluble extract level, fermentable extract level, and fermentability level. Results revealed that though the sorghum worts had faster filtration rate than barley in infusion at 65°C, other brewing parameters were all inferior to those of barley malt. In both modified mash at 80°C and modified mash at 100°C barley wort had higher filtration rate than the two sorghum malts. Sorghum malted at 20°C had better filtration in 80°C mashing process while sorghum malted at 25°C performed better in modified mash at 100°C. The other brewing parameters obtained from the two sorghum malts in these two modified mashing methods were comparable to those of barley malts and were adequate for brewing purposes. The results in this work showed that the performances of the two sorghum malts improved in terms of filtration; indicating that well-modified sorghum malts with appropriate processing method could eliminate filtration problems associated with sorghum brewing. The effects of malt quality and processing methods on the sorghum wort filtration rate and other brewing parameters were significant at p

Changes in Feterita sorghum amino acids profile, protein score and net protein value as well as the ratios of leucine to isoleucine, leucine to lysine and arginine to lysine due to white bean supplementation were studied. The results confirmed that the protein quality of Feterita sorghum is very low as reflected by its low protein score (35%), low net protein value (5.7%) and imbalanced ratios of its amino acids. Supplementation of Feterita sorghum flour with white bean flour had beneficial effects on the quality and quantity of Feterita sorghum protein. Addition of 30% decorticated white bean flour to Feterita sorghum flour (70% extraction rate) overcame lysine deficiency in Feterita sorghum protein, whereas the other essential amino acids were more abundant than is needed for the physiological needs of children as envisaged by the FAOfWHOfUNU. Also, the protein score and the net protein value were increased from 35% and 5.7% in Feterita sorghum flour to 99% and 19 %, respectively. Moreover, the ratios of leucine to isoleucine, leucine to lysine and arginine to lysine were favourably changed to the safety limits predicted by the FAO for preventing the pellagragenic effect of sorghum proteins

Rainy-season sorghum in India is mainly cultivated by resource poor farmers to meet households requirements of food and fodder and a small surplus for the market. During the last two decades the food demand for rainy-season sorghum grain has declined in India, due to faster growth in the production of fine cereals (primarily wheat and rice) and public policies (procurement, and distribution) that make the subsidized grains accessible to the low-income consumers. At the same time, new alternative markets for sorghum grain uses are emerging, for example, poultry feed, livestock feed, alcohol manufacturing etc. However, owing to scattered and small-scale production farmers are unable to meet the requirements of the industry that need grain in bulk quantities. This paper describes an innovative institutional arrangement for formation of sustainable economic inter-linkages between rainy-season sorghum producers and poultry feed manufacturers through a coalition of partners that includes researchers, farmers, farmers associations, poultry feed manufacturers, and poultry producers. The common or shared goal of this arrangement is to augment the income of small-scale sorghum growers by establishing market linkages with poultry feed manufacturers. Under this arrangement farmers were supplied with seed of improved sorghum cultivars and trained in bulking and storage of grain, poultry nutritionists conducted poultry feed trials replacing maize with sorghum in varying proportions, feed manufacturers developed poultry feed rations with sorghum. Finally, the project linked sorghum growing ‘Farmer Groups’ with feed manufacturers thus assuring a market for the sorghum growers and bulk supplies to the industry.

A 3-yr on-farm study was designed to evaluate grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, as a trap crop for the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) in cotton. The goal of this paper was to construct partial life tables for H. zea on panicles of the sorghum. Abundance of H. zea per ha on sorghum panicles varied among years and planting dates, but the heaviest infestation of H. zea eggs occurred when this pest was dispersing from a corn (Zea mays L.) field into the sorghum trap crop located between the corn field and a cotton field. Percentage total real mortality (rx) for H. zea on sorghum was very high, exceeding 99% for each year and planting date. Percentage real mortality for H. zea was highest for eggs with 1st-instars in second place. Percentage total apparent mortality (qx) was high (70-85%) for corn earworm eggs and 3rd, 4th and 5th instars and moderately high (45-50%) for 1st and 2nd instars. Trichogramma pretiosum Riley and Orius insidiosus (Say) were the predominant beneficial insects of H. zea in the sorghum traps. Other predators observed feeding on H. zea included the big-eyed bug, Geocoris punctipes (Say), spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say), green lynx spider, Peucetia viridans (Hentz) and lady beetles (mainly Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville). Percentage parasitization by T. pretiosum increased linearly over the three sorghum planting dates in both 2001 and 2002 strongly suggesting that the sorghum trap crop served as a refuge and nursery for this parasitoid throughout the growing season. The number of O. insidiosus per plant was highest for the first planting date compared to the other two planting dates. Congregation of O. insidiosus in this first planting date of sorghum could have been a response to localized aggregation of H. zea in the trap crop. In conclusion, conservation of natural enemies in sorghum resulted in the trap crop becoming a sink for H. zea, preventing populations of the pest from increasing in the sorghum trap crop and then dispersing into cotton.

Agricultural and climatic resources and soil conditions of Belarus formed the favourable conditions for the cultivation of annual sweet sorghum (Sorghum saccharatum), high yielding, rought-resistant culture for silo preparation. The reaction of sweet sorghum to different doses of nitrogen fertilizers was revealed. Research results showed that in the process of planning of terms and doses of fertilizers it was necessary to take into consideration that sweet sorghum developed 17-18% of green mass in 42-48 days after shoots sprout, 53-56% - in 52-58 days, 70-73%, – in 62-68 days, 84-88 % - in 72-78 days. The possibility of two cuttings of sorghum per year was analyzed. The opportunities of two cuttings of sorghum were constrained by the agricultural and climatic resources of vegetation period. Two-times cutting was possible under realization of the first one in the phase of leaf tube formation (in 45-55 days after shoots) that corresponded to the V stage of sorghum ontogenesis. Research results showed that 60–90 kg/he was the optimal dose of nitrogen for sorghum seedlings on the sod-podzolic and light-textured soils with the medium fertility (2,0% of humus). It provided 620-670 c/he of sorghum green mass, 10,6-11,0 thousand of feed units per hectare. The payback of 1 kg of nitrogen depending on a dose was 23,7–20,2 of feed units

Spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe), is the most important pest of sorghum in Asia and South and Eastern Africa, and host plant resistance is an important component for controlling this pest under subsistence farming conditions. Therefore, we studied the antibiosis mechanism of resistance in a diverse array of 20 sorghum genotypes at the seedling stage by incorporating the freeze-dried leaf powder into artificial diet. Freeze-dried sorghum leaf powder at 12.5 g per 250 ml of the standard artificial diet or replacement of chickpea flour in the artificial diet by 50% with sorghum leaf powder can be used to quantify the extent of antibiosis mechanism of resistance to C. partellus in sorghum. There was a significant variation in larval survival, larval and pupal weights, larval and pupal periods, and percentage pupation and adult emergence in diets impregnated with freeze-dried leaf powder of different sorghum genotypes. Sorghum genotypes such as IS 1044, IS 2123, IS 1054, IS 18573, and ICSV 714 showed antibiosis to C. partellus in terms of reduced survival and development. Principal component analysis indicated that there is considerable diversity in sorghum genotypes for antibiosis to C. partellus. Genotypes placed in different groups can be used in resistance breeding programs to diversify the basis of resistance to this pest.

Phenolic compounds and related enzymes such as phenol biosynthesizing enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia lyase) and phenol catabolizing enzymes (polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase) are determinants for sorghum utilization as human food because they influence product properties during and after sorghum processing. Phenolic compounds are quality-grade markers for the preparation of several foods because of enzyme inhibitory activities, color, or antioxidant activities. Large inter-varietal differences in contents of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activities among sorghum varieties exist. Moreover, some red sorghum varieties have higher antioxidant activities than the most important sources of natural antioxidants. Oxidation products of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase (benzoquinones and polymeric compounds) affect food quality. This paper reviews the current advances in phenolic compounds and phenolic enzymes in sorghum as human food, with emphasis on nutritional and health aspects. The suitability of sorghum varieties for food and beverages is discussed.