Grain sorghum does well in dry conditions, but issues with pests and a limited market make it hard for the crop to gain widespread traction among Missouri farmers.

In the Southwest region, rainfall for the 2024 growing season totaled only 16 inches, with June and August seeing barely 1½ inches during the University of Missouri’s Variety Testing Program grain sorghum trials.

“It’s a drought crop, for sure,” says Mark Wieberg, senior research specialist for the MU Variety Testing Program. “Our test plot in Mount Vernon had an average yield of 112 bushels per acre on poor soil, so it definitely held its own.”

This year’s results show that grain sorghum, or milo, performs well in drought and dry fall conditions, but also faces some serious challenges.

Pest hurdles in South

A key concern for growers, Wieberg says, is pressure from aphids that tend to thrive in warmer areas.

“Picking the right variety is critical for southern growers, versus those in central or north Missouri,” he explains. “Some varieties seem to attract more pests, so farmers need to work with seed dealers or local Extension agencies to find ones that will work best.”

He adds that resistant varieties help farmers avoid a lot of headaches in these high-pressure pest regions.

Slow market growth holds farmers back

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Despite seeing farmers’ interest increase around grain sorghum, Wieberg notes the market for it remains limited, especially in central Missouri.

“There’s a few buyers, but they don’t take a whole lot,” he explains. “Once they buy what they need, farmers struggle trying to find a market to sell into.”

While the quality of grain sorghum produced in Missouri was good, Wieberg says, there is just no place to go with the product. It’s an inconvenient situation, as farmers saw top yields reach nearly 152 bushels per acre on this low-input crop.

“Until they really develop some of the markets, I think it’s going to fit as a niche crop for farmers,” Wieberg adds.

Weather ups and downs

Wet conditions delayed planting until the third week in June at the Columbia test plot this year and affected yields.

“We were probably 40 to 50 bushels off the yields that we’ve achieved the last couple of years, mostly because of timing,” Wieberg explains. “We weren’t able to get it planted because of the rain and wet conditions.”

The season turned dry and helped the crop to dry down. The upside for Wieberg: “We didn’t have any lodging issues, and the milo was all standing well at harvest.”

MU’s complete grain sorghum performance testing program results on this page show yields for its four locations across the state.

Related:The 2024 sorghum crop showed resilience