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Feasibility of a Grain Sorghum Ratoon Cropping System in Southeastern Missouri
Author(s) -
Mourtzinis Spyridon,
Wiebold William J.,
Conley Shawn P.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
crop, forage and turfgrass management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.29
H-Index - 10
ISSN - 2374-3832
DOI - 10.2134/cftm2015.0215
Subject(s) - sorghum , agronomy , ratooning , cropping system , fertilizer , crop , cropping , livestock , sowing , sweet sorghum , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , biology , mathematics , agriculture , ecology
Sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], has been identified as a crop with multiple uses, including as biofuel feedstock and livestock feed. The biomass‐related industries require a continuous supply of biomass, whereas livestock operations are looking for low‐cost feed alternatives to field corn. Ratooning of a high‐yielding low‐input crop such as sorghum can be beneficial to both enterprises across the mid‐southern United States. There have been multiple studies examining factors that contribute to grain yield; however, there is a lack of information about the performance of an early‐season ratoon sorghum system in the Mid‐South. Therefore, the objective of this 2‐year study was to evaluate the feasibility of a grain sorghum ratoon cropping system in southeastern Missouri by comparing the grain yields of a full‐season hybrid and an early‐season hybrid in a ratoon sorghum system. The early‐season hybrid exhibited similar or greater grain yields than the full‐season hybrid. The use of a 45 lb ac −1 N/30 lb ac −1 P 2 O 5 starter fertilizer at planting showed no effect on grain yield. Side‐dressed nitrogen fertilizer increased the yield of the early‐season hybrid in three of the four location‐years. An economic analysis showed that the profit increase ranged between 26.4 and 74.4$/acre with the smallest profit increase observed at the fine‐sand site. Results suggest that recommendations for an early‐season ratoon hybrid N fertilizer should be specific for soil type. Nonetheless, based on the results of this study, such a system has high yield potential in southeastern Missouri and great potential on marginal ground for the entire Mid‐South region.