Sorghum
Sorghum Research Brief
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Sorghum is a drought tolerant crop hence it’s grown in the drier areas. Sorghum research started in the East Africa community in the late 1950’s. When later the East Africa community separated into Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, sorghum research continued in Kenya in the late 1970’s. Sorghum in Kenya is grown in western, northern Rift Valley, eastern and some parts of Central. The research objectives in sorghum research are; increased yield, drought, disease and pest tolerance, earliness, seed colour and marketability. The main activities involve germplasm acquisition, characterization and maintenance, development of breeding populations, development of improved sorghum varieties and sorghum agronomic recommendations for the different growing areas. Development of new varieties is done mainly through conventional breeding and sometimes through marker assisted selections. Most of the varieties which have been released are open pollinated varieties but recently hybrid breeding has been undertaken by Dr C. K. Kamau. |
Sorghum Constraints being addressed |
i). Low yields due to use of local cultivars by farmers which mature late hence are affected by the shortrainy seasons which are characteristic of the semi-arid areas ii).Diseases. The common sorghum diseases are leaf spot, rust, leaf blight, anthracnose,ergot,head smut and covered kernel smut. Sorghum covered Kernel smut is the most damaging disease in the dry areas. iii). Pests. Birds, Sorghum shoot fly(Antherigona varia), Stem borers(Busseolafusca), aphids, boll worm and Aphids. Birds are the main cause of crop loss in sorghum. Storage pests are weevils iv). Few processing and utilization technologies hence reduced consumption. v). Low marketability of brown and red sorghums Vi). Labour intensity in harvesting and threshing. Due to lack of mechanization technologies in sorghum production. |
Opportunities
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High local demand for over 30,000 metric tonnes of white sorghums by the brewing industry Demand of sorghum for processing of animal feeds Climate change scenario which is affecting the production of other cereals such as maize in the arid and semi-arid areas Early maturing, high yielding, market preferred varieties |
1. Sorghum varieties |
This is a tall variety with cream white grain. The average yield is 3.8 tons/ha. It matures in three and half to four months thus it may not tolerate very dry areas. It can grow in Eastern, Baringo, parts of Central and Western Kenya. |
ii) Gadam is a short variety with chalky white grain. The average yield is 3.15 tons/ha. It is a very early maturing variety, it matures in two and half to three months. It is highly drought tolerant hence suitable for moderately dry and very dry areas in the upper eastern and lower eastern Kenya |
iii) The variety has medium height plants and the grain is brown in colour. The average yield is 2.7 tons/ha. The plant matures within three months. It is fairly drought tolerant. It can be grown in moderately dry eastern and western Kenya. |
iv) The variety has medium height plants and the grain is brown in colour. The average yield is 2.25 tons/hand the maturity time is three months. It is a drought tolerant variety which can grow in eastern and western Kenya. |
2. Sorghum production recommendations for increased yields |
i).The effect of growth enhancers, Zinc foliar fertilizer application on white sorghum grain yield and Stover weight
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ii).Appropriate sorghum legume rotations for increased sorghum productivity in semi-arid Eastern Kenya
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iii)Bird menace management recommendation for sorghum
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