You know how sorghum rustles: how was the Field Day by the daughter enterprise "Reilin"

The Field Day of the sorgum, which was held in the Kirovohrad Oblast by the company "Reilin", showed perspectivity of this culture.

The event took place on September 12th; on the fields of farm enterprise "Khleb Ukrayny" was presented a number of grain sorghum hybrids of American selection. The participants of the Field Day assessed the crop conditions and the productivity of each of the hybrids.

Technology of cultivation and protection of sorghum on demo-area

Reliable protection of crops is a guarantee of high yields

About the technological aspects of growing sorghum and the problem of weeds and pests in this culture told Revenko Mykolai – sales manager and manager of the support of financial decisions of the company "Syngenta":

"Primextra TZ Gold can be applied before the appearance of 5 leaves on the sprout. Therefore, you do not need to play with application of such an herbicide during sprouting. The first 2 weeks sorghum grows slowly. At this time, the grass weeds are actively growing. You do not have time to do anything, just lose yield. Turn attention to the fact that the preparation Primextra TZ Gold poorly keeps prickly grass, only by 60%. In the case of fallout of precipitation, a second wave of weeds will begin, then treatment with a postemergent herbicide will be necessary. If the grass weeds will appear, it will be a "Peak". Against grass weeds, there is a new preparation "Citadel," which was previously used on rice, and last year it was registered for sorghum".

The right choice of a hybrid is the guarantee of success

The choice of a hybrid is very important and depends on the region of cultivation. The daughter enterprise "Reilin" has hybrids for all climatic zones of Ukraine, from Kherson to Zhytomyr Oblast. About the peculiarities of the technology of sorghum cultivation told Anna Lutsko, expert on agronomic issues of the daughter enterprise "Reilin":

"The seeding rate depends on moisture availability. If in the soil is less than 60 mm moisture - to sow sorghum is generally not recommended. The less is the moisture level, the less should be the seeding rate. It is recommended to sow from 90 thousand/ha. The most critical moisture period for sorghum is the heading of panicles. In case of overcrowding of crops with insufficient amount of precipitation, the plant may not form a panicle at all ".

Economic aspect of cultivation

The prime cost of sorghum cultivation was described in detail by the president of the daughter enterprise "Reilin" Valentina Barbaruk:

"If you take the average cost of sowing, then it will be $40/ha. The price depends on the hybrid, the crop year, and on the distributor. If you compare sorghum with such a serious competitor as corn, then the sorghum cultivation is by 30% cheaper. The greatest expenses are spent for crop protection products. The first 40 days sorghum grows very slowly. During this time, the fields can be completely overgrown. According to our calculations, $80-$180/ha can be spent on crop protection products. The sum mainly depends on the weed infestation, the spread of pests, especially aphids, as well as the technology, which is used in the farm. Another important point relates to mineral fertilizers, which are not cheap. The average cost of cultivation is $300/ha. In other words, you need to grow 2 tons of sorghum per hectare to cover the expenses of its cultivation."

Sorghum as a healthy food product

The representatives of the company "Asparagus", who are engaged in the processing of sorghum for food purposes, attended the Field Day.

The director of LLC "Asparagus-LTD" Mykolai Topikha told about the production of sorghum and mill offals, as well as plans for the future:

"We have a processing complex for sorghum, with a productivity of 500 kg/h. We produce products in the form of whole and chopped cereals, as well as flour. We deliver our products to supermarkets. In the grain, there should be no ambrosia, as it can not be separated from the cereals. The impurity should not be more than 2%, and the moisture should not exceed 14%. In Europe white sorghum is more appreciated, therefore we accept it in processing. Next year we also plan to produce a number of sorghum products in the form of cereals and flour", said Mykolai Topikha.