Milo/sorghum

[KEOutdoors]

Going to put in a plot of sorghum this spring, going to plant it thick for cover and winter food not for hunting (although it may get walked a couple times). Going to drill it in after burn down, and would like to use a pre emerg as well (probably dual2). What varieties would you guys suggest?

 

[M. R. Byrd]

I don't know your location. I posted on the "Millet" thread about a food plot mix I used this year. I like the mix of milo, plus the taller canes and millets in that mix. I would check with the extension office in your area for the planting rates. If it is planted too thick and the moisture isn't there then there will not be good grain production. Here at the Ponderosa the annual rainfall is 17.50", but this year was a very wet year. I planted with a Great Plains No Till drill with 7.5" spacing. It is hard to get the drill closed down enough to plant the population that I like and I should have taken time to block every other drop to get 15" spacing, but again the wet year saved me. The mix I used had 14% sunflowers which was useless since those seeds can't go through the drill without being damaged, thus no sunflowers succeeded. It would be great for a broadcast application.
Good luck with you plans.

 

[WDH]

I suggest you find a local seed dealer/agronomist. They would be able to recommend different varieties, seeding rates, mixes, maturity dates, seeding rates and such, that will work for your location. They will be able to provide info for the pre-emergence chemicals and rates too. What works for me here in South Dakota might not work for your location.

 

[remy3424]

I am thinking KEO is an Iowa fella. I called one of the local Coop agronomy guys for some input on fertilizer for our grain sorghum foot plots....he was out of his element with that. The only sorghum I have seen in Iowa has been in foot plots. If it weren't for PF, I am not sure where I would go for seed....online I am guessing. Their seed is left over from down south I have heard, so I try to it plant somewhat early here in Iowa. I would guess they have "round-up ready" seed now, that would be nice.

 

[M. R. Byrd]

I recommend a call to Star Seed. They can advise you of seed choices. They have seed mixes that are not listed on their website. I have used them for years and they are my go to guys for both CRP grass mixes and food plot seed.
gostarseed.com
There are "safened" seed options for milo seed that are specific to certain herbicides, such as Dual Magnum. I personally have never used them for food plots, but one could. I don't mind annual weeds in my plots as they are good bird food. I do minimize ground disturbance through no till. The more you disturb the soil, the more seeds you wake up in the seed bank. I have sometimes done a light discing to wake up the seed bank, then when after the germination happens do a burn down, then use the no till drill to plant the food plot.
For grain production one needs to match the population with the expected rainfall. I have attached a chart. Planting too thick will cause the grain yield to suffer.
I never have planted corn for food plots mainly because milo provides better vegetative cover at ground level. Also corn really can get browsed hard by deer. Milo should have less browse pressure from deer and some varieties have an even lower browse potential.
I personally like a mix of milo and small grains like millets. The mix I used last year from Star Seed had that plus tall forage sorghum(Atlas and Ellis).
In past years I have use Egyptian wheat(a tall grain sorghum) for travel lanes for deer. It will get 8-10 tall and provides a nice screen for that purpose. It is a very fine stocked tall grain sorghum that will buckle the heads to the ground with some snowfall.
Let us know what works for you.