What are the harvesting procedures methods for sorghum?
Sorghum is harvested, by hand or machine, when the grain is very ripe. Hand harvesting is done by cutting the panicles of grain or the sorghum plants with machetes or sickles. When the ears of sorghum have been cut, they are allowed to pre-dry on the threshing-floor or in sheaves in the field.
How is sorghum processed?
Sorghum flakes (beaten sorghum): Sorghum grain can be processed into flakes or beaten sorghum using the flaking machine. The flaking machine comprises of two parts. One is a roaster which is used for roasting the grain. The other part is a roller flaker used for making the flakes.
How do you preserve sorghum seeds?
Mud bin to store sorghum Grain at or below 14% percent moisture is considered dry. For long-term storage (more than 6 months), grain moisture content should be a maximum of 13.5%. Sorghum grain is stored traditionally in mud bins or straw bins or bamboo bins or in metal bins.
How do you store sorghum?
How to store it: Like all whole grains, sorghum should be stored in a cool, dark place, preferably in a container with a tight-fitting lid, like a jar. The whole kernel will keep for several years in a cool dark place in tight-fitting containers.
What moisture is used to harvest sorghum?
about 30 percent
Grain sorghum plants mature when the moisture in the grain drops to about 30 percent; however, the seed are usually too soft for harvesting when moisture content exceeds 25 percent. Attempts to harvest above 25 percent moisture will usually produce either unthreshed heads or cracked grain.
Does sorghum need to be processed?
This juice is considered ‘raw’ fresh sorghum cane juice. The juice needs to be processed immediately as it will spoil in seven days. To combat that you can freeze the juice if not using right away. Another option is to pasteurize (boil) and can.
What is the moisture content of sorghum?
Mature grain sorghum in the field contains about 30 percent moisture. At moisture levels higher than 25 percent, the seeds are too soft to withstand the threshing action of combining. The ideal moisture content for harvesting grain sorghum is about 20 percent.
How many types of sorghum are there?
Since inception of AICRP, 65 cultivars have been released at the national level. Year-wise releases of the cultivars in last five years are as follows. During the period a total of 10 hybrids and 8 varieties have been released under the aegis of AICRP on Sorghum.
What is the industrial use of sorghum grain?
The processing of sorghum industrially has not gained much importance. Sorghum is generally made into flour and is used for various food preparations. In the sorghum growing regions of Africa and Asia the grain is made into flour by hand pounding.
What is the process of dehulling of sorghum?
Dehulling or pearling of grain sorghum: It is essential to polish/pearl the grain prior to milling into rawa or flour in a pearling machine. In this process the outer surface of the grain is polished.
What was the first milling procedure for sorghum?
The first type of milling procedure adopted for sorghum after hand pounding was abrasive decortication and hammer milling where decortication is carried out through abrasion and by a hammer mill—either flour or grits/semolina is usually made. Later it was commercialized in Botswana.
How are sorghum seeds selected for good germination?
In order to have good germination, farmers should carefully select seeds that are not damage 1 fFigure. 1: Sorghum seeds Vareity Fertilizer Fertilizer can be divided into organic and inorganic which are both important for sorghum production. A detail of rates and application methods is presented under cultural practices.