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.

A WEEDLESS WAY? Kilcer’s on-farm trials show that certain forage sorghums can suppress weed competition without herbicide.

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.