Organic Africa

Effective disease management Disease attack by fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes is one of the causes of low yields in sorghum production. The four economically most damaging diseases of sorghum

232. Effective pest management

Effective pest management Sorghum is prone to damage by various insect pests and birds. Most insect species that infest sorghum occur widely and do not attack sorghum only, but several wild and cult

233. Proper water management

Proper water management Sorghum’s ability to extract water from great soil depth makes it better suited than most other cereal crops to growing in conditions where the water supply is limited. Althou

234. Proper weed management

Proper weed management The aim of weed management is to minimise competition with sorghum during its growth as well as to avoid dissemination of weed seeds. As sorghum does not compete well with wee

235. Proper establishment of the crop

Proper establishment of the crop Sorghum seeds prefer a fine bed for germination (if the soil is ploughed). In practice this is often not achieved. Most farmers sow the seeds directly into furrows, f

236. Improving soil fertility

Improving soil fertility and fertilizing the crop Most farmers in sub-Saharan Africa grow sorghum without any added fertilisers. Sorghum is much more tolerant to low soil phosphorus levels than most

237. Selection of appropriate varieties and good quality seeds

Selection of appropriate varieties and good quality seeds Many landraces of sorghum exist. All are adapted to specific growing conditions such as sandy or clayey soils, cold or hot season and differe

238. Introduction and challenges to sorghum production in Africa

Introduction and challenges Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is an important cereal for food (mainly for subsistence) and fodder in tropical, semi-arid Africa. It is mainly grown in Sudan, Nigeria, Burkin

239. Resources and further readings

Recommended literature for further reading ICRISAT. 2016. How to Reduce Aflatoxin Contamination in Groundnuts and Maize: A Guide for Extension Workers. Patancheru 502 324, Telangana, India: Interna

240. Introduction

Introduction How to address the challenge of conversion Conversion to organic farming describes the process of learning and implementation of changes on the farm towards a more sustainable and natu