Grain Sorghum Management in Times of Drought

    Typically by this time of year, grain sorghum is being planted with hopes that this drought and heat tolerant crop will produce yields that will help carry the local farm economy.  There is one major problem this year however, you have to have some soil moisture to produce a grain crop.  Currently we have very little stored soil moisture in Nueces County and precipitation forecasts are not desirable.
    So if you are considering what to plant, know that it takes more water to produce grain than a forage crop, so in order to minimize risk one might consider growing forage sorghum for hay or silage in place of a grain crop. Moreover, during periods of drought, hay shortages are often present providing a good market for hay.
    If the decision is made to produce a grain crop, management strategies should be altered to minimize risk. Hybrid selection, planting date, fertilizer rates, seeding rates, and weed control
strategies may all need to be altered.
    So when considering which hybrid, generally this will be shorter maturing hybrids. With  sorghum, not only should length of maturity and drought tolerance be considered, but also try to find a hybrid that produces fewer tillers. These strategies tend to shift more of the available water into producing grain rather than vegetation. Yield potential will not be as high, but the risk of producing little or no grain will be minimized.

    Since potential yield will be reduced during a drought, fertilizer rates should be reduced. As a general rule of thumb fertilizer rates should be reduced 25% from what is normally applied.
Also consider applying no more than one-third of the needed N fertilizer preplant. The rest of
the N can be applied as a side-dress application 30 days after emergence. Only apply the sidedress application if the prospect for producing grain is good.
    Planting date should be flexible. Do not plant sorghum in dry soil unless you are confident that rainfall is eminent. Wait as long as possible for some precipitation to wet the soil where the seed will be placed. Be prepared to plant immediately following the precipitation event.
    Weeds that are drought stressed will be more difficult to control. For this reason using a preemergence herbicide is usually the best option. However, pre-emergence herbicides will require rainfall to move them into the soil or must be mechanically incorporated. If no rainfall occurs within six days after applying the herbicide consider incorporating with a rolling cultivator or harrow. Try not to incorporate the herbicide more than 2 inches. If post emergence herbicides must be used, treat weeds when they are small (less than 3 inches) and are easier to control.
    It is very important that seeding rate of sorghum be reduced when experiencing drought
conditions. Reduce seeding rate at least 25% from normal rates. Also consider using a skip row
pattern of only planting ever-other-row or a two-in one-out arrangement. This will tend to allow
the crop to better utilize any available water that may be present in the soil.
    Finally, following harvest, tillage operations should be kept to a minimum in order
to maximize precipitation storage in the soil for next year’s crop.

Take the 40 Gallon Challenge

    As the drought worsens, our local water supply continues to decrease as we are currently in Stage 2 of  Mandatory Water Restrictions.  That means that outdoor watering is restricted to before 10 am and  after 6 pm.  In addition large property owners must obtain approval for a watering plan and Commercial Nurseries must use hand held devices, drip or sprinkler systems to irrigate.
    To help facilitate water conservation, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is strengthening its challenge to Texans to save millions of gallons of water annually as well as money on their monthly water bills.  The 40 Gallon Challenge is a program that calls on residents and businesses to reduce their average water use by 40 gallons per day, according to Dr. Diane Boellstorff, AgriLife Extension water resources specialist in College Station.
    Boellstorff became involved in the voluntary national program in 2011, serving as the Texas representative.  After one year, she and AgriLife Extension economist Dean McCorkle in College Station completed an economic impact study in November, which showed that Texas participants, based on average municipal rates, were saving an estimated $299,000 a year, in addition to the water savings.
    “At the time that we did the impact statement, we were able to count 80 programs from 89 counties, and participation continues to increase,” she said. “For example, the impact statement mentions 1,050 participating households saving 71 million gallons of water annually, but today’s numbers are 1,152 participating households saving 80 million gallons annually.”
That change has come in only three months. Boellstorff said many AgriLife Extension agents are beginning to deliver the program in their local counties. She is also making presentations to spread the program across the state.
    This water resource conservation tool is one of many programs initiated and supported through the Southern Region Water Resource Project, funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture – National Institute for Food and Agriculture. Dr. Mark McFarland, AgriLife Extension state soil fertility specialist in College Station, is the project director.
    The 40-Gallon Challenge allows Texans to compete against other Americans who are taking the challenge in their states. At the program’s website, www.40gallonchallenge.org, Texans can pledge to adopt water-saving practices and see how many gallons of water they can expect to save.  The website also shows the most popular practices being pledged, the practices that are saving the most water daily, and counties and states that are pledging the most daily savings, Boellstorff said.
    Currently, the top water savers in Texas are “reduce irrigation station runtimes by two minutes,” “use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks,” and “fix a leaky toilet.” In Texas, the three counties registered to save the most gallons are Collin, Ellis and Dallas.
    To start saving water and take the challenge, go to the website; http://www.40gallonchallenge.org/    and complete the checklist of water-saving practices, its time for Nueces County residents to make a mark on the map.  The checklist includes both indoor and outdoor water-saving tips.