Grain sorghum might help farmers adapt to drier times

[Linda Poole]

A friend has been feeding livestock with milo, aka grain sorghum, with good results. Based on that experience and the article below, it looks like a promising alternative to thirstier crops. Anyone out there have experience with sorghum?

An Ancient Grain Made New Again: How Sorghum Could Help U.S. Farms Adapt to Climate Change​

Sorghum—popular among young, BIPOC, and under-resourced farmers—has extra long roots that allow it to withstand drought and sequester greenhouse gasses.
BY DANA CRONIN for Civil Eats
FEBRUARY 7, 2023

“Sorghum was relatively cheap to put in the ground, it had a very good yield to it, and it could withstand some hot, dry summers.”

It doesn’t take a whole lot of rain to make a good yield for the sorghum crop,” said Rendel, who plants about 1,000 acres of grain sorghum each year on his 5,000-acre farm. While he did lose some of his grain sorghum, or milo, to the drought, the loss was minimal compared to corn. “[Sorghum] helps offset our risk,” he said.

Farmers in drought-prone areas are increasingly relying on crops that require less water to help them adapt to the effects of climate change. The Great Plains is currently facing exceptional drought, and agricultural hub states like Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma are dealing with long-term consequences. Sorghum is looking especially appealing as a solution.