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Yes, especially if you correctly choke out weeds with this aggressive forage crop.

John Vogel, Editor, American Agriculturist

April 21, 2016

2 Min Read

Northeast interest is growing in using brown midrib sorghum-sudan varieties to diversify silage crop production on dairy and beef farms. BMR varieties may be a good fit, especially for organic dairy farms, suggests Tom Kilcer, certified crop advisor and owner of Advanced Ag Systems at Kinderhook, N.Y.

The reason: Planted correctly, they’ll do a great job of suppressing weeds, including velvetleaf, says Kilcer. But you have to plant the crop right for it to do the job. Here’s his quick-read recommendations:

* Drill brachytic BMR types in narrow rows to produce shorter, stocky plants that give full yields and stand well for a one-cut system.

whip_weeds_without_weed_killers_1_635968294158956505.jpg

Many non-brachytic BMR forage sorghums, however, emerge too slowly to control weeds. Without a herbicide, they’ll invite a high degree of crop failure.

* Plant into warm soils – 60-degree soil temperatures and rising for rapid emergence. The crop will frequently emerge in three days – out-competing nearly all weeds.

* Plant at high seeding rates – as much as double the normal 40 pounds per acre rate.

* The new brachytic dwarf sorghum-sudan has superior ground shading to control weeds, so its optimum seeding rate can be achieved with 60 to 77 pounds of seed per acre.

* Do not try this with regular forage sorghum, which is best used in a multi-cut system. Planting it at a higher rate and letting it go to soft dough grain maturity in a single-cut system will mean the entire crop is on the ground, warns Kilcer.

Also, where BMR forage sorghum-sudan populations are thin – on end rows or field corners – weed suppression may not be achieved.

This year, Advanced Ag Systems will be experimenting with BMR 6 sorghums having a dry stalk gene. The intent is to produce more dry matter at harvest for easier silo management – to reduce silage leachate. Use of a homolactic bacteria silage additive without enzymes is highly recommended.

For questions or more details, email Kilcer at [email protected] or visit Advanced ag sys .

Also see Double crop combo yields 35% more silage.

About the Author(s)

John Vogel

Editor, American Agriculturist

For more than 38 years, John Vogel has been a Farm Progress editor writing for farmers from the Dakota prairies to the Eastern shores. Since 1985, he's been the editor of American Agriculturist – successor of three other Northeast magazines.

Raised on a grain and beef farm, he double-majored in Animal Science and Ag Journalism at Iowa State. His passion for helping farmers and farm management skills led to his family farm's first 209-bushel corn yield average in 1989.

John's personal and professional missions are an integral part of American Agriculturist's mission: To anticipate and explore tomorrow's farming needs and encourage positive change to keep family, profit and pride in farming.

John co-founded Pennsylvania Farm Link, a non-profit dedicated to helping young farmers start farming. It was responsible for creating three innovative state-supported low-interest loan programs and two "Farms for the Future" conferences.

His publications have received countless awards, including the 2000 Folio "Gold Award" for editorial excellence, the 2001 and 2008 National Association of Ag Journalists' Mackiewicz Award, several American Agricultural Editors' "Oscars" plus many ag media awards from the New York State Agricultural Society.

Vogel is a three-time winner of the Northeast Farm Communicators' Farm Communicator of the Year award. He's a National 4-H Foundation Distinguished Alumni and an honorary member of Alpha Zeta, and board member of Christian Farmers Outreach.

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