Background on grain sorghum usage

Abstract

Sorghum acreage increased significantly as a result of hybridization of the crop in the 1950s. This increase brought the cattle feeding industry to the High Plains; however, demand for the crop in this industry waned, and acres fell significantly due to unfavorable shifts in federal policy. The rise of the modern ethanol industry led to a resurgence in demand for sorghum and a subsequent increase in acres, and the interest generated by these occurrences led to greater interest in other end-uses such as food manufacturing. Sustainability is important to both these industries, so sorghum offers both significant benefits through its low water requirements and small carbon footprint.