Sorghum Cultivation: Best Practices for Pest and Weed Control

Financial Calculations

• Total Crop Cost: ₹20,000 - ₹25,000 per acre
• Total Income: ₹50,000 - ₹60,000 per acre
• Net Profit: ₹30,000 - ₹35,000 per acre

Sorghum Crop Calendar

Month	Activity Details
May - July	Sowing and Initial Management: Do soil testing before sowing, plough the field 2-3 times. Select improved varieties and treat seeds before sowing. Sow seeds in rows, do initial irrigation, and manage weeds.
June - August	Crop Management: Continuously monitor the field, manage irrigation and weeds. Identify and manage pests and diseases.
September - October	Harvesting and Storage: Harvest the crop based on maturity.

*Note: Choose the sowing month according to your state's climate and harvest based on crop maturity.

Varieties

1. CSH 5: Hybrid variety, yield: 13-14 quintals per acre for grain and 36-38 quintals per acre for fodder.
2. Jawahar Sorghum 1041: Resistant to stem borer and downy mildew, yield: 13-14 quintals per acre for grain and 50-52 quintals per acre for fodder.
3. CSH 6: Hybrid variety, yield: 14-16 quintals per acre for grain and 36-38 quintals per acre for fodder.
4. SPV 1022: Early maturing variety, yield: 12-13 quintals per acre for grain and 48-50 quintals per acre for fodder.

 

Cultivation Practices

Activity	Description
Soil	Well-drained loamy and sandy loam soil is suitable for sorghum cultivation. pH: 6.0-7.5. Plough the field 2-3 times and mix well-decomposed farm yard manure.
Climate	Warm and dry weather.  Temperature: 25-30°C.  Annual rainfall: 40 cm.
Sowing Time	Sowing should be done from the last week of May to the first week of July.
Seed Rate	Single Harvest Varieties: 20-25 kg seeds per acre. Multiple Harvest Varieties: 15 kg seeds per acre.
Seed Treatment	Biological Treatment: Treat 1 kg seed with 5 gm Trichoderma viride or 10 gm Pseudomonas fluorescens. Chemical Treatment: Treat 1 kg seed with 3 gm Thiram 75 WP or 3 gm Captan 50 WP. For protection against sucking pests, treat 1 kg seed with 10 ml Thiamethoxam. Dry the seeds in the shade after treatment.
Fertilizer Management	Use fertilizers based on soil test report.  For hybrid varieties: 70 kg Urea, 100 kg Single Super Phosphate, 14 kg Muriate of Potash per acre.   For other varieties: 35 kg Urea, 50 kg Single Super Phosphate, 14 kg Muriate of Potash per acre.
Sowing	Single cut varieties: Maintain a distance of 22 cm between rows.  Multiple cut varieties: Maintain a distance of 30 cm between rows. Sow seeds at a depth of 4-5 cm.
Water Management	Irrigate the sorghum crop 3-4 times based on soil moisture and local weather conditions.
Weed Management	Within 0-3 days of sowing use weedicide, mix 800 gm Atrazine 50 WP in 200 liters of water and spray it in one acre area.
Thinning	Thin the seedlings 10-12 days after sowing to maintain proper spacing between plants.
Harvesting	For fodder crop harvest  about 55-65 days after sowing. Cut the crop at a height of 8-10 cm from the ground. Harvest the crop when grains become hard and contain moisture less than 25%. Use sinckle for harvesting. After harvesting tie the crop in bundles and do threshing. Dry the grains in sunlight for 3-4 days.
Yield	Yield varies based on variety, soil quality, and rainfall. The average sorghum yield is 150-200 quintals per acre.

 

Pest Management

1. Shoot Fly
• Symptoms: Damaged growing points, wilting and drying of central shoot also known as dead heart.
• Control: Treat per kg seeds with 10 gm Imidacloprid 70 WS or 3 gm Thiamethoxam 25 WG . Use 5% NSKE during early infestation. In severe infestation mix 80-100 ml Imidacloprid 17.8 SL or 80 gm Thiamethoxam 25 WG in 200 liters of water and spray it in one acre area.
2. Sorghum Midge
• Symptoms: Shedding of pollen, holes in the grains, less grain formation in affected panicles.
• Control: Use light traps to monitor pest populations. During early infestation, use 5% NSKE. For control, spray 80 gm Thiamethoxam 25 WG in 200 liters of water per acre.
3. Shoot Bug
• Symptoms: Yellowing of the plants, stunted plant growth, drying of the leaves,leaf veins turn into red colour.
• Control: Mix 80 ml Imidacloprid 17.8 SL or 80 gm Thiamethoxam 25 WG in 200 liters of water and spray it in one acre area.
4. Stem Borer
• Symptoms: Drying of central shoots (dead hearts), red tunnels inside the stem, parallel holes on the leaves.
• Control: Use 4-5 pheromone traps per acre. Mix 60 ml Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC or 100-120 gm Flubendiamide 20 WG or 160-200 ml Indoxacarb 14.5 SC or 60 ml Spinosad 45 SC in 200 liters of water  and spray it in one acre area.

Disease Management

1. Rust
• Symptoms: Purple spots on the  leaves, which turn red with severe infection.
• Control: Treat seeds with 2.5 gm Thiram 75 WP or 2.5 gm Carbendazim 50 WP per kg of seed. For control, spray 200 ml Propiconazole 25 EC or 200 ml Azoxystrobin 18.2 + Difenoconazole 11.4 SC in 200 liters of water  and spray it in one acre area.
2. Downy Mildew
• Symptoms: White powder on the underside of the leaves and yellow spots on the upper side of the leaves, drying of the leaves.
• Control: Mix 200-400 gm Chlorothalonil 75 WP or 200 ml Azoxystrobin 18.2 + Difenoconazole 11.4 SC in 200 liters of water  and spray it in one acre area.
3. Head Smut
• Symptoms: Panicles turn into white masses, infected plants are shorter than healthy ones.
• Control: Treat per kg seeds with 2.5 gm Thiram 75 WP or 2.5 gm Carbendazim 50 WP. For control, mix 200 ml Azoxystrobin 11 + Tebuconazole 18.30 SCin 200 liters of water  and spray it in one acre area.
4. Anthracnose
• Symptoms: Small red spots on both surfaces of leaves.
• Control: Treat per kg seeds with 2.5 gm Thiram 75 WP or 2.5 gm Carbendazim 50 WP. For control, mix 200-400 gm Chlorothalonil 75 WP or 400-600 gm Mancozeb 75 WP in 200 liters of water and spray it in one acre area.