Sorghum is recognized worldwide as a grain crop that produces well under adverse environmental conditions. The crop originated from Africa, and is still the chief food grain for many parts of the world. In fact, almost three-quarters of the world sorghum crop is used for human consumption. In the United States, sorghum is primarily used for animal feed.
Sorghum was the second hybrid crop Pioneer added to its product line-up to address customer needs where moisture was limited for corn production. Pioneer scientist Raymond Baker first established a sorghum breeding program in Johnston, Iowa, in the mid-1950s, with a target market of northern Iowa and South Dakota.
By the late 1950s, the sorghum program expanded into Nebraska, and later to Plainview, Texas. Commercial sorghum operations began in 1962. Initially, seed was given away to farmers, most of whom were growing open pollinated varieties.
Today, Pioneer has six sorghum research stations, and is the leading seller of sorghum in all of the major areas of the United States where sorghum is grown, and has expanded sorghum product offerings into international markets, such as Mexico, Argentina, Australia and Egypt.
At a glance…
Reclaimed stalks of the sorghum plant are used to make a decorative millwork material.
Sorghum is the third most important cereal crop in the United States and the fifth most important in the world.
The United States is the world's largest producer of grain sorghum followed by India and Nigeria.
Sorghum is used primarily for animal feed in the United States. The seeds, stalks, and leaves can all be fed to livestock or left in the field and used for forage.
Pioneer Hi-Bred develops grain sorghum hybrids that offer dependable performance under a wide variety of environmental conditions to help increase the efficiency and profitability of customers around the world.
Inbred and Hybrid Development – Pioneer sorghum breeders develop approximately 1,500 new elite inbred parent lines each year. The parent lines are evaluated in more than 10,000 new experimental hybrids.
Wide-Area Testing – Six research centers are strategically located in major sorghum-growing areas to maximize the development of unique hybrids for key markets in the United States, Mexico, South America and Australia.
Drought Tolerance – To mirror conditions faced by most sorghum producers, all breeding programs are located in areas where moisture stress is common.
Disease Resistance – Pioneer leads the industry in the number of hybrids with outstanding resistance to anthracnose, downy mildew and head smut. Breeders also incorporate high levels of resistance to leaf blight, sooty stripe, gray leaf spot, rust and more.
Root and Stalk Strength – Root and stalk strength are key elements of the total package of traits. All research programs focus on improved standability, which ranks second behind yield in importance to many customers.
