Crop details

Sorghum

Sorghum bicolor

Family: Poaceae

Quick stats

Family	Poaceae
Typical harvest	3.2 t/ha
Varieties	3
Pests & diseases	6
Seasons	3

Crop profile

Growth habit	annual
Days to harvest	100
Main uses	Food grain (for ugali and porridge), animal feed, fodder and silage
Pollination	self
Origin / where it grows	Sorghum (mtama) is widely grown in dry and semi-dry areas of East Africa as a drought-tolerant cereal.

Weather, soil & spacing

Best temperature	24–32 °C
Rainfall	400–800 mm/yr
Altitude	0–1800 m
Best pH	5.5–7.5
Soil type	Wide range; best in well-drained soils
Row spacing	60 cm
Plant spacing	20 cm
Planting depth	3 cm
Seed rate	8 kg/ha
Nursery days	—

Simple notes for farmers

About the crop: This crop is annual. You plant, grow and harvest it in one main season, then plant again. You can normally start harvesting about 100 days after planting, depending on care and variety.

Main use: Farmers mostly grow this crop for food grain (for ugali and porridge), animal feed, fodder and silage.

Pollination: This crop is mainly pollinated by self. Keeping flowers healthy and having insects like bees in the field helps improve fruit set and yields.

Where it grows: Sorghum (mtama) is widely grown in dry and semi-dry areas of East Africa as a drought-tolerant cereal.

Best climate: This crop does well in warm areas where the temperature is usually between 24 and 32 degrees Celsius. It prefers places that receive around 400 to 800 millimetres of rain in a year. It can grow from near sea level up to about 1800 metres above sea level.

Soil: The crop grows best in slightly acidic to near neutral soils, with a pH of about 5.5 to 7.5. Choose a fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid places where water stands for long periods.

Plant spacing: Plant in rows about 60 centimetres apart, and leave about 20 centimetres between plants in the row. This gives each plant enough space for roots and canopy to spread.

Planting depth: Dig planting holes or furrows about 3 centimetres deep so the roots sit firmly in the soil but are not buried too deep.

Seed or planting material: Use around 8 kilograms of seed or planting material per hectare. Spread or plant evenly so the field has a good stand without being overcrowded.

Farmer guide (mwongozo wa mkulima)

Planting: Plant Sorghum (mtama) at the start of the rains. Put 2–3 seeds per hole, about a short finger deep, then thin to 1–2 plants when they reach 2–3 leaves.

Transplanting: Sorghum (mtama) is usually planted directly in the field, not transplanted.

Irrigation: Sorghum (mtama) is drought tolerant but still needs moisture at germination, tillering and head filling. Avoid long dry spells at flowering.

Fertigation: With drip, give small amounts of fertilizer many times instead of one big dose, especially nitrogen.

Pest scouting: Check weekly for shoot fly, stem borers and head pests. Look for dead hearts in young plants and damage on the panicle (head).

Pruning: Keep weeds low, especially early. Excessive tillers can be removed if plants are too crowded.

Harvest: Harvest when heads turn brown and grains are hard. For fodder, cut when grains are at soft to firm dough stage.

Postharvest: Cut heads, dry them on clean mats or platforms, thresh when dry, then store grain in dry, airtight bags or silos.

Nutrient schedule (mbolea kwa hatua)

#	Stage	DAP	Product	Rate	Targets (kg/ha)	Notes
1	Basal at planting	0	DAP 18-46-0 or similar P fertilizer	70 kg/ha	N: 13, P₂O₅: 32, K₂O: 0	Place fertilizer a short distance from the Sorghum (mtama) seed and cover with soil.
2	Early topdress (tillering)	21	CAN 26% N or urea	60 kg/ha	N: 16, P₂O₅: 0, K₂O: 0	Apply when plants have 4–5 leaves; keep fertilizer away from the stem.
3	Late topdress (pre-heading)	35	Urea 46% N (where rainfall is reliable)	40 kg/ha	N: 18, P₂O₅: 0, K₂O: 0	Apply before panicles appear and when soil is moist.

Nutrient requirements

Nutrient	Stage	Amount	Unit
N	Basal	30	kg/ha
P₂O₅	Basal	25	kg/ha
K₂O	Basal	20	kg/ha
N	Topdress_early	25	kg/ha
P₂O₅	Topdress_early	0	kg/ha
K₂O	Topdress_early	10	kg/ha
N	Topdress_late	15	kg/ha
P₂O₅	Topdress_late	0	kg/ha
K₂O	Topdress_late	10	kg/ha

Name	Country	Maturity	Traits
Serena	KE	95	Early maturing Sorghum (mtama), drought tolerant, suitable for low rainfall areas.
Seredo	KE	105	Good grain and fodder, adapted to semi-arid zones.
Gadam	KE	90	Sweet stalk Sorghum (mtama), good for grain and fodder.

Stage	Product	Rate (kg/ha)	Notes
Basal	DAP 18-46-0	70	Supplies phosphorus and some nitrogen at planting.
Topdress (tillering)	CAN 26% N	60	Apply when Sorghum (mtama) plants are 3–4 weeks old.
Topdress (pre-heading)	Urea 46% N	40	Apply when rain is expected so it can dissolve into the soil.

Name	Type	Symptoms	Management
Sorghum shoot fly	pest	Central shoot dries up and forms a “dead heart”; many tillers grow but do not form heads.	Plant Sorghum (mtama) early with the rains, use recommended seed treatments and avoid very late planting.
Stem borers	pest	Shot holes on leaves, dead hearts in young plants, tunneling in stems and weak or broken stems.	Destroy crop residues, rotate crops and use tolerant varieties where available.
Head bugs and midges	pest	Poor grain set, empty or partly filled heads, shriveled grains.	Plant Sorghum (mtama) early and uniformly, use tolerant varieties and harvest promptly.
Bird damage	pest	Grains pecked on top of the panicle, scattered grain on the ground.	Use bird scaring, synchronized planting and early-maturing varieties where bird pressure is high.
Sorghum anthracnose and leaf spots	disease	Dark spots on leaves and panicles, sometimes with reddish borders; premature drying.	Use resistant Sorghum (mtama) varieties, remove crop residues and rotate with non-cereal crops.
Smut diseases	disease	Black, powdery masses replacing grains or entire heads.	Plant clean, treated seed and use resistant varieties.

System	Typical	Min	Max	Notes
Smallholder rainfed (low input)	1.5	0.8	2.5	Local seed, little or no fertilizer, basic weeding.
Smallholder rainfed (improved management)	3	1.8	4	Improved Sorghum (mtama) varieties, recommended fertilizer and good weed control.
Irrigated / high input	5	3.5	6.5	Good varieties, irrigation and well-timed fertilizer and pest control.

Country	Region	Planting	Harvest
KE	Semi-arid lowlands (long rains)	Mar–Apr	Jul–Aug
KE	Semi-arid lowlands (short rains)	Oct–Nov	Feb–Mar
TZ	Central and northern semi-arid zones	Dec–Jan	May–Jun

Country	Region	Suitability
KE	ASAL (arid and semi-arid lands)	High
KE	High rainfall highlands	Low
KE	Lower eastern and coastal drylands	High
TZ	Central semi-arid plateau	High
UG	Dry cattle corridor areas	Medium