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{{Short description|Species of plant}}{{Speciesbox|image = Sorghum bicolor03.jpg|genus = Sorghum|species = bicolor! colspan=2|Sorghum production – 2021! style="background:#ddf; width:75%;"| Country! style="background:#ddf; width:25%;"| (Millions of tonnes)

Carl Linnaeus>L.) Moench|synonyms = {{collapsible list | {{plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | Agrostis nigricans (Ruiz & Pav.) Poir. Andropogon besseri Kunth Andropogon bicolor (L.) Roxb. Andropogon caffrorum (Thunb.) Kunth Andropogon compactus Brot. Andropogon dulcis Burm.f. Andropogon niger (Ard.) Kunth Andropogon saccharatrus Kunth Andropogon saccharatus (L.) Raspail Andropogon sorghum (L.) Brot. Andropogon subglabrescens Steud. Andropogon truchmenorum Walp. Andropogon usorum Steud. Andropogon vulgare (Pers.) Balansa Andropogon vulgaris Raspail Holcus arduinii J.F.Gmel. Holcus bicolor L. Holcus cafer Ard. Holcus caffrorum (Retz.) Thunb. Holcus cernuus Ard. Holcus cernuus Muhl. nom. illeg. Holcus cernuus Willd. nom. illeg. Holcus compactus Lam. Holcus dochna Forssk. Holcus dora Mieg Holcus duna J.F.Gmel. Holcus durra Forssk. Holcus niger Ard. Holcus nigerrimus Ard. Holcus rubens Gaertn. Holcus saccharatus var. technicus (Körn.) Farw. Holcus sorghum L. Holcus sorghum Brot. nom. illeg. Milium bicolor (L.) Cav. Milium compactum (Lam.) Cav. Milium maximum Cav. Milium nigricans Ruiz & Pav. Milium sorghum (L.) Cav. Panicum caffrorum Retz. Panicum frumentaceum Salisb. nom. illeg. Rhaphis sorghum (L.) Roberty Sorghum abyssinicum (Hack.) Chiov. nom. illeg. Sorghum ankolib (Hack.) Stapf Sorghum anomalum Desv. Sorghum arduinii (Gmel.) J.Jacq. Sorghum basiplicatum Chiov. Sorghum basutorum Snowden Sorghum caffrorum (Retz.) P.Beauv. Sorghum campanum Ten. & Guss. Sorghum caudatum (Hack.) Stapf Sorghum centroplicatum Chiov. Sorghum cernuum (Ard.) Host Sorghum compactum Lag. Sorghum conspicuum Snowden Sorghum coriaceum Snowden Sorghum dochna (Forssk.) Snowden Sorghum dora (Mieg) Cuoco Sorghum dulcicaule Snowden Sorghum dura Griseb. Sorghum durra (Forssk.) Batt. & Trab. Sorghum elegans (Körn.) Snowden Sorghum eplicatum Chiov. Sorghum exsertum Snowden Sorghum gambicum Snowden Sorghum giganteum Edgew. Sorghum glabrescens (Steud.) Schweinf. & Asch. Sorghum glycychylum Pass. Sorghum guineense Stapf Sorghum japonicum (Hack.) Roshev. Sorghum margaritiferum Stapf Sorghum medioplicatum Chiov. Sorghum melaleucum Stapf Sorghum melanocarpum Huber Sorghum mellitum Snowden Sorghum membranaceum Chiov. Sorghum miliiforme (Hack.) Snowden Sorghum nankinense Huber Sorghum nervosum Besser ex Schult. & Schult.f. Sorghum nervosum Chiov. nom. illeg. Sorghum nigricans (Ruiz & Pav.) Snowden Sorghum nigrum (Ard.) Roem. & Schult. Sorghum notabile Snowden Sorghum pallidum Chiov. nom. illeg. Sorghum papyrascens Stapf Sorghum rigidum Snowden Sorghum rollii Chiov. Sorghum roxburghii var. hians (Hook.f.) Stapf Sorghum saccharatum Host nom. illeg. Sorghum saccharatum (L.) Pers. nom. illeg. Sorghum sativum (Hack.) Batt. & Trab. Sorghum schimperi (Hack.) Chiov. nom. illeg. Sorghum simulans Snowden Sorghum splendidum (Hack.) Snowden Sorghum subglabrescens (Steud.) Schweinf. & Asch. Sorghum tataricum Huber Sorghum technicum (Körn.) Batt. & Trab. Sorghum technicum (Körn.) Roshev. Sorghum truchmenorum K.Koch Sorghum usorum Nees Sorghum vulgare Pers. nom. illeg. }} }}		WEBSITE=WWW.THEPLANTLIST.ORG, }}Sorghum bicolor, commonly called sorghum{{PLANTS|id=SOBI2|taxon=Sorghum bicolor|access-date=2 February 2016}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|É”r|É¡|É™|m}}) and also known as great millet,{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17 }} broomcorn,WEB, Definition of BROOMCORN,weblink 2021-12-14, www.merriam-webster.com, en, guinea corn,WEB, Definition of GUINEA CORN,weblink 2021-12-14, www.merriam-webster.com, en, durra,WEB, Definition of DURRA,weblink 2021-12-14, www.merriam-webster.com, en, imphee,WEB, Definition of IMPHEE,weblink 2021-12-14, www.merriam-webster.com, en, jowar,WEB, jowar,weblink The Free Dictionary, 2021-12-14, or milo,WEB, Definition of MILO,weblink 2021-12-14, www.merriam-webster.com, en, is a species in the grass genus Sorghum cultivated for its grain. The grain is used for food for humans; the plant is used for animal feed and ethanol production. Sorghum originated in Africa, and is now cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions.Sorghum is the world's fifth-most important cereal crop after rice, wheat, maize, and barley. Sorghum is typically an annual, but some cultivars are perennial. It grows in clumps that may reach over {{convert|4|m}} high. The grain is small, {{convert|2 to 4|mm}} in diameter. Sweet sorghums are cultivars primarily grown for forage, syrup production, and ethanol; they are taller than those grown for grain. Description Sorghum is a large stout grass that grows up to {{convert |2.4 |m |ft}} tall. It has large bushy flowerheads or panicles that provide an edible starchy grain with up to 3,000 seeds in each flowerhead. It grows in warm climates worldwide for food and forage.{{BONAP |ref |genus=Sorghum |access-date=4 September 2016}}WEB, sorghum: grain,weblink Britannica, 6 May 2024, JOURNAL, 10.1007/s10722-009-9466-7, 57, 2, 243–253, Mutegi, Evans, Fabrice, Sagnard, Moses, Muraya, Ben, Kanyenji, Bernard, Rono, Caroline, Mwongera, Charles, Marangu, Joseph, Kamau, Heiko, Parzies, Santie, de Villiers, Kassa, Semagn, Pierre, Traoré, Maryke, Labuschagne, Ecogeographical distribution of wild, weedy and cultivated Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench in Kenya: implications for conservation and crop-to-wild gene flow, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 2010-02-01, 28318220, 3,weblink Sorghum is native to Africa with many cultivated forms.WEB, Sorghum- and millet-legume cropping systems,weblink Hauser, Stefan, Wairegi, Lydia, Asadu, Charles L.A., Asawalam, Damian O., Jokthan, Grace, Ugbe, Utiang, Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International and Africa Soil Health Consortium, 7 October 2018, 2015, JOURNAL, Dillon, Sally L., Shapter, Frances M., Henry, Robert J., Izquierdo, Liz, Lee, L. Slade, Domestication to Crop Improvement: Genetic Resources for Sorghum and Saccharum (Andropogoneae), Annals of Botany, 100, 5, 975–989, 1 September 2007, 2759214, 3, 17766842, 10.1093/aob/mcm192, Most production uses annual cultivars, but some wild species of Sorghum are perennial; the Land Institute is developing a perennial cultivar that would enable farmers to "produce repeated, sufficient grain harvests without resowing."WEB, Perennial Sorghum,weblink The Land Institute, 7 May 2024, File:Flore médicale des Antilles, ou, Traité des plantes usuelles (10559146133) (cropped).jpg |Botanical illustrationFile:Sorghum bicolor.JPG |Maturing crop, GermanyFile:दगडी ज्वारी, आटपाडी Dagadi Jowar, Aatpadi (Sorghum bicolor).jpg |Ripe panicle, IndiaFile:Sorghum bicolor (s. lat.) p. p. sl32.jpg |alt=Grains |Branch of panicle with spikeletsSpeciesWEB, Sorghum Moench {{!, Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331290-2 |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=Plants of the World Online |language=en}}Sorghum amplum LazaridesSorghum bicolor (L.) MoenchSorghum brachypodum LazaridesSorghum bulbosum LazaridesSorghum burmahicum RaizadaSorghum controversum (Steud.) SnowdenSorghum ecarinatum LazaridesSorghum exstans LazaridesSorghum grande LazaridesSorghum halepense (L.) Pers.Sorghum interjectum LazaridesSorghum laxiflorum F.M.BaileySorghum macrospermum E.D.GarberSorghum matarankense E.D.Garber & SnyderSorghum nitidum (Vahl) Pers.Sorghum propinquum (Kunth) Hitchc.Sorghum sorghoides (Benth.) Qing Liu & P.M.PetersonSorghum virgatum (Hack.) Stapf Evolution Phylogeny Sorghum is closely related to maize within the PACMAD clade of grasses, and more distantly to the cereals of the BOP clade such as wheat and barley.JOURNAL, Escobar, Juan S, Scornavacca, Céline, Cenci, Alberto, Guilhaumon, Claire, Santoni, Sylvain, Douzery, Emmanuel J. P., Ranwez, Vincent, Glémin, Sylvain, David, Jacques, 5, Multigenic phylogeny and analysis of tree incongruences in Triticeae (Poaceae), BMC Evolutionary Biology, 11, 1, 2011, 181, 21702931, 3142523, 10.1186/1471-2148-11-181, free, 2011BMCEE..11..181E, {hide}clade|style=font-size:100%;line-height:100%|label1=(Part of Poaceae)|1={{clade |label1= BOP clade |1={{clade |1=Bambusoideae (bamboos) |2={{clade |label1=Pooideae |1={{clade |label1=other grasses |1= (fescue, ryegrass) |label2=   Triticeae   |2={{clade |1=Hordeum (barley) |2={{clade |1=Triticum (wheat) |2=Secale (rye) {edih} }} }} |2=Oryza (rice) }} }} |label2= PACMAD clade |2={{clade |1=Pennisetum (fountaingrasses, pearl millet) |2={{clade |1=Sorghum (sorghum) |2=Zea (maize) }} }} }} }} History Domestication {{further|Domestication of plants}}File:Piece of sorghum bread contained in basket S - Museo Egizio, Turin S 285 p09.jpg|thumb|Piece of sorghum bread contained in basket, Predynastic Egypt, {{circa}} 3100 BC (5,100 years ago). Egyptian Museum, TurinWEB, Pane di sorgo contenuto nel cesto S. 283; fa parte del corredo funerario infantile della mummia S. 278,weblink Egyptian Museum, Turin, 6 May 2024, S. 285, la 15 Vetrina 02, ]]S. bicolor was domesticated from its wild ancestor more than 5,000 years ago in Eastern Sudan in the area of the Rivers Atbara and Gash.BOOK, Carney, Judith, In the Shadow of Slavery, University of California Press, 2009, 978-0-5202-6996-5, 16, It has been found at an archaeological site near Kassala in eastern Sudan, dating from 3500 to 3000 BC, and is associated with the neolithic Butana Group culture.JOURNAL, Winchell, Frank, Stevens, Chris J., Murphy, Charlene, Champion, Louis, Fuller, Dorian Q., Evidence for sorghum domestication in fourth millennium BC eastern Sudan: Spikelet morphology from ceramic impressions of the Butana Group, Current Anthropology, 58, 5, 2017, 673–683, 10.1086/693898,weblink Sorghum bread from graves in Predynastic Egypt, some 5,100 years ago, is displayed in the Egyptian Museum, Turin, Italy.The first race to be domesticated was bicolor; it had tight husks that had to be removed forcibly. Around 4,000 years ago, this spread to the Indian subcontinent; around 3,000 years ago it reached West Africa. Four other races evolved through cultivation to have larger grains and to become free-threshing, making harvests easier and more productive. These were caudatum in the Sahel; durra, most likely in India; guinea in West Africa (later reaching India), and from that race mageritiferum that gave rise to the varieties of Southern Africa.BOOK, Fuller, Dorian Q., Stevens, Chris J., Plants and People in the African Past, Sorghum Domestication and Diversification: A Current Archaeobotanical Perspective, Springer International Publishing, 2018, 978-3-319-89838-4, 10.1007/978-3-319-89839-1_19, 427–452, (File:Domestication and races of Sorghum.svg|thumb|center|upright=1.5|Domestication and the five major races of sorghum) Spread File:"Another view of the making of sorghum molasses on the Fred Hatmaker farm in the Norris Dam reservoir area." - NARA - 532657.tif|thumb|Making sweet sorghum molasses in rural TennesseeTennesseeIn the Middle Ages, the Arab Agricultural Revolution spread sorghum and other crops from Africa and Asia across the Arab world as far as Al-Andalus in Spain.JOURNAL, Watson, Andrew M., 1974, The Arab Agricultural Revolution and Its Diffusion, 700–1100, The Journal of Economic History, 34, 1, 8–35, 10.1017/S0022050700079602, 2116954, 154359726, Sorghum remained the staple food of the medieval kingdom of Alodia and most Sub-Saharan cultures prior to European colonialism.Welsby, Derek (2002). "The Economy", in The Medieval Kingdoms of Nubia. Pagans, Christians and Muslims Along the Middle Nile. British Museum. {{ISBN|978-0-7141-1947-2}}.Tall varieties of sorghum with a high sugar content are called sweet sorghum; they are useful for producing a sugar-rich syrup and as forage.WEB,weblink Grassland Index: Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, 2006-08-24, 2017-11-19,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171119193819weblink">weblink dead, WEB, Sweet Sorghum,weblink Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Producer s, 13 November 2012, Sweet sorghum was important to the sugar trade in the 19th century.BOOK, Hyde, James F.C., The Chinese Sugar-Cane: Its History, Mode of Culture, Manufacture of the Sugar, Etc. with Reports of Its Success in Different Portions of the United States, and Letters from Distinguished Men, J. P. Jewett, 1857, Boston,weblink The price of sugar was rising because of decreased production in the British West Indies and more demand for confectionery and fruit preserves, and the United States was actively searching for a sugar plant that could be produced in northern states. The "Chinese sugar-cane", sweet sorghum, was viewed as a plant that would be productive in the West Indies.BOOK, Hyde, James F.C., The Chinese Sugar-Cane: Its History, Mode of Culture, Manufacture of the Sugar, Etc. with Reports of Its Success in Different Portions of the United States, and Letters from Distinguished Men, J. P. Jewett, 1857, Boston,weblink 11, The name sorghum derives from Italian sorgo, which in turn most likely comes from 12th century Medieval Latin surgum or suricum. This in turn may be from Latin syricum, meaning "[grass] of Syria".WEB, sorghum (n.),weblink Online Etymology Dictionary, 7 May 2024, Cultivation Agronomy Most varieties of sorghum are drought- and heat-tolerant, nitrogen-efficient,NEWS, Mulhollem, Jeff, Flavonoids' presence in sorghum roots may lead to frost-resistant crop, 10 August 2020, Pennsylvania State University, sorghum is a crop that can respond to climate change because of its high water- and nitrogen-use efficiency,weblink and are grown particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where the grain is one of the staples for poor and rural people. These varieties provide forage in many tropical regions. S. bicolor is a food crop in Africa, Central America, and South Asia, and is the fifth most common cereal crop grown in the world.NEWS, Danovich, Tove, Move over, quinoa: sorghum is the new 'wonder grain', The Guardian, 15 December 2015,weblink 31 July 2018, BOOK, Soils, Plant Growth and Crop Production, II, Growth and Production of Sorghum and Millets, Willy H. Verheye, 2010, EOLSS Publishers, 978-1-84826-368-0,weblink It is most often grown without application of fertilizers or other inputs by small-holder farmers in developing countries.WEB, Sorghum and millet in human nutrition, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1995,weblink They benefit from sorghum's ability to compete effectively with weeds, especially when it is planted in narrow rows. Sorghum actively suppresses weeds by producing sorgoleone, an alkylresorcinol.WEB, Tapping into Sorghum's Weed Fighting Capabilities to Give Growers More Options, USDA ARS,weblink 2021-07-27, USDA ARS, Sorghum grows in a wide range of temperatures. It can tolerate high altitude and toxic soils, and can recover growth after some drought. Optimum growth temperature range is {{convert|12-34|C}}, and the growing season lasts for ~ 115-140 days. WEB, Sorghum - Section 4: Plant Growth and Physiology,weblink Grain Research & Development Corporation, 4 December 2022, 11 November 2022,weblink dead, It can grow on a wide range of soils, such as heavy clay to sandy soils with the pH tolerance ranging from 5.0 to 8.5.BOOK,weblink Sorghum: Origin, History, Technology, and Production, C. Wayne, Smith, Richard A., Frederiksen, 2000, John Wiley & Sons, 978-0-4712-4237-6, It requires an arable field that has been left fallow for at least two years or where crop rotation with legumes has taken place in the previous year.BOOK, Ajeigbe, Hakeem A., Handbook on improved agronomic practices of sorghum production in north east Nigeria, 2020, ICRISAT, Patancheru, Diversified 2- or 4-year crop rotation can improve sorghum yield, additionally making it more resilient to inconsistent growth conditions.JOURNAL, Sindelar, Aaron J., Schmer, Marty R., Jin, Virginia L., Wienhold, Brian J., Varvel, Gary E., Crop Rotation Affects Corn, Grain Sorghum, and Soybean Yields and Nitrogen Recovery, Agronomy Journal, 2016, 108, 4, 1592–1602, 10.2134/agronj2016.01.0005, 2016AgrJ..108.1592S, In terms of nutrient requirements, sorghum is comparable to other cereal grain crops with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium required for growth.JOURNAL, Rooney, W.L., Sorghum, Reference Module in Food Science, 2016, 10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.02986-3, 9780081005965, An international effort is under way to improve sorghum farming. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics has improved sorghum using traditional genetic improvement and integrated genetic and natural resources management practices. New varieties of sorghum from the institute has now resulted in India producing {{convert|7|MT/ha}}.NEWS, Rajulapudi, Srinivas, India beats China in sorghum production,weblink The Hindu, 16 March 2014, 17 March 2014, Some 194 improved cultivars are now planted worldwide. In India, increases in sorghum productivity resulting from improved cultivars have freed up {{convert|7|e6ha|abbr=off}} of land, enabling farmers to diversify into high-income cash crops and boost their livelihoods.WEB,weblink Archived copy, 2014-03-16, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160120043052weblink">weblink 2016-01-20, Sorghum, a crop of substance. Downloaded 16 March 2014. Sorghum is used primarily as poultry feed, and secondarily as cattle feed and in brewing applications.WEB, General Sorghum, 2011, Agricultural Resource Marketing Center - partially funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Program,weblink 2012-06-26,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120725192243weblink">weblink 2012-07-25, dead, File:Sorghum harvest at the shore of Lake Hayq Ethiopia.jpg|Sorghum harvest at the shore of Lake Hayq, Ethiopia, 2012File:Sorghum Harvest.jpg|Harvesting sorghum in Oklahoma, USA, with a combine harvesterFile:Sun drying Sorghum in Rhino Camp.jpg|Drying sorghum in the open air, Uganda, 2020File:Women fanning Sorghum seeds.png|Women drying sorghum seeds by tossing them in trays, 2022 Pests and diseases {{further|List of sorghum diseases}}Insect damage is a major threat to sorghum plants. Over 150 species damage crop plants at different stages of development, resulting in significant biomass loss.JOURNAL, Guo, Chunshan, Cui, Wei, Feng, Xue, Zhao, Jianzhou, Lu, Guihua, Sorghum insect problems and management, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 2011, 53, 3, 178–192, 10.1111/J.1744-7909.2010.01019.X, 21205185, Stored sorghum grain is attacked by other insect pests such as the lesser grain borer beetle.JOURNAL, Edde, Peter A., A review of the biology and control of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) the lesser grain borer, Journal of Stored Products Research, Elsevier, 48, 1, 2012, 0022-474X, 10.1016/j.jspr.2011.08.007, 1–18, 84377289, Sorghum is a host of the parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, purple witchweed; it can seriously reduce production.JOURNAL, Yoshida, Satoko, Maruyama, Shinichiro, Nozaki, Hisayoshi, Shirasu, Ken, 28 May 2010, Science (journal), Science, 328, 1128, 10.1126/science.1187145, 5982, 20508124, Horizontal Gene Transfer by the Parasitic Plant Stiga hermanthica, 2010Sci...328.1128Y, 39376164, Sorghum is subject to a variety of plant pathogens. The fungus Colletotrichum sublineolum causes anthracnose.REPORT, Ero, T., Hirpa, D., Seid, A., Anthracnose of sorghum-Ethiopia: Colletotrichum sublineolum (C. graminicola); yemashila michi, Plantwiseplus Knowledge Bank, 2018, 10.1079/pwkb.20157800477, Pest Management Decision Guides, 253929998, free, The toxic ergot fungus parasitises the grain, risking harm to humans and livestock.JOURNAL, Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit, Frederickson, Debra E., McLaren, Neal W., Odvody, Gary N., Ryley, Malcolm J., Ergot: A New Disease Threat to Sorghum in the Americas and Australia, Plant Disease, April 1998, 82, 4, 356–367, 10.1094/PDIS.1998.82.4.356, 30856881, free, Sorghum produces chitinases as defensive compounds against fungal diseases. Transgenesis of additional chitinases increases the crop's disease resistance.JOURNAL, Waniska, R. D., Venkatesha, R. T., Chandrashekar, A., Krishnaveni, S., Bejosano, F. P., Jeoung, J., Jayaraj, J., Muthukrishnan, S., Liang, G. H., Antifungal Proteins and Other Mechanisms in the Control of Sorghum Stalk Rot and Grain Mold, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 49, 10, 2001-10-01, 0021-8561, 10.1021/jf010007f, 4732–4742, 11600015, File:CSIRO ScienceImage 10792 Rhyzopertha dominica Lesser Grain Borer.jpg|The lesser grain borer is a serious pest of sorghum.File:Acervuli of Colletotrichum sublineolum on Sweet sorghum.jpg|Acervuli of Colletotrichum sublineolum, the cause of anthracnose, on sweet sorghumFile:Anthracnose on Sweet sorghum.jpg|Sorghum leaves showing anthracnose damage{{anchor|Genetics|Genomics}} Genetics and genomics The genome of S. bicolor was sequenced between 2005 and 2007.JOURNAL, 19189423, 0028-0836, 457, 7229, 551–556, Paterson, Andrew H., John E. Bowers, Remy Bruggmann, Inna Dubchak, Jane Grimwood, Heidrun Gundlach, Georg Haberer, Uffe Hellsten, Therese Mitros, Alexander Poliakov, Jeremy Schmutz, Manuel Spannagl, Haibao Tang, Xiyin Wang, Thomas Wicker, Arvind K. Bharti, Jarrod Chapman, F. Alex Feltus, Udo Gowik, Igor V. Grigoriev, Eric Lyons, Christopher A. Maher, Mihaela Martis, Apurva Narechania, Robert P. Otillar, Bryan W. Penning, Asaf A. Salamov, Yu Wang, Lifang Zhang, Nicholas C. Carpita, Michael Freeling, Alan R. Gingle, C. Thomas Hash, Beat Keller, Patricia Klein, Stephen Kresovich, Maureen C. McCann, Ray Ming, Daniel G. Peterson, Mehboob-ur-Rahman, Doreen Ware, Peter Westhoff, Klaus F. X. Mayer, Joachim Messing, Daniel S. Rokhsar, 6, The Sorghum bicolor genome and the diversification of grasses, Nature (journal), Nature, 2009-01-29, 2009Natur.457..551P, 10.1038/nature07723, free, WEB,weblink Phytozome, US DOE JGI Phytozome, It is generally considered diploid and contains 20 chromosomes,JOURNAL, Price, H. J., Dillon, S. L., Hodnett, G., Rooney, W. L., Ross, L., Johnston, J. S., 2005, Genome evolution in the genus Sorghum (Poaceae), Annals of Botany, en, 95, 1, 219–227, 10.1093/aob/mci015, 15596469, 4246720, however, there is evidence to suggest a tetraploid origin for S. bicolor.JOURNAL, Gomez, M. I., Islam-Faridi, M. N., Zwick, M. S., Czeschin Jr, D. G., Hart, G. E., Wing, R. A., Stelly, D. M., Price, H. J., 1998, Brief communication. Tetraploid nature of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, Journal of Heredity, en, 89, 2, 188–190, 10.1093/jhered/89.2.188,weblink free, The genome size is approximately 800 Mbp.JOURNAL, McCormick, Ryan F., Truong, Sandra K., Sreedasyam, Avinash, Jenkins, Jerry, Shu, Shengqiang, Sims, David, Kennedy, Megan, Amirebrahimi, Mojgan, Weers, Brock D., McKinley, Brian, Mattison, Ashley, 2018, The Sorghum bicolor reference genome: improved assembly, gene annotations, a transcriptome atlas, and signatures of genome organization, The Plant Journal, 93, 2, 338–354, 10.1111/tpj.13781, 29161754, 1365-313X, free, Paterson et al., 2009 provides a genome assembly of 739 megabase. The most commonly used genome database is maintained by Luo et al., 2016. A gene expression atlas is available from Shakoor et al., 2014 with 27,577 genes. For molecular breeding (or other purposes) an SNP array has been created by Bekele et al., 2013, a 3K SNP Infinium from Illumina, Inc.JOURNAL, Varshney, Rajeev K., Bohra, Abhishek, Yu, Jianming, Graner, Andreas, Zhang, Qifa, Sorrells, Mark E., Designing Future Crops: Genomics-Assisted Breeding Comes of Age, Trends in Plant Science, 26, 6, 2021, 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.03.010, 631–649, 33893045, Agrobacterium transformation can be used on sorghum, as shown in a 2018 report of such a transformation system.JOURNAL, Guo, Minliang, Ye, Jingyang, Gao, Dawei, Xu, Nan, Yang, Jing, Agrobacterium-mediated horizontal gene transfer: Mechanism, biotechnological application, potential risk and forestalling strategy, Biotechnology Advances, 37, 1, 2019, 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.12.008, 259–270, 30579929, A 2013 study developed and validated an SNP array for molecular breeding.JOURNAL, Bekele, Wubishet A., Wieckhorst, Silke, Friedt, Wolfgang, Snowdon, Rod J., High-throughput genomics in sorghum: from whole-genome resequencing to a SNP screening array, Plant Biotechnology Journal, 11, 9, 2013, 1467-7644, 10.1111/pbi.12106, 1112–1125, 23919585, free, Production {| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:left; width:14em; text-align:center;"
|11.4
|4.8
|4.4
|4.4
|3.3
|3.0
World >| 61.4
Source: FAOSTAT of the United NationsHTTP://WWW.FAO.ORG/FAOSTAT/EN/#DATA/QC>TITLE= PRODUCTION OF SORGHUM IN 2021, CROPS/REGIONS/WORLD LIST/PRODUCTION QUANTITY/YEAR (PICK LISTS)		PUBLISHER=UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION, CORPORATE STATISTICAL DATABASE (FAOSTAT), 30 September 2023,

In 2021, world production of sorghum was 61 million tonnes, led by the United States with 19% of the total (table). India, Ethiopia, and Mexico were the largest secondary producers.(File:2019 Sorghum map US.pdf|thumb|center|upright=1.5|Sorghum-growing areas of the US, the world's largest producer)

International trade

In 2013, China began purchasing American sorghum as a complementary livestock feed to its domestically grown maize. It imported around $1 billion worth per year until April 2018, when it imposed retaliatory tariffs as part of a trade war.NEWS,weblink Sorghum, targeted by tariffs, is a U.S. crop China started buying only five years ago, Los Angeles Times, Apr 18, 2018, 28 January 2019, By 2020, the tariffs have been waived, and trade volumes increased again before declining again as China began buying sorghum from other countries.NEWS, U.S. Sorghum Exports Dwindle on "Near-Evaporation" of Chinese Demand, as China Looks to Brazilian Corn,weblink 18 March 2024, Farm Policy News, University of Illinois, 22 January 2023, As of 2020, China is the world's largest sorghum importer, importing more than all other countries combined.WEB, U.S. Sorghum Prices Rally with China's Return to the Market,weblink fas.usda.gov, US Department of Agriculture, 28 July 2020,

Nutrition

{{nutritional value | name=Sorghum grain| kJ=329| water=12.4 g| protein=10.6 g| fat=3.46 g| satfat= 0.61 g| monofat=1.13 g| polyfat=1.56 g| carbs=72.1 g| fiber=6.7 g| sugars=2.53 g| calcium_mg=13| iron_mg=3.36| magnesium_mg=165| phosphorus_mg=289| potassium_mg=363| sodium_mg=2| copper_mg=0.284| selenium_ug=12.2| zinc_mg=1.67| manganese_mg=1.6| vitC_mg=0| thiamin_mg=0.332| riboflavin_mg=0.096| niacin_mg=3.69| pantothenic_mg=0.367| vitB6_mg=0.443| folate_ug=20| vitA_ug=0| vitE_mg=0.5| source_usda = 1| note=Link to USDA Database entry}}The grain is edible and nutritious. It can be eaten raw when young and milky, but has to be boiled or ground into flour when mature.BOOK,weblink The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Skyhorse Publishing, United States Department of the Army, 2009, 978-1-60239-692-0, New York], 94, en-US, 277203364, Sorghum grain is 72% carbohydrates including 7% dietary fiber, 11% protein, 3% fat, and 12% water (table). In a reference amount of {{convert|100|g}}, sorghum grain supplies 79 calories and rich contents (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of several B vitamins and dietary minerals (table).In the early stages of plant growth, some sorghum species may contain levels of hydrogen cyanide, hordenine, and nitrates lethal to grazing animals.WEB, Sorghum,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191002184304weblink">weblink 2019-10-02, 2018-10-15, Agriculture Victoria, Victoria, Australia, Plants stressed by drought or heat can also contain toxic levels of cyanide and nitrates at later stages in growth.WEB, 7 November 2018, Cyanide (prussic acid) and nitrate in sorghum crops,weblink 2021-05-13, Queensland Government, Primary Industries and Fisheries,

Use

Sorghum is widely used for food and animal fodder. It is also used to make alcoholic beverages, and biofuels such as ethanol. It can be made into couscous, porridge, or flatbreads such as Indian Jōḷada roṭṭi or tortillas; and it can be burst in hot oil to make a popcorn, smaller than that of maize. Since it does not contain gluten, it can be used in gluten-free diets.NEWS, Saner, Emine, From porridge to popcorn: how to cook with the ancient grain sorghum,weblink The Guardian, 24 May 2021, In Nigeria, the pulverized red leaf-sheaths of sorghum have been used to dye leather, while in Algeria, sorghum has been used to dye wool.JOURNAL, Dalziel, J.M., African Leather Dyes, Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, 6, 1926, 6, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 230, 10.2307/4118651, 4118651, In South Africa, characteristically sour Kaffir beer is made from sorghum or millet. The process involves souring the mashed grain with lactic acid bacteria, followed by fermenting by the wild yeasts that were on the grain.JOURNAL, Van Der Walt, J. P., Kaffircorn malting and brewing studies. II.—Studies on the microbiology of Kaffir beer, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 7, 2, 1956, 0022-5142, 10.1002/jsfa.2740070203, 105–113, 1956JSFA....7..105V, In India, the panicle stalks are used as bristles for brooms.{{Citation |last1=Hariprasanna |first1=K. |title=Sorghum: Origin, Classification, Biology and Improvement |date=2015 |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-81-322-2422-8_1 |work=Sorghum Molecular Breeding |pages=3–20 |editor-last=Madhusudhana |editor-first=R. |place=New Delhi |publisher=Springer India |doi=10.1007/978-81-322-2422-8_1 |isbn=978-81-322-2421-1 |last2=Patil |first2=J. V. |editor2-last=Rajendrakumar |editor2-first=P. |editor3-last=Patil |editor3-first=J.V.}} In countries including the US, the stalks of sweet sorghum varieties are crushed in a cane juicer to extract the sweet molasses-like juice. The juice is sold as syrup,NEWS, Rapuano, Rina, Sorghum Travels From The South To The Mainstream,weblink NPR.org, 12 September 2012, en, Bitzer, Morris. Sweet Sorghum for Syrup. Publication. N.p.: U of Kentucky, 2002. Web. 22 May 2014. Curtin, Leo V. MOLASSES - GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. Publication. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and University of Florida, n.d. Web. 22 May 2014.