ENID, Okla. — Northwest Oklahoma Grain Sorghum Educational Program Series is designed to provide information to grain sorghum producers regarding both production and marketing thoughts for their 2013 planted grain sorghum crop.

The 2013 program series will be offered in 11 counties during the week of Jan. 28-Feb. 1. All programs are free of charge and open to anyone thinking about planting grain sorghum.

Production information will be offered by Brian Arnall, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service soil and nutrient management specialist. Arnall will focus on nitrogen use efficiency and grain sorghum nutrient needs in dry weather conditions.

For the last two years, Arnall has established research projects in northwest Oklahoma looking at methods of application, rates and sources of fertilizer materials. Arnall will present his research finding during his portion of the program.  Rick Kochenower, OCES northwest area agronomist, plans to address climate effects on grain sorghum yields. For the last 15 years, Kochenower has established research plots across northwest Oklahoma identifying hybrid selection, plant populations and seed treatments to help overcome the issues that weather has on this crop. His most recent successful research has allowed Oklahoma Grain Sorghum Producers to move their early planting window forward with RMA to help improve yields in this location.

Roger Don Gribble is OCES northwest area agronomist.  He will review management strategies for tough-to-control weeds in grain sorghum production. With this topic, those attending will review the herbicide families involved with grain sorghum production and how they can be used to control weeds and reduce some of the herbicide resistant weeds that have emerged over northwest Oklahoma.

Rodney Jones, OCES northwest farm management specialist, will review the use of crop insurance in grain sorghum and how to use it as a tool in marketing of the grain sorghum crop. Jones also will take a quick look at what the markets are offering producers for the 2013 grain sorghum crop at this time.

Sue Ann Claudon, United Sorghum Producers Checkoff Program, will present highlights of the sorghum check program and direction of the grain sorghum industry. With the help of the producer’s checkoff program, grain sorghum is reaching more end users than ever before.

Again, there are 11 locations for grain sorghum producers to get this information. On Jan. 28, the programs will be noon in Cherokee and at 6 p.m. in Ponca City. On Jan. 29, meetings will be 7 a.m. in Billings, 1 p.m. in Medford and 6 p.m. in Woodward. Jan. 30, the tour will be 9 a.m. in Alva and noon in Gate. Jan. 31, the program will be presented 7 a.m. in Fairview and 10:30 a.m. in Seiling. The final programs will be Feb. 1, at 7 a.m. in Guthrie and 1 p.m. in Enid at the Garfield County OSU Extension Center.

For specific times and locations, please feel free to contact your local OSU ag educator at their county office or call (580) 237-7677 for that information.



Gribble is Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service northwest area agronomist.