Sorghum Checkoff Quarterly Activity Report January-March 2015

January Seven Years of Success Accomplishments Booklet A new resource titled Seven Years of Success was revealed in January highlighting Sorghum Checkoff impacts since its inception in 2008. The document features everything from sorghum genetic achievements and market successes to grower education programs. Click here to view the document. Sorghum Exports Surpass 13/14 Marketing Year Totals Exports for the 14/15 marketing year, which began Sept. 1, 2014, have reached 237.4 million bushels (6 million MMT) during the week of Jan. 9, 2015, quickly surpassing the 13/14 marketing year totals. The last time U.S. sorghum exports were above 6 MMT was during the 07/08 marketing year when the European Union was a market contender. While the export market has potential to continue growing, it is going to become increasingly difficult as supply tightens. These market totals represent a 19-year high and are lending to improved basis. Sorghum U Approximately 150 participates eagerly attended the first 2015 Sorghum U event in Salina, Kan., Jan. 6, 2015. The event included a farmer panel, breakout sessions covering agronomic practices, regional marketing and more as well as a Farm Bill update. Market demand from China was a hot ticket item in conversation and served as a positive backdrop throughout the day. At least one producer communicated his interest in being part of the next Leadership class. Another immediately asked for assistance in tapping the white milo market. Early indications suggest the event was a resounding success. The Enid, Okla., Sorghum U took place Jan. 9, 2015, and had nearly 100 individuals in attendance. The event featured weed management, management for top profits and yields, regional marketing as well as a Farm Bill update. Growers were attentive and asked numerous questions. Central Texas Pioneer Crop Shop Seminar Shelee Padgett participated in the Central Texas Pioneer Crop Shop seminar. Each area manager hosts dealers and producers from their respective region and discuss new company product lines as well as current hot topics in preparation for planting. Approximately 50 farmers were in attendance from across central Texas. Sorghum was highlighted throughout the program. Dr. Gordon Smith takes Position at Kansas State University Dr. Gordon Smith accepted the position as department head of the Kansas State University Department of Grain Science and Industry in January. Dr. Smith fully transitioned into the new

role in February. The Sorghum Checkoff would like to express gratitude for the leadership of Dr. Dirk Maier who will continue on as a faculty member at Kansas State. Sorghum Checkoff Food Booth The new Sorghum Checkoff food booth is completed and ready for use at checkoff-related functions. The booth was designed by McCormick. The Sorghum Checkoff board was given the opportunity to see the booth at the December board meeting and to taste food products containing sorghum. It is expected the booth will be widely used at numerous tradeshows in 2015 with the potential to reach a cumulative audience of nearly 75,000 individuals. Cooperative Branding The Sorghum the Smart Choice logo was featured on renowned nutritionist Lauren Pincus' (RDN) website, in January 2015. The featured logo directly linked back to nutritional content on the Sorghum Checkoff website. The logo continues to be displayed on Registered Dietician Jane Dummer's website to promote sorghum's health benefits. Efforts in China Doug Bice, KSU researchers Bob Goodband Ph.D., Charles Stark Ph.D. and Scott Beyer Ph.D., and Texas Grain Sorghum Association and U.S. Grains Council representatives conducted two seminars for more than 250 attendees in Southeast China Jan. 11-17, 2015. The presentations addressed all aspects of export logistics, U.S. supply and demand and the latest research associated with sorghum in livestock feed for the swine, poultry and processing operations, which are key markets and issues for China. Key aspects of the presentations included nutritional and quality benefits of using sorghum in feed rations based on crude protein, amino acid profiles, available phosphorous and linoleic acid. Environmental benefits based on more efficient use of nitrogen within livestock formulations were also presented. Additionally, particle sizing and other processing considerations using sorghum along with dispelling misconceptions about tannin levels in U.S. sorghum were pertinent issues for the audience. The other important component of the roadshow involved first-hand conversations with end-users, processors, merchandisers, traders and government officials regarding sorghum usage, benefits, and market conditions. Entities involved in the presentations included Guandong Chiati Conti, Ltd – Feedmill, Guandong Jun Jie Agriculture Trading Co., Ltd, AQCIQ Regulatory Agency, Liangqi Farm, Swine Industry Association, JCI, Nidera, ADM, Bunge and Cargill. Feedback from all meetings was positive. Aside from competitive pricing for imported sorghum, it was also revealed by Chinese representatives that sorghum improved digestibility for swine and that its reduced incidence of mycotoxins were significant factors in their decision for its use. Inclusion rates for sorghum in swine diets have increased 25 to 50 percent from the initial formulations for many swine operations. Trading entities projected Chinese sorghum imports for the current marketing year would range from 7.4 MMT to 8 MMT (292 MBU to 316 MBU).

These efforts were coordinated by USGC Chinese Director Bryan Lohmar, and he has requested the Sorghum Checkoff to participate in the Food China and JCI Trade Conference in late March. Click here to read more. Texas Alliance for Water Conservation John Duff and National Sorghum Producer's Information Director Ian Hoeffner attended the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation’s inaugural Water College in Lubbock Jan. 21, 2015. The Sorghum Checkoff joined Cotton Incorporated, Eco-Drip, DuPont Pioneer and Bayer CropScience’s new e3TM sustainable cotton program as a platinum sponsor. Texas Grain Sorghum Producers was also a sponsor and attended the event, which featured presentations on water management for several crops, including sorghum. Duff and Hoeffner reported good attendance and good traffic at the sorghum booth. Continuing Key Relationships in Renewables Staff continues to remain engaged with key ethanol plants amid historically high basis and tight supplies. During the second week of January, the checkoff facilitated a conference call with AgMark, a north central Kansas grain company, and individuals in the California ethanol industry. While there is recognition that current basis and grain supply makes it unrealistic to ship sorghum to California, there is a continued commitment from all parties to maintain their relationship and look for future market opportunities. Regional Director Sarah Sexton-Bowser sat down with Pratt Energy to discuss how the ethanol industry can send supply signals to farmers to plant additional sorghum acres. Pratt Energy agreed to pursue a pilot program for an acre contract this year. The ongoing relationship with Pratt Energy is the product of several staff, including Kansas field staff, Renewable Director John Duff and board director Martin Kerschen. Sorghum Checkoff Meetings in Washington DC Several meetings were held the week of Jan. 19, 2015 in Washington, D.C., where Sorghum Checkoff staff met with governmental agencies including EPA, USDA-APHIS and USDA-ARS. The primary purpose of these meetings was to facilitate a strong working relationship with these agencies as it relates to seed and chemical innovation in sorghum. Each of these groups play a critical role in the development and outreach of new technologies not only for sorghum farmers, but for American agriculture. Tim Lust, Florentino Lopez, Justin Weinheimer and two Sorghum Checkoff consultants were among the sorghum representation. Staff will continue providing information and building strong relationships with these agencies. 2015 Nebraska Sorghum Symposium The 2015 Nebraska Sorghum symposium was held in Grand Island, Neb., Jan. 22, 2015. There were approximately 80 individuals in attendance. The Sorghum Checkoff was a major sponsor and regional director Jesse McCurry was the keynote speaker. There was significant interest in demand and niche markets. Growers were very curious about technology and the strength of China long-term. There was also excitement about media including Mike Baker's contribution in the Wall Street Journal article. View McCurry's interviews on KRVN and AgView.

Sorghum U Sorghum U took place in Perryton, Texas, Jan. 28, 2015 at Frank Phillips College. This event wrapped up the Sorghum Checkoff Sorghum U tour for 2015. The presentations were given in a breakout format and focus on agronomics, economics, marketing and irrigation practices. Sessions on the farm bill and controlling aphids were also included. Sorghum in the Spotlight Sorghum has recently made a splash in the media. Check out these stories:

U.S. Farmers Scramble to Supply Latest Hot Crop: Sorghum - Wall Street Journal

Demand from China helps sorghum exports - Midwest Producer

Demand for Sorghum at an All-Time-High, Supply Needed - Sorghum Stories and High

Plains Journal

February Leadership Sorghum Travels to Washington, DC Participants of the second Leadership Sorghum class travelled to Washington, D.C., during the first week of February. The goal of their third session was to gain an education of the government's role in sorghum, checkoff programs and interest organizations. While on the trip, the class visited Capitol Hill and met with representatives from AMS, EPA, USDA, NIFA, USGC and the Heritage Foundation. Their next session will take place in Houston, Texas, where they will gain insight of the export market. 2015 Sorghum U Wrap Up Sorghum U was a great success this year with more than 300 growers in attendance across all three locations, including Salina, Kansas, Enid, Oklahoma, and Perryton, Texas. During the events, growers were provided a multitude of information to assist them in making sorghum more profitable. For more information about Sorghum U and to access 2015 presentation materials, click here. Dalton feature for Center for Sorghum Improvement Seminar Tim Dalton Ph.D. provided the feature program for February’s Center for Sorghum Improvement Seminar Feb. 2, 2015. Dr. Dalton highlighted the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sorghum and Millet. The lab was established in July 2013. The initiative focuses on sorghum and pearl millet improvement, production systems management and value-added product development, and is being conducted in Senegal, Niger and Ethiopia in conjunction with U.S. universities and the USDA. Meetings During Kansas Classic Event During the week of Feb. 2, 2015 both the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission and the Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association held board meetings. The commission set 2015 research proposal priorities, which include weed control, yield, standability, sorghum economics and profitability, disease control and insect control. The association’s meeting welcomed two new

board members, Lance Russell and Craig Poore, and re-elected Kelly Miller and Kent Winter. Poore, Miller and Winter were elected to fill three-year terms and Russell was appointed by the board to fill an unexpired term. Not running for re-election and recognized for their service were Ted Birtell and Mark Myers. Birtell served as a board member for 20 years and Myers for 27 years. Managing Crop Strategies and Farm Profitability in 2015 The Managing Crop Strategies and Farm Profitability in 2015 event hosted by Murphy Brown, was held in Raleigh, North Carolina, Feb. 4, 2015. Approximately 100 producers were in attendance, in addition to representatives from Murphy Brown’s MB Grain, the Sorghum Checkoff, seed companies, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and others. Ron Heiniger P.h.D., with North Carolina State University gave an enthusiastic and encouraging presentation on production management for maximum profits for sorghum production. Growers attending the event showed a high level of motivation and interest to produce grain sorghum within their crop rotation. Understanding that Murphy-Brown is a major sorghum marketing opportunity for the region, producers also inquired with the Sorghum Checkoff about what additional market opportunities are or could be available. During the producer panel, the biggest challenges echoed by each of the producers on the panel included: proper timing and application of fungicides, correct hybrid selection due to limited data available specific to the region, and the proper handling and storage of grain sorghum. Chromatin Research and Development Team Moves to Lubbock Tim Lust and Justin Weinheimer attended a ribbon cutting Feb. 11, 2015 held by Texas Tech University to welcome Chromatin as the first tenant of the Texas Tech University Innovation Hub and Research Park. This will bring Chromatin's industry-leading sorghum research program to the South Plains region. Students and faculty of the Texas Tech College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources will have the opportunity to interact with Chromatin scientists to not only improve the crop but also advance basic and applied sciences in plant and animal agriculture. Kansas State Sorghum Schools Host nearly 250 Growers Farmers attended Kansas State Sorghum Schools during the second week of February in Garden City, Oakley, Hutchinson and Ottawa. The schools, underwritten by the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission and organized by Ignancio Ciampitti Ph.D., highlighted information for sorghum producers from economics to agronomics. The Sorghum Checkoff was a marketing sponsor for the schools. Staff attending the event reflected on the high energy among farmers regarding their sorghum planting prospects. Sweet Sorghum Conference Doug Bice attended and presented at the Sweet Sorghum Association Conference in Orlando, Florida, Jan.22-23, 2015. Bice's presentation covered potential overlap opportunities for SSA in

the food sector and promotional efforts of the Sorghum Checkoff. Several groups in attendance provided product samples to be displayed at exhibits with the Sorghum Checkoff food booth. Indiana Sorghum Growers Doug Bice and Brent Crafton attended a co-op meeting with farmers in Poseyville, Indiana in February. Current and prospective sorghum farmers from the area were in attendance as well as four representatives from Cargill merchandising operations. Presentations were made on behalf of the Sorghum Checkoff and Cargill promoting sorghum as a primary crop. Issues related to seeding, planting and harvesting were addressed by sorghum farmers, in addition to how to be successful with all facets of sorghum. Based on conversations with farmers, it appears that at least 2,000 acres from the surrounding area will be dedicated to sorghum that had not been previously. Administrative Management Review The Sorghum Checkoff received a final report from the administrative management review conducted by the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Compliance and Analysis Program as well as Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program staff in August 2014. The report concluded there were no reportable findings, and required no additional action by the Sorghum Checkoff Board. The administrative review is a concise review of the program to verify the program is working within the scope of the Act and Order. Sorghum on Nutrition Starring YOU Website The smart choice logo and graphic promoting grain sorghum was present on the Nutrition Starring You website throughout February. This is an interactive online service that helps consumers make conscious decisions about eating healthy. It is exciting to see grain sorghum making an appearance on websites such as this. To find the website please follow the link: nutritionstarringyou.com. South Texas Update Planters were rolling in the Rio Grande Valley in mid-February. According to the Texas AgriLife Extension Agency, soil moisture was 100 percent adequate in Cameron and Hidalgo counties and 60 to 80 percent short in Starr County. Willacy County had 50 percent adequate subsoil and 65 percent surplus topsoil moisture, which limited fieldwork. Producers were planting grain sorghum, corn and sunflowers. In the Coastal Bend of Texas, producers were preparing for planting as fields started to dry out. However, most were still too wet for fieldwork. In some areas, conditions allowed for corn planting. Aerial spraying was going strong as farmers in some areas tried to stay on top of controlling weeds despite wet conditions. KFB Commodities Conference Sarah Sexton-Bowser and Jesse McCurry attended the first annual conference focusing on the Kansas Farm Bureau’s advisory groups for beef, dairy, sheep and goat, swine, feed grains, hay and forage, oilseeds and wheat. General session topics included marketing, water, trade and policy. Sorghum was a hot topic given China demand. RMA and FSA officials also gave updates to the several sorghum producers in attendance.

Central Plains Irrigation Conference Field staff exhibited at this multi-state meeting in Colby between Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas. Of interest were presentations on lessons from the Sheridan 6 LEMA, crop rotations using limited irrigation, and a place for grain sorghum in deficit irrigation production systems. China demand was of interest as was Kansas’ ongoing water vision process. Preliminary data from LEMA producers indicates a high return per inch applied for sorghum. Some sorghum specific comments from the proceedings:

“Grain sorghum is a drought tolerant crop that can be utilized with limited amounts of irrigation.”

“Grain sorghum provides management opportunities for deficit irrigation production system, whether water is spread throughout the field, for a deficit-irrigated crop or concentrated on a portion of the field, for a fully irrigated crop.”

“Grain sorghum was included in the crop mixes with greater net returns, under the drought conditions simulated with 12” annual precipitation, indicating a strong role for grain sorghum in deficit irrigation during drought.”

“Under drought conditions, spreading deficit irrigation over sorghum maximized net returns.”

Funding for many of these studies was provided by the Ogallala Aquifer Program, a consortium between USDA-ARS, K-State and Texas A&M. Ag Outlook Forum Highlights Sorghum The USDA 2015 Agriculture Outlook Forum was held Feb. 20, 2015 in Washington D.C., where

agriculture industry representatives, advocates and producers gathered to focus on "Smart

Agriculture in the 21st Century." Sorghum was mentioned early in the 2015 Agricultural

Economic and Foreign Trade Outlook discussion with nothing but positive messages from

featured speakers.

Bill Kubecka Recognized by U.S. Grains Council The U.S. Grains Council recognized the contributions of two national commodity leaders, one being Bill Kubecka, a member of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program board of directors, during its 12th International Marketing Conference and 55th Annual Membership Meeting. Kubeka is celebrating five years with the Council and is a past president of the National Grain Sorghum Producers and the Sorghum Checkoff; to read more follow this link: http://grains.org/news/20150219/reflections-council-honors-hardie-and-kubecka-five-15-years-service Sorghum: A Growing Interest in the Mid-Atlantic Grain sorghum is a rising crop for North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic region. To address the interest, Murphy Brown sponsored a Managing Crop Strategies and Farm Profitability Seminar on Feb. 4, 2015, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The event highlighted marketing, production and technology as it relates to efficiently producing grain sorghum in the Mid-Atlantic region. To

read more about the demand for grain sorghum in the Mid-Atlantic and this event, follow this link: http://sorghumcheckoff.com/2015/02/13/sorghumagrowinginterestinthemid-atlantic/ Sorghum: The Smart Choice for Exports The export market for grain sorghum has been at an all-time-high, especially with demand from China. To learn more about this, watch this video on the Sorghum Checkoff YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlVzgbJ57XY 2015 Commodity Classic The 2015 Commodity Classic was an event held in Phoenix, Arizona, Feb. 24-28, 2015. The Sorghum Checkoff hosted a booth in the trade show and handed out a variety of promotional items containing the Sorghum: The Smart Choice® logo, including gluten-free chocolate chip cookies made by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. There was a lot of interest from farmers in non-traditional growing areas such as Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota and more. Interest in food-grade sorghum was very high. Approximately 8,000 individuals were in attendance, roughly an 8 percent increase from 2014. The record for the number of growers in attendance was broken at 4,328, up 10 percent from last year. Additionally, a record-breaking 355 exhibitors were featured in the trade show. The 21st annual Commodity Classic will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 3-5, 2016. Mid-South Farm & Gin Show – Memphis, TN Regional Director Brent Crafton and past USCP board Chairman Stewart Weaver represented team sorghum at the 2015 Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis, Tennessee, Feb. 27-28, 2015. During the two-day event, team sorghum managed heavy traffic at the sorghum booth. Producers from throughout the Delta Region and as far east as North Carolina and as far west as Kansas visited the booth. In general, the positive basis for sorghum in the Delta spurred by export demand has built enthusiasm amongst Delta Region growers to start planting and managing sorghum as a primary crop. Questions ranged from the best hybrids to plant, fertilizer rates, pesticide applications and timing, harvesting and storing sorghum. Much attention will still be needed in the Delta Region to educate growers on proper sorghum management. Arkansas producers indicated they intend to double sorghum acreage for the 2015 growing season. Louisiana producers said they will ramp up additional acreage and inquired about pesticides available for 2015 to combat the white sugarcane aphid. A couple of producers from Louisiana indicated one LSU Ag Center Extension agent advised against planting sorghum within the St. Landry Parish area due to the aphid issue. However, these producers said they will plant additional sorghum acres and manage the WSA accordingly. Mississippi producers said they intend to ramp up additional acreage this year and manage their sorghum as a primary crop. One producer specifically mentioned they will plant 6,700 aces of sorghum in southern Mississippi. Moving on to Tennessee, a handful of producers indicated they will begin rotating in sorghum and inquired about what markets were available to sell their grain. Two University of Tennessee Extension agents that cover all of the western part of the

state visited the booth and indicated they anticipate sorghum acres in their part of the state to be between 20,000 and 25,000. The biggest shift in acres was heard from Missouri boot-heel growers. Approximately 90 percent of these growers identified they were cotton growers and will now rotate in sorghum. The remaining 10 percent of growers are existing sorghum growers that intend to ramp up or double sorghum acres. A handful of growers also identified that grain elevators that have never handled sorghum in the past are preparing to handle sorghum following the 2015 harvest. Sorghum Symposium Focuses on Sugarcane Aphid A symposium focusing on the sugarcane aphid in sorghum was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the SW Branch meeting of the Entomological society of America in February 2015. For event presentations click here. For more information on the sugarcane aphid click here. Kansas State Grain Science and Industry Welcomes Gordon Smith as Department Head In February 2015, Kansas State Grain Science and Industry welcomed new Department Head Gordon Smith. Smith comes to the university with career experience in product development and commercialization and a Ph.D. in food science from Texas A&M University. The Sorghum Checkoff looks forward to continued partnership with the Grain Science and Industry Department under the leadership of Gordon. Click here for more information on Gordon’s background. Sorghum in the Spotlight Sorghum has made an appearance on many platforms throughout February. Click on the links below:

Ancient Grain Makes a Plentiful Comeback - Wall Street Daily

China Enters Sorghum Market, Demand Reaches All-Time-Highs - Biofuels Digest

U.S. Sorghum Exports At All-Time High. Thanks China. - AgFax

GAI Insight: Chinese Sorghum Demand Spurs U.S. Growth, Investment - Global AgInvesting

Cooking with Sorghum: Scallop Ceviche with Crisp Sorghum

March Sorghum Checkoff Visits EPA, USDA and DuPont Tim Lust, Florentino Lopez and Justin Weinheimer met with representatives of EPA, USDA and DuPont March 3, 2015, in Washington, D.C. The meeting was one of several in a series of ongoing conversations regarding seed and chemical innovation in sorghum. Positive outcomes of the meeting included a better understanding of the U.S. sorghum industry, efforts to support seed and chemical innovation by the Sorghum Checkoff, and potential opportunities to bring new technology such as herbicide tolerance to market. The Sorghum Checkoff remains committed to facilitating and investing in platforms that bring new technologies to farmers

fields, and the Sorghum Checkoff will continue to work closely with these groups to improve the profitability of sorghum. 2015 Sorghum U Materials Speaker videos and highlights from the 2015 Sorghum U events are available online on the High Plains Journal website. For PowerPoint presentations and other materials click here. South Texas Planting Update Wet weather continued to affect sorghum planting in much of central and south Texas in early March. Some farmers had corn and sorghum planted but the majority was expected to be planted very late. In the coastal bend and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, the region has had persistent cool, damp and rainy weather limiting field activities. Wheat was in good condition, but little to no sorghum had been planted due to the cool, wet conditions. Family Features Update Through a contract with Family Features, three articles were placed during February. Say Hello to Sorghum received 5,652,900 impressions in print and 173,460,866 impressions online. Give Up Gluten, But Not All Grains received 3,267,508 impressions in print, 25,252,294 impressions online and 19,445,025 through the newswire. Adding Ancient Grains to Your Diet received 101,075,293 impressions online. Kansas Ag Bankers Annual Conference Jesse McCurry spoke on behalf of the Sorghum Checkoff to nearly 250 bankers who were excited about China and basis at the Kansas Ag Bankers Annual conference in Manhattan, Kansas March 11-12, 2015. McCurry is trying to work with bankers to uncover crop budgets and push with lenders on how sorghum can fit in operations. Kansas Ag Banker's staff is keen on working with the Sorghum Checkoff and this event's timing was perfect as clients are looking for more profitability. Pat Brown Ph.D. headlines March Center for Sorghum Improvement Pat Brown, Ph.D., from the University of Illinois, headlined the March Center for Sorghum Improvement March 9, 2015. Dr. Brown presented the vast opportunities with sorghum genetic diversity. His work has focused on the intersection of sorghum type, diversity and maturity, while understanding genes and alleles are critical for distinguishing sorghum ideotypes. Dr. Brown challenged the audience to consider the need and value of a collective sorghum database tool and phenotyping. Ogallala Aquifer Program Annual Meeting Jesse McCurry provided an update on the RFP process as well as the grower priorities at the Ogallala Aquifer Program Annual Meeting in Manhattan, Kansas, March 12-13, 2015 to approximately 80 researchers from Texas and Kansas. This USDA-ARS funded initiative has invested in sorghum and is very interested in limited water scenarios, and of course, funding opportunities. Southern Plains Coop Food Program

The Southern Plains coop in Lewis, Kansas, is rapidly developing its own food-grade program. Staff is working to support their needs as Edwards County is a large, growing region and producers are finding a premium growing for the program. Their biggest issue currently is marketplace orientation. Export Update Commitments for U.S. grain sorghum destined for the export market this marketing year reached 315.9 million bushels during the week of March 6, 2015, 5.3 percent more than USDA export predictions. China represented approximately 96 percent of the total commitments with 303.4 million bushels. Japan also committed to 12.5 million bushels, followed by Canada with 14,881 bushels. Commitments for the 2015-2016 marketing year also reached 23.6 million bushels, all of which are committed by China. Food Website Updates Several updates were made to the website pertaining to the food section. The recipe section was revamped, a list of chefs that use sorghum was added, as well as blogs that blog about sorghum. While the website will continue to undergo maintenance, you can view the current updates here. Molecular Breeding Seminar at Center for Sorghum Improvement Jurandir Magalhaes, Ph.D., visited the Center for Sorghum Improvement March 23, 2015, to highlight his work in molecular breeding. Dr. Magalhaes is from the Brazilian agricultural research corporation, Embrapa, where the focus of their efforts works to narrow the gaps between basic and applied science. Dr. Magalhaes' presentation showcased his work in sorghum production on acidic soil types with aluminum toxicity and phosphorous deficiency. Transform WG Section 18 Approvals Eight states received approval for the use of Transform WG under a section 18 this growing season, including Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma. For more information on Transform WG, visit Dow AgroSciences' website. Sorghum Checkoff Efforts in China Doug Bice and Sorghum Checkoff board director Bill Kubecka joined U.S. Grains Council representatives in China March 17-27, 2015. Two different presentations were given at the Food China and JCI Conferences, respectively. Total attendance for the conference was more than 750 attendees. Predominant questions for the respective panel discussions on sorghum pertained to long-term supply and price projections as well as the state of current crop planting conditions in the U.S. Other noteworthy themes from other speakers focused on value-added considerations and not just pricing alone. Additionally, meetings were conducted with various entities, predominantly trade companies. Pricing and long-term supply also dominated these discussions. Currently, sorghum is priced at $270/MT, with Australian sorghum at $280/MT and Argentina sorghum $40/MT cheaper than U.S. shipments. Two shipments, both initiated by ADM, from Argentina, are being sent to China

with the first to arrive in April. Numerous trade companies have gone in together to bring these shipments into China and will conduct their own analysis related to quality protocol and most importantly, tannin levels. Even with this information of shipment being known for some time and the amount of Ukraine corn that has been imported into China, U.S. sorghum pricing has remained stable, which is of course, good news to U.S. sorghum producers. In fact, sorghum prices are similar to what they were last year at this time. There is however, a U.S. corn shipment that is scheduled for arrival in China in late spring, which could have some influence on pricing. Also, if the Argentine sorghum shipments are of high quality like U.S. and Australia, this too could have some impact on future pricing of U.S. sorghum. Sorghum continues to be very well received in China’s swine market. Not only are inclusion rates for swine formulations on the rise, several feed mills are actually making equipment modifications to accommodate higher sorghum usage. The duck and poultry markets in general also continue to make good use of sorghum as part of their feed formulations. Some duck feed operations have sorghum in the 40-50 percent inclusion rate range. Indiana Sorghum Growers The Sorghum Checkoff is assisting a farmer consortium along the Indiana/Illinois border, specifically in the northwest section of Indiana, in developing local farm fields for sorghum crops. To date, 1,000 acres have been committed by this cooperative for sorghum planting in 2015. Delta Region Sorghum Meetings The Sorghum Checkoff partnered with ADM Grain and Sorghum Partners and hosted a sorghum production meeting for the Upper Delta Region during late March in Kennett, Missouri.

- Approximately 50 individuals representing existing and new sorghum growers, university extension, consultants and other grain originators attended the half-day production meeting.

- Representatives from the University of Missouri, University of Tennessee and Southeast Missouri State also addressed the attendees on how they will work with sorghum going forward in the delta region.

- Producers attended from the following states: Southern Illinois, Missouri Boot-heel, Western Kentucky, Northwest Mississippi and Northeastern Arkansas.

- Both the Sorghum Checkoff and Sorghum Producers had tables readily available with production related information to distribute to attendees

In general, the meeting went well and many excellent questions asked. The mood in the meeting was positive and as bidding continues to be strong marketing is a key in producer profitability. USDA Estimates Sorghum Acres to Reach 7.9 Million The United States Department of Agriculture’s Prospective Plantings report released March 31. 2015 shows estimated sorghum planted acres will reach 7.9 million in 2015, up 11 percent from the 7.1 million the previous season. Kansas and Texas, the two largest grain sorghum-producing

states, planted 2.85 million and 2.5 million acres in 2014, respectively, representing 75 percent of total U.S. sorghum production. Acres in these two regions are predicted to expand with Kansas acres increasing by 1.7 percent and Texas by 20 percent. Acres are also predicted to expand in various other regions across the nation. States with sizeable increases include Missouri with a 135.3 percent increase, Illinois with a 73.9 percent increase, Arkansas with a 47 percent increase and Oklahoma with a 10.8 percent increase. Read the full press release here. To read the full Prospective Planting report, click here. Sorghum in the Spotlight It's Not Your Grandfather's Sorghum - High Plains Journal The Time is Now to Plant Grain Sorghum - Agweb Big Demand, Small Supply - Ethanol Producer Magazine Super Times for Sorghum Farmers - Oklahoma Farm Report Sorghum: 'Hidden Gem' for North Carolina Grain Producers - Southeast Farm Press Make the Most of Moisture - Furrow Magazine 12 Food Trends You'll be Seeing More of this Year - PopSugar Why this Powerhouse Grain Should be on your Radar - Tasting Table J.B. Stewart and Adam Baldwin on AgriTalk - March 3, 2015 New Canton Rail Terminal Boosts Grower Opportunity - Sorghum Stories Blog From the Desk of the CEO: National Ag Day - Sorghum Stories Blog Beyond Quinoa: The New Ancient Grains - New York Times Sorghum: The New Must-have Gluten-free Ancient Grain - The Huffington Post Sorghum Tries to Buy Acres: Cash Bids Skyrocket as New-Crop Purchases Grow - DTN Progressive Farmer Three Ancient Grains to Add to Your Diet - a la Minute More Sorghum Needed to Meet Demand - Brownfield Ag News Is Sorghum the New Cash Crop? - Ag Web Southest Consortium Building Livestock Feed Grain System - WRAL Tech Wire Sorghum Makes a Push for a Place on the Farm - St. Louis Post-Dispatch Sorghum: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Sugarcane Aphid - AgFax Sugarcane Aphid Requires Active Management - AgProfessional

Sorghum Checkoff Project Reports January-March 2015 Continued Development of Commercial Juice and Syrup Stabilization and Storage Technologies for the Manufacture of Sugar Feedstocks from Sweet Sorghum

Program Focus: Renewables Lead PI: Gillian Eggleston Status: In Progress

o Project Summary: The goal of this project is to optimize the storage of sweet sorghum juice. Specific activities are centered on finding cost-effective processing aids or treatments that allow sweet sorghum syrup to be stored for one year, as having access to juice on a continuous basis will be key for sweet

sorghum processors in the future. The methods evaluated for doing this included treating raw juice with germicidal UV light and heat pasteurization. Lime and other agents were also added and evaluated during this process and various oils were added as protective layers to prevent sugar deterioration during storage. The syrup for the project was supplied by Delta BioRenewables, with whom the research group has a productive working relationship.

o Industry Impact: Industry impact will be significant, as it will be important for sweet sorghum processors to have access to stored juice year-round.

o Producer Impact: This project will facilitate demand by aiding sweet sorghum processors, thereby impacting existing and potential sweet sorghum producers via demand pull.

o Next Steps: Carry out ethanol production experiments on the stored syrups. Continue collaborating with and communicating results to industry.

Identification, Fractionation and Isolation of Sorghum Oil and Valuable Functional Lipids Before or After Fermentation of Grain Sorghum

Program Focus: Renewables Lead PI: Bob Moreau Status: In Progress

o Project Summary: This is a three-year project with three objectives for the first year. These objectives include obtaining corn, sorghum and blended oil samples, analyzing the composition of the sorghum oil samples and conducting bench scale fermentation and post fermentation oil extraction experiments to explore the use of enzymes and additives to increase oil yields. The first two objectives are effectively complete, and the third objective is in progress but mostly complete. The project started slowly because a suitable postdoctoral researcher had to be hired, but it is now on schedule and progressing well.

o Industry Impact: The ethanol plant of the future will be a biorefinery, producing marketable products from all components of grain. It will be important that sorghum ethanol plants have the same opportunities as corn ethanol plants, so impact on the sorghum ethanol industry will be substantial if this project is successful.

o Producer Impact: Sorghum ethanol plants that are competitive with corn ethanol plants will get to continue firm bidding for sorghum. Making it possible for ethanol plants to bid more for sorghum based on higher-value coproducts associated with the grain will also add value to sorghum producers.

o Next Steps: In the second year of the project, fermentation studies will continue, pilot scale oil extraction experiments will begin, decortication studies will be conducted and all types of sorghum oils will be analyzed.

Fully Utilizing Non-structural Carbohydrates in Sweet Sorghum via Diffusion Process Program Focus: Renewables Lead PI: Donghai Wang Status: In Progress

o Project Summary: The goal of this project is adding value to sweet sorghum producers and processors by making possible simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation of free sugars and sugars derived from starch and cellulose from sweet sorghum. There are six objectives: optimizing the milling process, developing a bench-scale diffusion system, developing a model for extracting sugar and starch simultaneously, integrating this process into a diffusion process, optimizing this process and investigating the economic feasibility of doing it. The project is progressing well other than being slightly behind schedule due to cropping cycles relative to its planned start date. As a result, an extension may be needed.

o Industry Impact: One key challenge with sweet sorghum is the wasted energy used to produce grain. The grain is cut off by the harvester just before the rest of the plant is harvested, making it unusable and even detrimental to the next crop. Capturing this energy will be important for processors.

o Producer Impact: If processors are able to capture energy from grain produced by sweet sorghum plants, some of the energy expended by the producer will also be recovered through higher prices for the crop. This will directly influence producer profitability.

o Next Steps: The next steps include integration of extracting sugar and starch via diffusion, optimization of the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process, and investigating the economic feasibility of the process.

Green Chemicals from Sweet Sorghum Phase Two Program Focus: Renewables Lead PI: Megan Moore Status: Complete

o Project Summary: This project expanded on the prior project with Battelle that focused on producing isosorbide and sorbitol from sweet sorghum. There were some barriers to producing these chemicals, so phase two examined these barriers in greater depth and focused on initiating contact with potential commercial partners. During experiments related to the barriers, it was discovered that green solvents methyl lactate and methyl levulinate could be produced from sweet sorghum, as well. Accordingly, much of phase two was centered on the process of producing these solvents and initiating contact with potential commercial partners. Due to the lack of interest from potential commercial partners in isosorbide and sorbitol as well as methyl lactate and methyl levulinate, Battelle advised that no more Sorghum Checkoff funds should be spent on these efforts.

o Industry Impact: Industry impact could be significant if economics ever dictate these products be produced from sweet sorghum. The concepts are proven, so potential commercial partners can be easily reengaged in the future.

o Producer Impact: If commercial partners become interested, additional demand for sweet sorghum could be created.

o Next Steps: Continue to communicate with Battelle just in case potential commercial partners could be reengaged.

Development of Sweet Sorghum as a Domestic Commercial Crop Program Focus: Renewables Lead PI: Randy Powell Status: Complete

o Project Summary: With the conclusion of this project, Delta BioRenewables (DBR) concluded its sixth season in operation. It was a very successful season both commercially and agronomically, with all five objectives being met. The objectives included: continuing collaborations with major seed companies to enhance yield, agronomic traits and processing, continuing processing and equipment optimization, continuing technology development and collaborative research and development and expanding its supply of specialty products, continuing to supply sweet sorghum feedstocks to the market and continuing aggressive education and outreach. One notable development is the addition of a food-grade syrup facility, permitted by both the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

o Industry Impact: DBR’s work as always is important. Not only are they evaluating genetic material for multiple seed companies, they are greatly expanding the body of knowledge surrounding sweet sorghum agronomics and processing. All of these things are invaluable to industry.

o Producer Impact: As sweet sorghum projects are initiated, producers will need agronomic information to be successful. DBR is developing this information in greater quantities than any other group.

o Next Steps: Continue providing good information to industry and building specialty markets.

Develop Institutional Food Sector Recipes Program Focus: High Value Markets Lead PI: JPZ, EC Henley Status: Complete

o Project Summary: This project is focused on the development of scaled recipes for the institutional food sector (ie. hospitals, school lunch programs). Recipes of this magnitude are scaled at 25, 50 and 100 plate servings and require special development due to the complexity of formulation changes with higher volume ingredient mixes.

o Industry Impact: This is an industry sector with tens of millions of constituents. Some of these sectors have government-mandated criteria that must be met. One example is the U.S. school lunch program requiring the inclusion of whole grains as part of the menu selection. To date, sorghum has not made a play for such menu development opportunities.

o Producer Impact: Billions of meals are served by food service companies on an annual basis. The grain and flour content of these meals could easily equate to a

25 to 50 million bushel increase of sorghum usage. An extensive and detailed promotional campaign for this industry would exceed the 50 million annual bushel level

o Next Steps: A report by JPZ is under development and should be available for review by summer 2016. The initial 11 recipes developed under this proposal will be expanded to 15 total and will be the foundational basis for promotional efforts to enter discussions, and/or trial-basis agreements, and contracts with food service entities such as Sysco and Compass Group.

Identifying Geonmic Markers for Phenolic Compounds Program Focus: High Value Markets Lead PI: Geoffrey Morris Status: Complete

o Project Summary: This project is designed to study three criteria: 1) survey natural sorghum flavonoid variations, 2) identify genetic markers, and 3) quantify the effects of genetic variation on anti-inflammatory properties. The study used germplasm resources and genomic mapping from the USDA network. The focus was on polyphenols isolate, a condensed tannin, and 3DA flavonoid trait. A strong positive correlation between total phenolic content and 3DA was identified.

o Industry Impact: This study provides an opportunity to expand and promote the utilization of more sorghum bran varieties and assists in identifying which genomic lines have greatest potential high antioxidant food claims.

o Producer Impact: This data set allows the opportunity to explore genetic diversity within a crop and assist in decision-making considerations for those producers planting food-grade sorghum.

o Next Steps: Of the 300 plus accessions that were evaluated, a majority were found to contain condensed tannins and 3DA. From those findings, there are a number of small effect genes controlling natural variations. These include IL-6 and two separate TNF and NF specific proteins. In vivo studies will be the next stage for identifying anti-inflammatory effects in specific disease states.

Genomic Selection to Enhance Heterosis in Sorghum Program Focus: Crop Improvement Lead PI: Bill Rooney Status: Active

o Project Summary: Sorghum breeding programs have traditionally focused on traditional breeding to both enhance yield potential and protect existing yield potential from loss due to stresses. However, new genotyping technologies now make it possible to increase the efficiency of breeding programs. The purpose of this project is to make genotypic data available to both public and private sector sorghum improvement programs, educate partners on the potential uses of this technology and test the efficiency of this approach in improving the hybrid vigor of grain sorghum hybrids more efficiently than traditional approaches. One

thousand genetic lines have been genotyped and this information was distributed to participating private and public entities.

o Industry Impact: As advancements continue to be made in the evaluation of sorghum genetics, public and private breeding programs can benefit from the genotyping in this project. The genetic data developed in this project will improve the efficiency and accuracy of genetic advancement in sorghum.

o Producer Impact: Producers will benefit in the long run as sorghum breeders take advantage of the advanced genetic tools and data developed from this project. This will in turn bring better and more advanced sorghum genetics to the producers field.

o Next Steps: This project is set to continue for the remainder of the year.

Improved Availability and Distribution of Sorghum Genetic Resources Program Focus: Crop Improvement Lead PI: Gary Pederson Status: Active

o Project Summary: Currently, 6,318 samples of sorghum accessions have been cleaned and processed into the U.S. sorghum genetic resources collection. One additional impact that is often overlooked is the improved quality of accessions provided for sorghum research use by the addition of freshly regenerated seed of sorghum accessions. More than 800 additional sorghum distribution samples have germinations greater than 75 percent and more than 450 more samples have germinations between 51-75 percent since June 2014. More than 120 sorghum distribution samples have germinations less than 25 percent since June 2014. Currently, almost 94 percent of sorghum distribution inventories have germinations greater than 50 percent. With a large sorghum collection containing a wide range of genetic variability from wild landraces to developed breeding lines, researchers are very pleased with the seed quality they are receiving with most accessions having germinations of at least 50 percent.

o Industry Impact: Access to public-based genetic resources is a major component in the discovery and advancement of sorghum yields. The results of the progress made on this project will allow the sorghum genetics community to have greater access to genetics to advance sorghum's productivity.

o Producer Impact: Producers will benefit in the long run as sorghum breeders take advantage of the advanced genetic tools and data developed from this project. This will in turn bring better and more advanced sorghum genetics to the producers field.

o Next Steps: The project will continue for an additional year.

Sorghum Conversion Program in Elite Breeding Programs Program Focus: Crop Improvement Lead PI: Bill Rooney Status: Active

o Project Summary: The overall goal of this project is to elucidate marker-based criteria that are predictive of high-combining ability of partially converted sorghum lines. This information will then be utilized to provide guidance to the conversion program scientists and end-users on how to incorporate converted lines into their breeding efforts. These objectives are designed to assist in both the process of creating converted sorghum germplasm and in utilizing this germplasm for the production of new, high-yielding grain hybrids. The products from this proposal will be improved breeding methodologies for the Sorghum Checkoff-funded conversion of tropical accessions and the potential to release new germplasm with superior combining ability resulting in a marked increase in hybrid grain yields. Project objectives include: Evaluating the relationship between the recovery of exotic genome in partially converted material

o and agronomic performance of testcross hybrids from F2:4 and BC1F2:4 materials, and identifying regions of the exotic parental genome that are of significant agronomic value in testcross hybrids from converted progenies.

o Industry Impact: As advancements continue to be made in the evaluation of sorghum genetics, public and private breeding programs can benefit from the genotyping in this project. The genetic data developed in this project will improve the efficiency and accuracy of genetic advancement in sorghum.

o Producer Impact: Producers will benefit in the long run as sorghum breeders take advantage of the advanced genetic tools and data developed from this project. This will in turn bring better and more advanced sorghum genetics to the producers field.

o Next Steps: The project will continue for an additional year.

Maximizing Recombination Between Elite and Exotic Sorghum Program Focus: Crop Improvement Lead PI: Pat Brown Status: Active

o Project Summary: The overall research goal of this project is to comprehensively characterize variation in recombination rate in sorghum. However, in light of our first year results, the PI proposes to change some but not all of the biparental populations that are genotyped. The PI proposes to genotype a set of 11 elite by exotic populations we have generated that have Tx623 as the female parent. These populations were advanced to the F5 stage in Summer 2014, and we have just begun to extract DNA from these entries.

o Industry Impact: Understanding the core genetics involved with developing hybrid vigor in sorghum is an important component to the advancement of yield in sorghum. This project will provide data to the genetic community, which will allow sorghum breeders to better utilize genetic resources in sorghum.

o Producer Impact: Producers will benefit in the long run as sorghum breeders take advantage of the advanced genetic tools and data developed from this project. This will in turn bring better and more advanced sorghum genetics to the producers field.

o Next Steps: The project will continue for an additional year.

Development of Double Haploids, Reducing Lodging, and Low Tillering Sorghum Program Focus: Crop Improvement Lead PI: Cleve Franks, Roger Monk, Laura Mayor Status: Active

o Project Summary: This project has three primary objectives, including: developing a double haploid breeding system for sorghum, identifying sorghum varieties and lines which exhibit tolerances to lodging induced from environmental stresses, screening existing elite germplasm within Pioneer Hybrid to classify the tillering of sorghum hybrids. Each of these objectives began in year one of the project. Approximately 1,500 hybrids were evaluated for objective one, stalk measurements were recorded for objective three, and 500 inbred lines were screened for objective three.

o Industry Impact: Development of advancement breeding systems such as double haploid will revolutionize the sorghum breeding processes by enabling breeders to more rapidly incorporate genetics into their programs. The identification of genetics which do no lodge as well as limit or enhance tillering in sorghum will allow for more productive and precision farming practices by sorghum farmers.

o Producer Impact: Producers will benefit in the long run as sorghum breeders take advantage of the advanced genetic tools and data developed from this project. This will in turn bring better and more advanced sorghum genetics to the producers field.

o Next Steps: The project will continue for two additional years.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Kansas Program Focus: Crop Improvement Lead PI: Dave Mengel Status: Completed

o Project Summary: Sorghum nitrogen efficiency plots were planted across Kansas in Dodge City, Garden City, Randolph, Bellville, Salina and Marquette. The grain sorghum and forage sorghum plots were planted in May and June. Unfortunately, many of the sites showed very low yield or complete failure and poor response to nitrogen due to the drought conditions plaguing the region. In 2013, grain sorghum sites failed in western Kansas while some forage sites managed to produce yield in central and eastern Kansas. Results indicate some differences in forage nitrogen uptake and no conclusive results were found for grain trials due to drought. This study clearly indicates that enhancing nitrogen use efficiency through the adoption of several complimentary management practices is possible, and in many cases economical. It should be possible for sorghum producers in Kansas and surrounding states to maintain or increase yield, reduce costs and enhance profitability while reducing nitrogen fertilizer use by becoming more efficient.

o Industry Impact: The commercial grain sorghum industry relies on nitrogen fertilizer to maintain grain production. Testing and developing new methods of application and product development will allow the industry to grow by increasing the productivity of grain sorghum acres. Additional environmental benefits, such as reducing nitrogen leaching, will improve the production agricultural industry as a whole.

o Producer Impact: Efficiently managing primary input costs for sorghum, such as nitrogen, will lead to higher profit potential per acre and translate to a stronger more robust industry.

o Next Steps: This project is complete.

Economic Evaluation of Kansas Sorghum Program Focus: Crop Improvement Lead PI: Bill Golden Status: Completed

o Project Summary: The purpose of this research is to develop and analyze data, primarily on irrigated grain sorghum, on a county and/or farm level for the state of Kansas. This data will provide economic information such as yield, cost of production, economic risk, and profit for irrigated grain sorghum in Kansas. The goal of this data collection and evaluation is to better understand the economic constraints and opportunities of irrigated grain sorghum at a farm/field level in the state of Kansas. The economic analysis assumed an average corn price of $6.49 per bushel and the assumption that grain sorghum would sell at a slight discount to corn. The results suggest that grain sorghum will be competitive with corn in areas of limited irrigation, water availability and for producers that are risk adverse. While sensitivity analysis was not preformed, it should be noted that as commodity prices fall and/or the price of grain sorghum rises relative to corn, grain sorghum becomes more attractive from a profit perspective.

o Industry Impact: As water declines continue in the western plains of the U.S., transitions in cropping systems to sorghum will become more popular due to sorghums drought tolerance. This project illustrates on a state level that sorghum can be a profitable option for farmers in the regions, specifically in areas of limited water availability.

o Producer Impact: Producers in regions impacted by unpredictable or declining water for irrigation purposes will benefit from these results as it illustrates the potential of sorghum as an alternative crop.

o Next Steps: The Sorghum Checkoff will utilize this data to educate growers on the potential of sorghum as an alternative crop for Kansas and states with similar environmental qualities.

Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board; Passback Program Results Lead PI: Ethan Branscum Status: Closed

o Project Summary: The following is a listing of projects funded via passback

dollars to the Arkansas Corn and Sorghum Board. These dollars are used to

provide research, promotion and education for sorghum producers within

Arkansas. This outlines specific projects the program focused within:

Projects funded:

Evaluation of Low Tannin Sorghum in Broiler Chicken Diets

Assessment of the Occurrence and Distribution of Mycotoxins

in Sorghum

Field Trial Assessments to Evaluate High Yield Practices

o Industry/Producer Impact: Investments made by passback organizations are

intended to provide research, promotion and education to producers and

industry alike. These investments and expenditures are designed to answer

regional and state issues that will help lead to producer profits via demand

and productivity enhancements.

o Next Steps: Information captured via these projects and work is intended to

provide producer, industry level data to effectively enhance sorghum’s role,

while increasing producer profit. The project information and data needs to

be evaluated and distributed to provide benefit.

Colorado Sorghum Producers; Passback Program Results Lead PI: Darrell Hanavan Status: Closed

o Project Summary: The following is a listing of projects funded via passback

dollars to the Colorado Sorghum Producers Board. These dollars are used to

provide research, promotion and education for sorghum producers within

Colorado. This outlines specific projects the program focused within:

Projects funded:

Colorado Field Days Educational Seminar

Sorghum Hybrid Performance Trials

o Industry/Producer Impact: Investments made by passback organizations are

intended to provide research, promotion and education to producers and

industry alike. These investments and expenditures are designed to answer

regional and state issues that will help lead to producer profits via demand

and productivity enhancements.

o Next Steps: Information captured via these projects and work is intended to

provide producer, industry level data to effectively enhance sorghum’s role,

while increase producer profit. The project information and data needs to be

evaluated and distributed to provide benefit.

Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research Promotion Board; Passback Program Results

Lead PI: Kyle McCann Status: Closed

o Project Summary: The following is a listing of projects funded via passback

dollars to the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board.

These dollars are used to provide research, promotion and education for

sorghum producers within Louisiana. This outlines specific projects the

program focused within:

Projects funded:

Emerging Insect Pest Problems in Field Corn and Small Grains

Weed Management Systems for Feed Grain Crops in Louisiana

Research and Extension Programs for Grain Sorghum

Production in Louisiana

Cultural Practices that Influence Grain Sorghum Yield

Performance

Development of Weed Management Programs in Northeast

Louisiana Corn and Grain Sorghum

o Industry/Producer Impact: Investments made by passback organizations are

intended to provide research, promotion and education to producers and

industry alike. These investments and expenditures are designed to answer

regional and state issues that will help lead to producer profits via demand

and productivity enhancements.

o Next Steps: Information captured via these projects and work is intended to

provide producer, industry level data to effectively enhance sorghum’s role,

while increasing producer profit. The project information and data needs to

be evaluated and distributed to provide benefit.

Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission Lead PI: Jill Barnhardt Status: Closed

o Project Summary: The following is a listing of projects funded via passback

dollars to the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission. These dollars are used to

provide research, promotion and education for sorghum producers within

Kansas. This outlines specific projects the program focused within:

Projects funded:

Remote Sensing Screening Tools for Sorghum Breeding

Programs

Sorghum Production Schools for Kansas

Screen Exotic Sorghum Germplasm to Identify New Sources of

Stalk Rot Resistance

Market Development Grant – IGP

Expansion and Validation of an Automated Trapping System

for Monitoring Sorghum Headworm

Maximizing Sorghum Yield and Profitability through Efficient N

Fertilization

Comparison of Yield Water Use and Profitability of Grain

Sorghum and Drought-Tolerant Corn in Dryland and Limited

Irrigation Systems in Central Kansas

Evaluation Nitrogen and Iron Use Efficiency in Advanced

Sorghum Lines

Development of Sorghum Parental (A/B and R) Lines with

Enhanced Drought and Cold Tolerance

Improving Yield Potential of Grain Sorghum through Drought

and Heat Tolerance

Sorghum Hybrid and Wheat Variety Traits for Planting Wheat

after Sorghum in No-Till

Effect of Chinch Bug Feeding and Drought on Sorghum Stand

Establishment and Yield

Development of Genomic Tools to Facilitate Drought

Tolerance and ALS Resistance Breeding in Sorghum

Breeding Sorghum for Improved Production and Utilization

Development of Utilization of Sorghum as Feedstock for

Biofuels Production

Diagnosing Sorghum Production Problems in Kansas

Sorghum Double Haploid Technology for Kansas Farmers

USDA Development of a Long Term USDA ARS PSGD Sorghum

Breeding Presence in Kansas

Additionally many activities were supported via the Kansas Grain

Sorghum Commission ranging from trade shows to radio spots along

with other educational opportunities.

o Industry/Producer Impact: Investments made by passback organizations are

intended to provide research, promotion and education to producers and

industry alike. These investments and expenditures are designed to answer

regional, state issues that will help lead to producer profits via demand and

productivity enhancements.

o Next Steps: Information captured via these projects and work is intended to

provide producer, industry level data to effectively enhance sorghum’s role,

while increasing producer profit. The project information and data needs to

be evaluated and distributed to provide benefit.