Sorghum is an important crop species in the United States and around the world. Sorghum is a high biomass grass in the botanical tribe, Andropogoneae. The end uses of sorghum are varied such as cereal grain, forage, syrup and more recently as bioenergy production.
It was suggested that the first sweet sorghum introduction was Chinese Amber which was introduced into the United States from France in 1853.
In about 1857, 16 cultivars of sorghum were brought to the United States from Natal.
Early sorghum development in North America involved natural hybridization.
Deliberate hybridization followed soon thereafter, with some of the earliest crosses being made in 1914.
The first improved cultivar of sorghum is attributed to H. Willets Smith in 1916 who farmed near Garden City, Kansas. Smith selected uniform strains of sorghum from a chance hybridization of kafir and milo types.
This was followed with the development of extensive hybridization programs.
Sorghum ranks fourth among grain crops in the United States, behind maize, soybean and wheat in total production.
Sorghum stems and foliage are used for pasture, green chop or hay, and silage; plant bases are used for fuel for cooking and stems are used o make basket and fish traps.
Sorghum in United States
