• Local Name : JANNA, JOWAR
• Family : POACEAE c4 crop
• Botanical Name : Sorghum bicolor
• Origin : N-E AFRICA
GRAIN SORGUM FODDER SORGHUM
SOWING TIME:
• Rabi Jowar is sown from 15th September to 15th
October.
• Optimum sowing time for un-irrigated rabi jowar is
second fortnight of September if there is sufficient
moisture in soil for good germination and growth.
• It can be grown year round in summer and kharif also
due to its photo insensitive nature.
INTRODUCTION:
• Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.), popularly known
as jowar, is the most important food and fodder crop of
dryland agriculture. It is a c4 crop. Hence crop of future .
Jowar is mainly concentrated in the peninsular and
central India. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (the
Bundelkhand region) and Tamil Nadu are the major jowar
– growing states. Other states grow sorghum in small
areas primarily for fodder.
USES OF SORGHUM
• The sorghum grain is used primarily as human food in
various forms, such as roti or bhakri (unleavened bread),
or is cooked like rice. Sorghums are also malted, popped
and several local preparations are made. Green and
dried fodder is the most important roughage for feeding
cattle throughout the country. The utilization of grain
sorghum as a cattle feed, poultry ration and other
industrial uses is at present not very significant, although
considerable scope exists.
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF
SORGHUM
Root system
• The roots of the sorghum plant can be divided
into a primary and secondary system. The
primary roots are those which appear first from
the germinating seed. The primary roots provide
the seedling with water and nutrients from the
soil. Primary roots have a limited growth and
their functions are soon taken over by the
secondary roots.
Leaves
• Sorghum leaves are typically green,
glasslike and flat, and not as broad as
maize leaves. Sorghum plants have a leaf
area smaller than that of maize. The leaf
blade is long, narrow and pointed. The leaf
blades of young leaves are upright but the
blades tend to bend downwards as leaves
mature.
stem
The stem of the plant is solid and dry, to
succulent and sweet. Under favorable conditions
more internodes develop, together with leaves,
producing a longer stem. The stem consists of
internodes and nodes. The diameter of the stem
varies between 5 and 30 mm. The internodes are
covered by a thick waxy layer. The waxy layer
reduces transpiration and increases the drought
tolerance of the plants.
INFLORESENCE
• The inflorescence of sorghum, the panicle, may
be compact or open. The shape and colour of the
panicle varies between cultivars. Panicles are
carried on a main stem or peduncle with primary
and secondary branches on which the florets are
borne. The peduncle is usually straight and its
length varies from 75 to 250 mm. Each panicle
contains from 800 to 3 000 kernels which are
usually partly enclosed by glumes.
The cultivars,
CSV1, CO 26, CO (S) 28, CO (S) 30, BSR 1, COH 4, K tall, K 11,
Paiyur 1, Paiyur 2 and APK 1
Seed rate:
• Irrigated: Transplanted - 7.5 kg/ha; Direct sown - 10 kg/ha
• Rainfed (Direct sown) - 15 kg/ha
CLIMATE AND SOIL
• Sorghum plants are very hardy and can withstand high
temperature and drought, however, it is grown in arid
regions of U.P, Rajasthan and humid regions of Bengal and
Bihar. It may be successfully grown under atmospheric
temperature ranging between 15 0C to 40 0C and annual
rainfall ranging from 400 to 1000 mm.
Sorghum is grown on a variety of soil types but the clayey
loam soil rich in humus is found to be the most ideal soil. It
may tolerate mild acidity to mild salinity under pH 5.5 to
8.0. A good sorghum soil must have an efficient drainage
facilities though, it may withstand water logging more than
maize.
LAND
PREPARATIO
N
Initially land is
ploughed in power
tiller followed by 2
to 3 harrowing done.
Then clod are
broken by phawrah
to make a fine seed
bed.
.
LAND
LEVELING
AND SPACING
After land
preparation land is
levelled by leveller.
Then 45 × 15-20 cm
spacing is done.
SEED
REQUIREMENT
Seed treatment-
seed treatment is
done with
carbendazim
@2gm/kg of seed.
SEED
TREATMENT
AND SOWING
Seed treatment is done by
treating seed with
carbendazim @ 2g per kg
of seed.
Line sowing in small rill like
furrows and followed by
covering with soil.
Seeds are sown at a depth
of 3-4 cm.
A spacing of 45cm
maintained between two
rows initially.
IRRIGATION
Both kharif and Rabi Sorghum are usually grown as rainfed crop.
Kharif crop grows by using the water received during the rainfall.
Rabi sorghum grows by using the residual moisture stored
during the monsoon period. How ever the irrigation may be
provided at critical stages if water is available for irrigation.
The critical stage of water requirement is flowering and grain
filling stages.
THINNING
Thinning is an important
operation followed in
sorghum to make the
optimum plant
population.
Thinning of plants done
by uprooting the plants
leaving a spacing of
about 15-20cm between
two adjacent plants.
MANURES AND FERTILIZER
APPLICATION
During land preparation FYM is incorporated into
the field.
Required amount of chemical fertilizer must
applied for optimum crop production.
Recommended dose fertilizer for sorghum is 120
kg nitrogen, 50 kg p2o5 and 40 kg potash.
Nitrogen applied in 2 split dose. 1st as basal dose
2nd at 45 day after sowing.
In Rabi season Sorghum all fertilizers are
applied basal.
WEEDING
Critical period of crop
weed comepetition is
about 35-45 days after
sowing.
So the land is kept weed
free by 2-3 hand weeding
by hand hoe phawrah
and three pronged
weeder.
Attrazine @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha may
be used as preemergence spray
to control the weeds.
Harvesting the crop
• Symptoms of maturity: Leaves will turn yellow and
present a dried appearance. Grains will be hardened.
• Harvesting: Cut the earheads separately. Cut the straw
after a week, allowing it to dry and stack it in the field till it
can be transported.
Threshing, cleaning, drying and storing
• Dry the earheads. Thresh in a mechanical thresher or spread
it and drag a stone roller over it or cattle threshes. Dry the
seeds below 10 per cent and mix 100 kg of grains with 1kg
of activated kaolin to reduce the rice weevil and rice moth
incidence. Spray Malathion 50EC 10 ml/ lit @ 3 lit of spray
fluid/100 m2 over the bags during storage godowns, For
grain purpose the grain should be dried well below 10%
moisture and stored in gunny bags.
