Progress 04/01/23 to 03/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The following audiences were the targets during this reporting period: 1. Farmers in the Upper Midwest U.S.: The new sorghum forage sorghums adapted to northern latitudesbenefit beef and dairy cattle producers in Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The benefits will include: (i) increased profitability due to higher biomass yields of sorghum hybrids selected as part of this project and lower production costs than other annual forages, including corn; (ii) improved flexibility in farmers' operation due to the sorghum versatility adapting to different types of operations (green chopping, direct grazing, silage, and hay). 2. Local communities: Beef and dairy cattle operations are a significant component of the economy of our target states. South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin are ranked 7th, 8th, and 9th, respectively, as leading states on livestock production, while North Dakota is ranked 9th in the number of beef cows with calves. Wisconsin is ranked second in milk production, which represents 14% of the total U.S. production. These prevalent production systems are reflected in the extent of corn grown for silage in these regions. While the proposed research does not aim to completely replace corn silage or hay with forage sorghum, it will benefit local communities by offering an alternative crop with superior genetics (improved sorghum germplasm with high biomass yield and nutritive value) that could be produced with sustainable management practices instead of other forages in northern regions with sandy soils and low organic matter, and/or drought prone areas in the target states. 3. Seed companies: Public breeding programs to improve sorghum for forage use can have a significant impact on the seed industry providing superior genetics to farmers in northern regions because: (i) the sorghum seed market is moderately concentrated with only one large company actively breeding for forage use and several mid-size or small companies testing germplasm in a limited region or with no proprietary genetics; and (ii) companies with breeding programs for forage use are located in the southern Great Plains, evaluating and selecting germplasm adapted to dry and hot growing conditions and thus, not optimized for the Upper Midwest U.S. The Iowa State University (ISU) sorghum breeding program is the northernmost public program in the U.S. (42.0308° N), dedicated to the development of parental lines for the production of forage sorghum hybrids, with adaptation to shorter growing seasons. The ISU germplasm released as a product of this project could be licensed by seed companies in a non-exclusive manner to benefit their clients in the target regions. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided professional development opportunities for one technician, three undergraduate students in Agronomy-related majors, and one PhD student in the form of one-on-one work with a mentor/supervisor. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The following extension and outreach activities were conducted in this reporting period to disseminate goals and results to communities of interest: Forage Field Day, Beresford, SD Research Farm August 7, 2023; plot tour and talks (80 attendees- predominantly farmers). Southeast Research Farm Fall Field Day, Sept. 14, 2023; plot tour and talk (35 attendees- farmer audience). NACAA Am/Pic Conference, Des Moines, IA Aug. 14-17, 2023; connections made/many discussions on research (Extension professionals). Northern Plains Forage Association Annual Meeting, Brandon, SD Dec. 1, 2023; connections made/discussions with producers and other agronomists. Midwest Forage Association WI Symposium, WI Dells, WI, Feb. 20-21, 2024; connections made/ discussions with other Extension personnel. Co-PI from ND attended the American Forage Grassland Council meeting on January 8-10 2024. She discussed this project with several attendees, and her student presented the need for forage sorghum varieties in cold climates as part of an oral presentation. Omeye, F. M.T. Berti, H. Mosqueda, A. Kurth, H. Lindell. And Md S. Islam. 2024. Increased Forage Yield and Nutritive Value of Forage Sorghum Grown in Intercropping with Alfalfa. American Forage Grassland Conference, Mobile AL January 8-10, 2024. Field day in Fargo, ND September 19, 2024, Attendance 60 people. We showed the sorghum variety trial at the field day. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the 2024 growing season, a larger number of experimental hybrids will be evaluated in the target states(2 locations in SD, 3 environmentsin IA, 1 location in ND and 2 sites in WI). These hybrids include dual purpose, forage, multi-cut and photoperiod sensitive types. Phenology, biomass yield and composition data will be obtained to make selections for advancement and future management studies to be conducted in years 3 and 4.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Due to its high productivity potential, lower cost of production and the capacity to provide quality forage for both beef and dairy cattle operations, sorghum has emerged as a sustainable option for many livestock producers. However, the expansion of sorghum cultivation to the northern U.S. is limited mostly due to shorter growing seasons and low temperatures at planting time. The Iowa State University (ISU) sorghum breeding program is the northernmost public program in the U.S. dedicated to the development of parental lines for the production of forage hybrids with adaptation to shorter growing seasons. The goal of the proposed project is to test and release new ISU sorghum cultivars adapted to northern latitudes to provide high-yielding high-nutritive value forage to beef and dairy cattle operations in the Upper Midwest U.S. Advanced experimental hybrids for alternative systems (hay, green chopping, grazing, and silage) will be evaluated in regional trials comprising eight locations in Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Beef and dairy cattle operations are a critical component of the economy of our target states. This project will induce a change in action and conditions of our stakeholders (mostly farmers and the seed industry serving the Upper Midwest US). Farmers will be able to adopt the use of high-yielding high-nutritive value sorghum forage hybrids developed specifically with adaptation to their production region. These sorghums will be produced as animal feed at a lower cost than corn, with similar yield and quality, while improving the sustainability of the farming system through rotations and stable yields even under drought. The seed industry serving these northern states are mid- or small-size companies with no proprietary genetics, and thus, their business is affected by the lack of superior sorghum germplasm that is suitable for their clients. This project will generate germplasm that could be leveraged by these companies, improving the development of the seed business in the region, with a positive impact on clients (farmers) but also the work force they employed. Objective 1: Identify high-yielding sorghum parental lines and hybrid combinations adapted to Iowa, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. Yield testing trials were established for the 2023 growing season in the following locations: Iowa: Boone, Crawfordsville, Lewis. North Dakota: Fargo South Dakota: Beresford, Pierre, Hayes. Wisconsin: Hancock. Advanced experimental hybrids from the ISU sorghum breeding program were tested in these locations including: five photoperiod sensitive hybrids, two forage types for single cut at the end of the season, three forage types for multiple cuts throughout the growing season, two dual purpose types and three grain types (tested in South Dakota only). Commercial checks for all types were also included. Stand counts, plant height, flowering time, and lodging scores were recorded. Biomass (wet and dry weights) were obtained at the end of the season or at multiple time points, according to hybrid type. There was significant variation in biomass yield, particularly within forage and photoperiod sensitive types, with mean values of 10.7 MT dry matter/ha for dual purpose types, 14.8 MT dry matter /ha for forage types and 15.9 MT dry matter/ha for photoperiod sensitive hybrids. Plant height was, as expected according to classification, with shorter dual purpose hybrids (mean=2.05m), followed by forage hybrids (mean=2.9m) and photoperiod sensitive sorghums (mean=3m). Quantitative traits were analyzed using a mixed model with location, replication nested within location, and genotype by location interaction as random effects, genotype as fixed effect and stand counts as covariate. Several experimental hybrids yielded as well as commercial hybrids (not statistically significantly different than commercial check for a particular hybrid type). These hybrids will be re-tested, together with new advanced experimental hybrids, during the 2024 growing season. Objective 2: Identify superior forage sorghum hybrids for specific market needs. 2A. Determine best performing hybrids based on biomass composition analysis for beef and dairy cattle production systems. Biomass subsamples for all hybrid types and locations listed in Objective 1 were sent to North Dakota State University (NDSU) to determine biomass composition using Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS). Forage nutritive value can be determined from multiple parameters which were estimated using NIRS and derived formulas, including: protein, acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), fat, lignin, ash, total digestible nutrients (TDN), dry matter intake (DMI), and relative feed quality (RFQ). Additionally, a total of 139 samples from 29 new experimental hybrids grown in three locations in Iowa were analyzed using NIRS by NDSU. This analysis was conducted to identify new advanced experimental hybrids with diverse and superior composition that could enrich the portfolio to be tested in ND, SD and WI in 2024-2026 seasons. The following hybrids were identified as superior based on composition: (i) for dual purpose types: HDP00121; (ii) for forage types: HF55151 (high DMI, low lignin and high yield), and HF5591 (high DMI, low lignin and intermediate yield); and (iii) for PS types: a new female parental line was identified that improved composition in hybrids with IA100RPS as pollen parent. These hybrids, among others, will be planted in the 2024 growing season in all locationsto evaluate yield and composition in the target states. 2B. Evaluate experimental hybrids using alternative management systems for specific regions to improve farmers' profitability and environmental sustainability. Activities related to this objective will be conducted in the last 2 years of the project. Objective 3: Release of superior parental lines identified in Obj. 1 and 2. Activities related to this objective will be conducted in the last year of the project.
Publications
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