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Purdue field day to feature research on sorghum’s value as a forage crop

Purdue University Extension will host a Forage Sorghum Field Day on Sept. 10 at the Feldun-Purdue Ag Center (FPAC) in Bedford, Indiana.

“Compared to corn, forage sorghum has attributes of being more drought tolerant, has less nitrogen requirements and no host relationship with the tar spot pathogen,” said Keith Johnson, Purdue professor of agronomy. “We will discuss its production and utilization for silage, grazing and as a standing winter feed source in a winter lot.” 

Attendees also will have the opportunity to learn about forage sorghum research from agronomy experts such as Mitch Tuinstra, Wickersham Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Research and scientific director of the Institute for Plant Sciences at Purdue. He will share plant breeding techniques that improve sorghum yield and quality.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about forage sorghum research from agronomy experts including Mitch Tuinstra, Wickersham Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Research and scientific director of the Institute for Plant Sciences at Purdue. (Photo provided by Keith Johnson) Download imageOther speakers will include Brad Shelton, FPAC superintendent; Jason Tower, Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center superintendent; Nick Minton, Purdue Extension beef systems specialist; and Jeff Jackson, Croplan alfalfa and forage specialist. 

Venue tours will be available from 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Dinner and a bull test station tour will be available from 5-6 p.m. 

Participants should register by Sept. 5. Contact Brad Shelton, FPAC superintendent, at sheltonb@purdue.edu. Those with questions or accessibility needs can contact Johnson at johnsonk@purdue.edu.

About Purdue Agriculture

Purdue University’s College of Agriculture is one of the world’s leading colleges of agricultural, food, life and natural resource sciences. The college is committed to preparing students to make a difference in whatever careers they pursue; stretching the frontiers of science to discover solutions to some of our most pressing global, regional and local challenges; and, through Purdue Extension and other engagement programs, educating the people of Indiana, the nation and the world to improve their lives and livelihoods. To learn more about Purdue Agriculture, visit this site.

About Purdue University  

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

Writer: Ashvini Malshe, malshea@purdue.edu, 765-496-7480

Sources: Keith Johnson, johnsonk@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu, 765-494-8415

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