Sweet Sorghum for Commercial Animal Feeds

Slowly the vehicles snaked into the furthest side of his farm. In the mudDy sticky black cotton soils, only the 4x4 wheel drive vehicles could manage. Out of the vehicles, one of my coleagues shouted, if you do not have 4x4 shoes, please remain in the vehicle. On sight is hactares of sorghum and immediately ask “ what do you do to the bords.” Let them eat i need the stems more, i plant for animal feed,” says Stuart Barden

Sweet sorghum, because of its high yields and high sugar content, has attracted great attention as feedstuff and energy crop. Of all usages, sweet sorghum stalks are mainly ensiled or directly used as animal feed. Ensiling is a process of solid state fermentation by mixed bacteria of nature; however, the silage obtained has low protein content (4-8%) with poor palatability. Great attempts on microbial fermentation have been made to enhance protein content in agricultural straw for poultry feed.

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A Grower Out to Change Kenya’s Growing Habits

The hardworking Stuart was busy checking his wheat, when we visited him. When we joined him, he was ready to take us for a field visit. To start us off, we visited the wheat plantation, then headed to the chick peas, thereafter we visited the sorghum plantation and lastly the green grams.

It was awesome taking a look at all those especially when he decided to cut a stem of sweet forage sorghum and gave us to have a taste of the sugar. For sure, the quality cereals promised a good harvest.

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DETECT EARLY, SAVE YOUR CASH

Stem rust can affect wheat, barley, triticale and many other related grasses. It is found wherever cereals are grown.

Cereal diseases are a big challenge to the farmers, so they ought to be keen on their farm so as to know the progress of their crops and in case of any disease, how they should deal with it. Once the farmer has traced any disease, they need to get the best solution as soon as possible, to reduce the effects of the disease.

A growth stage key provides a common reference for describing the crop’s development, as to implement agronomic decisions based on a common understanding of which stage the crop has reached. The most commonly used growth stage key for cereals is the: Zadoks Decimal Code, which splits the development of a cereal plant into 10 distinct phases of development and 100 individual growth stages. It allows the plant to be accurately described at every stage in its life cycle by a precise numbered growth stage (denoted with the prefix GS or Z e.g. GS39 or Z39)

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Olerai Field Day

Lives to its Expectation

They came by foot, bicycles, motorcycles, cars and heavy machinery. Even the muddy soils could not stop them. All in need to exchange ideas during the Olerrai field day. It is no gain saying that cereal famers play a major role in Kenya’s economy.

Cereal growers from different parts of the country gathered at Olerai field to participate in a one day event organized by Cereal Growers Association and sponsored by Bayer Cropscience. Suppliers had created makeshift offices in their exhibition stands and growers had the opportunity to gather new agro-knowledge, buy or order inputs and exchange knowledge with them. “Farmers are the backbone of our economy as Kenyans”, said Mr. Anthony Songoro, Marketing Manager Bayer Agrosciencies, the sponsors. Adding, ‘’this is why we have left our offices today to mingle with them”.

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