Sorghum

Growing sorghum and sorghum syrup/sorghum molasses.

=**Sorghum**= In the 17th century Africans brought sorghum to the US from Africa when they were captured and brought to America as slaves.

Sorghum needs adequate soil moisture, deep and permable soil and space for roots to develop. The root space is needed because it produces many roots. It's short growing cycle is around ninty days long and it's long growing cycle is a bout 130 days long. It's best grown where maize can't grow. Such areas are dry and hot. Much sorghum is grown between forty degrees north of the equator and forty degrees south of the equator. Sorghum is grown in sixty-six countries, though, but the United States is the top sorghum producer. If grown, sorghum can enhance soil life and it can be grown for weed suppression. Baby sorghum has a risk towards grazing animals. If a grazing animal eats young sorghum, it can die. This is because baby sorghum may contain levels of cyanide and nitrate. Many sorghum races come from Africa. More random growing facts: Sorghum can survive drought, but it is frost sensitive and in good growing conditions, naturally watered sorghum should receive eighty to 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre.

Sorghum is an important part of the U.S. economy, it is used for animal fodder, alcohol production, grain and sorgum molasses. The U.S. is the number one sorgum producer in the world. Sorgum stalks can be reclaimed and used for decorative milkwork material called kirei board. Sorghum fibers can be used to make fake walls.

Cornell scientists genetically modified sorghum to resist aluminum toxticity. Aluminum toxicity affects fifty percent of the land where plants can grow. It destroys the plants roots and plants can’t grow there, so they cloned an aluminum tolerant gene into sorghum.

http://www.sorghumgrowers.com/whatis.htm

http://www.icrisat.org/text/coolstuff/crops/gcrops2.htmlhttp://www.icrisat.org/text/coolstuff/crops/gcrops2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorghum