About Grain Sorghum or Milo

Milo or grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is adapted for Kentucky but is not widely grown. Grain sorghum is an option for fields that tend to dry slowly in the spring and require later planting dates that are more suited to sorghum than to corn. Grain sorghum is more drought-tolerant than either corn or soybean, making it a viable option for fields that are prone to drought. Grain sorghum uses less nitrogen than corn and will produce similar yields to corn on marginal soils. Some people are interested in sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) which is the same species as grain sorghum, but a different growth type. With sweet sorghum, the sap is extracted from the stalks of the plants and that sap is refined into sorghum syrup.

Grain Sorghum Crop Management

• ID-234: Grain Sorghum Management in Kentucky
• Mid-South Grain Sorghum Production Guide
• Kansas Guide to Sorghum Production

Nutrient Management

• AGR-1: Lime and Fertilizer Recommendations
• AGR-185: Nitrogen Transformation Inhibitors and Controlled Release Urea
• USDA Soil Survey

Pest Management

• AGR-6: Weed Control Guide Recommendations for Grain Crops
• Pesticide Labels

Grain Sorghum Harvesting & Handling

• AEN-17: Harvesting, Drying and Storing Grain Sorghum
• USDA Grain Standards, Sorghum