![[Forage Sorghums]](/forage/image/sannslide1.gif)
Sudangrass, sorghum-sudan hybrids, and forage sorghums are used on New York dairy and livestock farms. These annual grasses fit best in summer feeding programs, where they can supply ample yields of silage and green chop while perennial grasses are slowing down or going dormant. Thick stemmed and hard to dry, they make poor hay crops. As silage crops, they rank well below corn in feeding value.
Sow sudan and sorghum-sudan in late May or early June. Choose land with drainage adequate for corn. These crops do not perform well in poorly drained fields or wet spots. Fertilize as for corn. Nitrogen can be plowed down, disked in, or top-dressed.
You can harvest these crops once in late summer or early fall, or more frequently for pasture or green chop. One cut at season's end brings highest yields but gives up the unique value of these crops for midsummer feed.
PIPER is a popular variety of sudangrass. Bred for low prussic acid content, Piper is normally safe to graze at any stage; Piper and other sudangrasses tend to be finer stemmed than sorghum-sudans, but the latter are higher in yield.
SORGHUM-SUDAN hybrids are available through most seed companies. These generally yield more than the sudangrasses but can be somewhat coarser stemmed. Many varieties are available; although differences exist, almost all do well in New York. Brown mid-rib varieties develop less lignin in stems and leaves and so can have higher digestibility.
FORAGE SORGHUMS are widely grown in the South and West but have not done well in New York tests. These can be high yielding but are normally coarser stemmed than either sudans or sorghum-sudans and have less regrowth potential in green chop or pasture situations. Forage sorghums do best for silage but rarely equal corn for this purpose in New York. Brown mid-rib varieties have higher digestibility and so may offer promise as late-planted or emergency silage crops.
Prussic Acid Poisoning. Sudangrass and sorghum contain a substance that can release the poison prussic (hydrocyanic) acid. To avoid animal poisoning, graze green forage when plants of sudangrass are 18 to 20 inches or taller and sorghum or sorghum-sudangrass hybrids are 24 to 30 inches or taller. Do not graze new regrowth that develops after a frost or a period of dry weather. This regrowth often contains high levels of prussic acid. Green plants that are frozen should be completely dried before grazing or ensiled for several weeks before feeding.
Do not graze horses on sudangrass or sorghum-sudan hybrids. These crops cause cystitis syndrome, a serious condition in horses.
![[Boot Stage]](/forage/image/sannslide5.gif)
Japanese, German, Hungarian, and Siberian millets will all grow in New York but are generally lower yielding than other grain crops and well below sudangrass and sorghum-sudans in forage production. Sudangrass and sorghum-sudans are better choices unless there is some special reason for growing millets.
For best-quality hay, cut the plants at the boot stage. Curing is somewhat slow because of the thick stems. For grazing, it is usually best to begin about six to eight weeks after planting or when the plants are 6 to 12 inches tall. After this stage, the nutritive value for grazing decreases.
![[chop]](/forage/image/sannslide6.gif)
When these crops are planted in early spring and grazed or chopped early, they will regrow sufficiently for an additional harvest. Normally, they can be pastured five to seven weeks after planting. For silage, harvest at the boot stage. Once the head is emerged, small grain forage will contain more than 55 percent neutral detergent fiber. Late summer planting can provide some grazing during September and October. Oats grow well during periods of cool temperatures, which restrict the growth of sorghum or sudangrass.
Spring triticales have drawn attention as a silage crop. Triticales or oats mixed with field peas can produce more protein per acre than small grains alone, but may not be worth the added seed costs. Triticale-pea mixtures should be planted by May 1 because both crops grow well at cool temperatures but perform poorly under warmer temperatures.
These crops can provide grazing in the fall and early spring and green chop or silage in late May or June. If grown for grain, these crops can be grazed lightly in fall and early spring until shortly before plants begin to grow erect or stems begin to elongate. Grazing after stems elongate will severely reduce grain yields.
Rye and triticales are best for fall and spring pasture because they is not damaged by Hessian flies when planted early; also, they grow at cooler temperatures and provide later fall and earlier spring pasturage than do other winter grains.