A Low-Cost Forage Alternative

Brown midrib sorghum-sudangrass fills a key niche for this dairyman.

This field of brown midrib sorghum-sudangrass was grazed three times, according to dairyman Fred Huger (right), shown here with David Jessee and Marc McElroy, both with Southern States.

No one can accuse Fred Huger of being set in his ways. He is constantly trying new feed sources to make his 125-cow dairy near Fairfield, Va., more profitable. For example, he's tried short-season corn and forage soybeans. But what has excited Huger for the past three years is SS-220 BMR, a brown midrib sorghum-sudangrass variety developed by Southern States.

"It's much cheaper to grow than either corn or alfalfa, and it makes tremendous yields," Huger explains. Last season, for example, he was able to graze one field two times in addition to getting a cutting of greenchop. A second field was grazed three times.

"I estimated that I was getting 15 cow days of forage per acre from each grazing or cutting‹45 cow days total," he says. "Using a conservative value of $4 per day for the feed, that's generating $180 per acre. It's hard to find another crop for this area that will top that."

David Jessee, an agronomist with Southern States, points out that the low lignin content of SS-220 BMR enhances its digestibility, making it equivalent to corn silage. It is also more palatable than conventional sorghum-sudan hybrids. As a result, beef and dairy cattle tend to consume more forage and get more nutrition, which results in greater milk and meat production.

Huger also appreciates the drought tolerance of SS-220 BMR. "It will just sit there and wait for a rain," he maintains. "Then it grows like crazy."

Southern States agronomists say the ideal time to plant SS-220 BMR is between April 30 and May 15. However, Huger has planted successfully as late as July 4.

He uses a burndown treatment of Roundup or Gramoxone to kill weeds and grasses, then drills the seed without tillage. He puts down a minimum of 55 pounds of seed per acre.

"With a broadcast seeding rate below 50 pounds, you get too much stalk, which is difficult to run through the greenchop harvester and also is harder to cure," Huger explains. A much lower seeding rate is recommended when SS-220 BMR is planted earlier and in rows.

Huger was able to turn cows in 40 to 50 days after planting when plants were about 3 feet tall. About four weeks later, he turned cows in again. Then in mid-September, he harvested more than 6 tons of greenchop per acre.

"This year, I plan to reverse that sequence. By chopping it the first time, I believe it will stimulate more tillering and regrowth," he says.

Huger notes that sorghum-sudangrass is much less expensive to grow than corn because of lower seed costs. And there is less expense for fertilizer and herbicide. With its rapid growth, the crop smothers weeds before they have a chance to grow.