FARMERS can look to winter planted sorghum as a means increasing their double cropping opportunities and spreading their operational workload.
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Data collected by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries found that there was a statistical improvement in trials on the Darling Downs in the ability to double crop when planting winter sorghum, defined as early sown varieties planted between August 25 and September 20.
DAF agricultural economist Andrew Zull said the advantages of winter sorghum were not as simple as a clear yield benefit in the crop.
"The yield data does not demonstrate a clear advantage, but what you are getting are more opportunities to double crop," Dr Zull said at the Australian Summer Grains Conference on the Gold Coast last week.
He said the benefits were most clear when looking at following the crop with a winter chickpea.
"That may be the best fit from the trials we've done."
"All the chickpeas did better following an early sown sorghum, which is likely to be down to carryover water.
"With chickpeas also being a higher value crop it seems they would have a better fit usually double cropped behind a winter sorghum as opposed to a barley."
He said the longer season sorghum suited to winter planting could be planted up to two months earlier than other varieties but was harvested only a month earlier on average.
"It is around 138 days to maturity as opposed to 112 or so."
Trial data showed that there was 14pc more chance to double crop a cereal and 18pc more chance to double crop a chickpea using an early sown sorghum.
Dr Zull said winter sorghum also had advantages in terms of risk management.
"In rain fed systems in drier years there is an advantage from the early sown crop, there may be the potential for later crops to yield better in a good season but in poorer years the earlier crop goes better than the traditionally timed planting."
He said the early sown sorghum shifted the goal posts slightly in favour of the grower.
"In the really good years it won't make much difference what you do, you'll get a good result and in the bad years you won't get the opportunity to double crop anyway, but in those years in the middle it gives you just a slightly better opportunity."
Feedback from bigger growers was that an early planted sorghum also helped spread the logistical load of getting the crop planted in a timely manner.
"Rather than having to get across a lot of hectares at the traditional time of sowing going in with some early crop can help stagger the sowing window."