Sorghum and tef: Origin distribution and importance. Sorghum is an ancient cereal grain belonging to the grass family Poaceae. In terms of tonnage, sorghum is Africa's second most important cereal. Chapter 9 - Genetics of Important Economic Traits in Sorghum 1. are an important component of this analysis, the most important budget aspect is the relative returns of the alternative crops compared to irrigated sorghum silage. Subsistence farmers value their sorghum stalks so highly that the grains are sometimes almost a secondary consideration. Adding variety to your diet can often introduce nutrients that may complement those present in the foods that you already eat. The result is a highly nutritious product for grazing. Sorghum grains are successfully used for human nutrition all over the world, but mainly in the African and Asian countries. 1 Acknowledgement Maize occupies more than 33 million ha of SSA’s estimated ... Sorghum is the second most important cereal after maize with 22% of total cereal area. But there is a risk in employing them. The stalks are vital for building houses, for fencing, and for firewood (see page 195). Sorghum grain was crushed to obtain sorghum sugar. The Benefits of Sorghum. The continent produces about 20 million tonnes of sorghum per annum, about one-third of the world crop. A recent two-week food aid journey demonstrated firsthand to U.S. Grains Council (USGC) members and staff how U.S. sorghum is used in regional food aid and food assistance programs. Economic Importance of Weeds Weeds have certain effects in agriculture, which are mostly in the form of different harmful results but somehow there are also some beneficial effects. Today, sorghum is cultivated across the world in the warmer climatic areas. More than 23 million people are food insecure in eastern and central Africa, with food security conditions worsening in Burundi, Somalia and South Sudan. To estimate the economic impact of the increased sorghum silage acreage, adopters of irrigated sorghum silage were divided into Groups A and B, described below and in Table 2. It also be seen that sorghum is also an important crop in east To better understand the economic importance of sorghum, please have a look at Wikipedia – which contains explanations of sorghum and commercial sorghum. Sorghum (Sorghum Nco lor (L.) Moench) is a tropical grass, which originated in North Africa, cultivated extensively for human consumption in Africa and India, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Joseph Awika and Lloyd Rooney, at Texas A&M University, conducted an extensive review of scores of studies involving sorghum, and concluded that the phytochemicals in sorghum “have potential to signiciantly impact human health.” Informa Agribusiness Consulting conducted the study, which examined the economic contributions to each state and 52 congressional districts from exports of corn, barley, sorghum, ethanol, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn gluten feed and meal as well as the corn equivalent of meat on the U.S. economy. Financial Challenges: A lot of sorghum farmers do not have access to the substantial amount of capital needed to cover the production cost of a high yield sorghum farming business. Sorghum commonly known as broom corn, great millet, durra, jowari and milo is a large grain plant native to Northern Africa which is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions these days. Two out of the top 5 highest sorghum producing countries in the world are from Sub-Saharan Africa and thee out of the top 5 The cost of farm machinery, good quality fertilizers, herbicides for weed control and pesticides to prevent pest infestation can sum up to 250,000 Naira or more. Abstract. It is the member of the grass family Poaceae or Gramineae. Hence, most of the countries in Africa where sorghum is a significant arable crop are arid and areas at risk of desertification (Fig. Introduction. security and economic wellbeing. 1). Sorghum is a major cereal and food source for sub Saharan Africa and India. Larvae of the sorghum stem borer (Busseola fusca) shelter inside. Melinda Smale, Alpha Kergna, Amidou Assima, Eva Weltzien, and Fred Rattunde. However, these figures do not do justice to the importance of sorghum in Africa. Pearl millet is a climate hardy crop which is grown in harsh conditions, but as a subsistence crop. 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