Piper Sudangrass

Sudangrass

An annual grass with finer stems and higher quality compared to sorghum-sudangrass hybrids & forage sorghums. Sudangrass is coarser than Japanese millet and grows 4’ to 7’ tall.

Best Uses: Hay, grazing, green chop, silage, or baleage. Use multi-cut system or managed grazing for best quality.

Adaptation: Likes hot weather.

Management: Harvest 6” above ground for best regrowth. When harvested early (30”), sudangrass contains high levels of energy and protein. Quality and energy significantly reduced after heading. Manage potential for prussic acid and nitrate build-up.

Planting Date: Late May – early July (soil at 62°F+)

Seeding: Drill 20-30 lbs/acre ½-¾” deep or Broadcast 25-35 lbs/acre. (Higher seeding rates result in finer stems for improved hay drydown.)

Forage Planting Date, Harvest Date, Yield and Quality of Annual Forages Crops

Influence of Planting Date on Total Season Dry Matter Yields of Emergency Forages

Additional Resources:

• Warm-Season Forage Grass Characteristics, Albert Lea Seed
• Alternative Forage Crops, Dr. Dan Undersander, Forage Agronomist at the University of Wisconsin
• Growing Millets for Grain, Forage, or Cover Crop Use, University of Missouri
• Video: Choosing the Right Summer Forages for Your Objectives, Albert Lea Seed