Sorghum is an Important Part of the Diets of Many People in the World

Sorghum originated in the north-east quadrant of Africa and spread from there throughout Africa and into India. In 1994, sorghum ranked fifth among the most important cereal crops of the world after wheat, rice, maize, and barley in both total area planted and production.

Eighty percent of the area devoted to sorghum is located within Africa and Asia, with average yields of 810 and 1150 kilograms per hectare, respectively. In 1992, sorghum was planted on approximately 5.4 million hectares in the United States with an average yield of 4,566 kg/ha and a farm value of over $1.7 billion. Grain sorghum plants are coarse annual grasses. Nearly all varieties grown in the United States are "dwarf" types, with stems under 5 feet in height and suitable for harvesting with combines. Many taller- stemmed varieties are grown in other countries.

Grain sorghum is well-known for its capacity to tolerate conditions of limited moisture and to produce during periods of extended drought, in circumstances that would impede production in most other grains. Sorghum leaves roll along the midrib when moisture- stressed, making the plant more drought resistant than other grain plants. Like corn, sorghum can be grown under a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. Unlike corn, however, sorghum’s yield under different conditions is not so varied. Consequently, it is grown primarily in arid areas where corn wouldn’t make it without substantial irrigation.

Sorghum is an important part of the diets of many people in the world. It’s made into unleavened breads, boiled porridge or gruel, malted beverages including beer, and specialty foods such as popped grain and syrup from sweet sorghum. In Africa, the straw of traditional tall sorghums is used to make palisades in villages or around a homestead. The plant bases are an important source of fuel for cooking and the stems of wild varieties are used to make baskets or fish traps. Dye extracted from sorghum is used in West Africa to color leather red.

Sorghum starch is manufactured in the U.S. by a wet-milling process similar to that used for corn starch, then made into dextrose for use in foods. Starch from waxy sorghums is used in adhesives and for sizing paper and fabrics, and is an ingredient in oil drilling "mud." The grain can be a source of grain and butyl alcohol. In the United States, sorghum is a principal feed ingredient for both cattle and poultry. Its protein content is higher than corn and about equal to wheat. Its fat content is lower than corn but higher than wheat. Tannin, an acidic complex, can affect both the taste and nutritional value of sorghum.

Historically, sorghum with a high tannin content was desirable because it’s not palatable to birds. High tannin sorghum is still grown where birds are a problem, but, in the United States, reduced-tannin sorghum has been developed, improving nutritional value by as much as 30 percent. Sorghum has a very hard kernel, which makes it resistant to disease and damage, butmaking it harder to digest for animals. Sorghum is ground, cracked, steam flaked, and/or roasted, to enhance the nutritional value 12 to 14 percent. Some sorghum, sudangrass, or sorghum-sudangrass hybrids are poisonous to horses. The exact cause is not known. There’s currently no treatment for this poisoning and affected horses rarely recover.

Benjamin Franklin is credited with introducing broomcorn to the United States. While traveling in Europe, Franklin was impressed with a small broomcorn broom he used to clean his hat. He found a few seeds attached to the straw, and took them with him when he returned to Philadelphia. He planted the seeds and initiated an industry. Arcola, Illinois is known as the "Broom Corn Capital of the World." Since the late 1800’s, area farmers grew the sorghum used in the broom industry. The broom corn is processed in Arcola and brooms sold across the country. Arcola holds an annual Broom Corn Festival each September.