2. OVERVIEW
Classification
Origin & History
Distribution
Crop botany
Grain composition
Time of Sowing & Climatic
condition
Yield
Sorghum harvesting
Post harvest technologies
Economic importance
Fact or Extra info.
3. CLASSIFICATION
Scientific name: Sorghumbicolor(L)
Common name: Great Millet or Guinea Corn
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Angiospermae
Class: Monocotyledonae
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae (grass family)
Genus: Sorghum L.
No. of Chromosome : 2n = 20
(*same no. of chromosome present in maize)
4. ORIGIN & HISTORY
The word “sorghum” was derived from“sorgo” the
Italian name for the plant, but archaeologists and
others often call it by other, local names in different
parts of the world, for example:-
If it occurs in India, it is called jowar, cholum, or jonna.
In the Middle East it is durra.
In the Caribbean area petit mil.
In Africa "kafir corn."
In China it is known by its Chinese name gaoliang.
Sorghum is believed to have originated in tropical Africa
(Guinea Coast of western Africa and in the Congo basin)
where the wild form of the species occur.
6. CROP BOTANY
Sorghum resembles maize in its vegetative characters.
Root : Well developed-fibrous root system, and secrete a
chemial “Sorgoleone” which cause allelopathic effect.
Stem : Erect, 50-200 cm in height, internodes are short at the
base and longer above, colour of stem may be Green or
Purple wash
Leaves : Simple, narrower, alternate, long. Below the leaf
surface waxy coating will be there which prevents evaporation
of water. Boot leaf will not completely open until the panicle
comes out.
Spikelet's : Sessile or pedicellate.
7. CORP BOTANY (...CONTI)
Androecium : Stamens (3), anther dorsifixed .
Gynoecium : Style (2) with plumose stigma,
protogynous stigma receptive to 5-8 days.
Infloresence : panicle
Pollination : Self and often cross pollination.
Fruits : Caryopsis
Seed : Endospermic, colour which ranges from off-
white to yellow, brown, red and even black.
9. GRAIN COMPOSITON ( PER100 GRAM)
Protein : 9.1 %
Carbohydrate : 76.4 %
Fat : 1.9 %
Fiber : 13.6 %
Ash : 1.6 %
Calorie : 329 kcal
Sorghum proteins do contain good amount of lysine
and some cystine but are deficient in valine and
methionine.
The grains are also a rich source of vitamin B1.
10. TIME OF SOWING & CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT
In India Sorghum is grown in the kharif (rainy season)
and rabi (post rainy season) but the share of kharif is
higher.
Generally, the optimum temperature requirement for
sorghum crop is 21–35 °C for germination, 26–34 °C for
vegetative growth and 21–35 °C for reproductive
growth.
GROWTH STAGES
Seedling Vegetative Flowering Maturity Ripening
11. YIELD
Sorghum adapt to many environments,
requiring 90 to 140 days to mature.
Highest yield are usually obtained from
varieties maturing in 100 to 120 days.
Grain yield : 2-3 t/ha
Stover yield : 8-10 t/ha
• Stover are the leaves and stalks of field crops
12. SORGHUM HARVESTING
Sorghum harvest in Nigeria and around Africa
commenced since September while in India sorgham
matures in the month of February.
Harvesting time varies between five and seven
months after planting, depending on the cultivar, but
early types mature within 100 days or less.
Harvesting may be done by cutting down the whole
plant and then removing the heads or by breaking off
the heads by hand from the standing plants.
The heads are usually sun-dried before being
stored.
15. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
Sorghum is the world's fifth major cereal in the terms of
production. It provides basic nourishment for much of
the human population in the semi-arid tropics of Africa
and Asia while it is almost exclusively used as stockfeed
in the developed countries.
As food and fodder
Sorghum is a good source of carbohydrate, fiber and
little source of protein as food.
It is also quite valuable for forage and can be used
safely in the form of hay or silage, but care should be
exercised while feeding fresh sorghum to animals.
Chemicals
In West Africa, a red dye is obtained from sorghum
leaves and stems and is used for dyeing leather.
16. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE (…CONTI)
Alcoholic beverages or Brewing
It’s grain is used for malt or as an adjunct in the
production of two types of beer: clear beer and
opaque beer, a traditional, low-alcohol African beer
that contains fine suspended particles.
Firewood
The plant bases and stems are used as a fuel at
times of scarcity of wood.
The dried stalks are used for fencing and thatching,
and for making baskets, fish traps and mats.
17. FACT OR EXTRA INFORMATION
This crop is remarkably drought resistant, and hence it is of
great importance in semi-arid regions that are too dry for maize
and too hot for wheat and barley.
It survives dry weather much better than maize, perhaps
because of its extensive root system.
It has a tendency to roll its leaves, thus effecting closure of
stomata.
Yields reasonably on sub-fertile soils and needs a minimum
rainfall of 30-38 cm during the growing period but can
withstand short spells of water-logging.
It is more tolerant of alkaline soils than most field crops.
The young shoots and leaves and the germinating seeds of
some cultivars contain a toxic cyanogenic glycoside.
Its flour does not keep long and should, therefore, be prepared
as and when needed. The flour is unfit for breadmaking as it
lacks gluten
18. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kochhar S.L (2016) Economic botany : A Comprehensive Study,Cambridge
University Press. (Courtesy : Central library, CUTN)
