Texas Sorghum Insider

August 5, 2015

Herbicide-Tolerant Sorghum Trait – DuPont Crop Protection and Advanta US have signed a joint agreement to commercialize the DuPont Inzen Z herbicide-tolerance sorghum trait. The non-GMO trait will give growers a greater ability to control yield limiting grass weeds in grain sorghum. DuPont has noted that annual grass weeds reduce U.S. sorghum yields by approximately 20 percent. The new trait will help control key grass weeds such as foxtail, barnyard grass, crabgrass and Texas panic. The Z stands for DuPont Zest, a herbicide formulation to be used with the hybrids. Zest is currently still under development and is not yet registered with the EPA. DuPont Crop Protection and Advanta US are working closely with regulatory agencies and local seed and crop protection teams to develop a product stewardship and best management practices before brining Inzen Z to market. Many farmers in the High Plains are looking into rotating with more sorghum as they battle the unforgiving Roundup resistant careless weeds (also known as pigweeds or Palmer’s amaranth) in their cotton fields.

2015 TGSB Board Elections Underway – Ballots are now available for the biennial election for TGSB’s board of directors and eligible voters may obtain a ballot at their local county agricultural extension office, or grain elevator, or by contacting TGSB staff at (806) 543-5514 or katelyn@texassorghum.org. The election is held by mail ballot and completed ballots must be postmarked by August 27, 2015 and mailed to Texas Grain Sorghum Board, 4201 N. I-27, Lubbock, TX 79403. The current terms of five (5) of the fifteen (15) board members will expire this year including two in the TGSB North District, one in the TGSB Central District, and two in the TGSB South District. Eligible voters – any person living within the TGSB districts who is engaged in the business of producing, or causing to be produced, sorghum for commercial purposes, including their tenants and sharecroppers, if such person is subject to paying the assessment that is collected on sorghum in Texas – may take part in the election.

NSP Yield Contest – It’s not too late! If you’re feeling like your sorghum crop could be high yielding, then don’t forget to enter the National Sorghum Producer’s (NSP) Yield Contest. Entry forms must be filled out and postmarked at least 10 days before harvest of the contest field and completed forms must be in the NSP office no later than Dec. 1, 2015. Contest winners are recognized each year at an awards banquet in conjunction with Commodity Classic, to be held in the fall in New Orleans, Louisiana. There are seven divisions including:  conventional-till irrigated, conventional-till non-irrigated, no-till non-irrigated, mulch-till non-irrigated, reduced-till irrigated, double crop irrigated, and double crop non-irrigated. And if you’re thinking you could reach 250 bushels per acre, then you should definitely #gofor250. If you reach 250 bushels per acre or greater then  you qualify for three prizes. First place gets a 3-year pickup least of a Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota ($25,000 value), second place gets an all terrain vehicle ($10,000 value), and third place gets a riding mower ($5,000 value). More contest rules and entry forms may be found by clicking here.