Management of Sweet Sorghum in Kansas.

Sweet sorghum holds promise as a viable ethanol production feedstock, but little research has been conducted yet in Kansas with this objective.  Under this project, sweet sorghum was grown in two locations in Kansas for two years and a number of varieties, nitrogen fertilizer rates, and population rates were examined.  After physiological maturity, and before the first freeze, plots were hand harvested.  In order to measure total dry matter, grain yield, and juice yield, heads and leaves were removed, and juice was extracted with a press roll, with Brix readings recorded at a later date in the lab.  Little variability was present in the yield parameters in the variety study, however, significant differences were found in the nitrogen fertilizer and population rate studies.