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Herbicide resistant grain sorghum could be available by 2011By Doug Rich "Agricultural Solutions to Global Change" was the theme for the 2008 Kansas State University Agronomy Field Day. The field day was held August 22 at the North Farm in Manhattan, Kan. Visitors could choose presentations on bioenergy production systems, greenhouse gases and climate, water quantity and quality, or no-till cropping systems. Mike Stamm, an assistant agronomist who coordinates a joint canola breeding and management program between K-State and Oklahoma State University, discussed the potential of winter canola in crop rotations. Stamm said canola has potential for south-central Kansas where continuous wheat is a common practice. "Canola is a broadleaf crop that fits naturally into a crop rotation with wheat," Stamm said. Stamm said crop rotation improves the yield and quality of winter wheat where it has been grown continuously. Because canola is a broadleaf crop, it gives producers an opportunity to control winter annual grassy weed species such as cheat, downy brome, Italian ryegrass, jointed goat grass, rescue grass, and feral rye. Wheat producers can use the same equipment to plant and harvest canola. Canola residue decays quickly, leaving a mellow seedbed for the next crop. The remaining crop residue is very similar to that left over from soybean production. Stamm said canola can be very effective in a crop rotation but should not be planted continuously. He added that canola is a more management intensive crop than winter wheat. On-going research projects are looking at how often canola can be used in a rotation.
Sunflower options Stu Duncan, Northeast Area Extension Specialist, discussed using sunflowers in a summer crop rotation with wheat. Sunflowers are an option in crop rotations primarily in western Kansas, although sunflowers have been grown successfully all across the state. "The best thing you can put in a sunflower field is your footprint and your shadow," Duncan said. Producers need to scout their fields for sunflower head moth and stem weevil. Increased use of no-till farming practices has increased the amount of stem weevil damage in recent years. Sunflowers send roots deep into the soil searching for moisture and nutrients. Duncan said sunflowers will mine the soil for moisture so producers might think about a fallow period after sunflower production. New weed control technologies are making sunflowers an attractive option for many producers. Duncan said for broadleaf weed control producers can use Clearfield or ExpressSun sunflower hybrids. Sparta with either Prowl H2O or Dual Magnum can be used for weed control on heavier soils. The no-till cropping systems tour also included an update on the development of herbicide-resistant grain sorghum. Dr. Kassim Al-Khatib, K-State professor of weed physiology, reviewed their progress in developing acetolactate synthase (ALS)-tolerant sorghum varieties. Al-Khatib said they should have seeds on the market for Steadfast and Resolve tolerant sorghum varieties by 2011. Sorghum varieties tolerant to Assure should be ready by 2011, also. DuPont Crop Science will help market this new technology. Double-stacked traits for grain sorghum could be available by 2013. ALS-tolerant traits will enable the use of unique chemistry in grain sorghum, according to Al-Khatib. "This technology will provide a new tool for managing weeds in grain sorghum," Al-Khatib said.
Warm-season grasses On the bioenergy production systems tour, Walter Fick, associate professor of range management, walked visitors through the warm-season grass test plots on the North Farm. Switch grass gets most of the attention when it comes to biomass ethanol production, but there are other perennial warm-season grasses that can be grown in Kansas. Giant Chinese silver grass is a warm-season perennial species introduced from Africa and southern Asia. It can capture 33 percent more carbon than switch grass and produce over twice as much ethanol, according to Fick. The drawback is that it is hard to get established. Giant Chinese silver grass is a sterile hybrid formed by crossing M. sinenisis and M. sacchariflorus, which means stands must be established by planting rhizomes. This plant can grow to 13 feet tall and studies done in Illinois showed it can produce up to 15 tons per acre. Eastern gamagrass is another warm-season perennial that could be grown in Kansas. It is a distant relative of corn and that can grow to 8 feet tall.
Stover as energy Corn stover, forage sorghum, photoperiod sensitive sorghum, and sweet sorghum are being studied for biomass and ethanol yields. Scott Staggenborg, K-State agronomy professor, said they are doing a direct comparison of row crops versus bioenergy crops. Based on 2007 yield results from Manhattan, Kan., corn stover plus grain could yield up to 1,426 gallons of ethanol per acre, forage sorghum could yield 1,182 gallons per acre, photoperiod sensitive sorghum could yield 1,125 gallons per acre, and sweet sorghum could yield 1,240 gallons per acre. These results assume a 70 percent stover harvest. Staggenborg said using corn as a cellulosic crop has some real logistical issues. The main issue is how to separate and harvest the seed and the residue. "That is not a problem with sweet sorghum because it is all leaves and stems," Staggenborg said. Sweet sorghum is very similar to forage or grain sorghum, except that it accumulates more sugar in the stems, much like sugarcane. Dr. Donghai Wang, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering, said the commercial application of ethanol production from biomass is still three to four years away.
Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. 9/8/08 Date: 9/4/08
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