Can sorghum Sudanense be an alternative for maize forage in the frame of sustainable water management?

Abstract

Maize forage is an important feed crop for animal breeding, and it needs a significant amount of water during cultivation. Sorghum Sudanense (Sudan grass) has appeared as an alternative to maize forage with its similar feeding qualities but lower water demand. This study intended to understand the potential effect of de-coupled price supports on production of sorghum and maize. Therefore, production amount of maize and sorghum were estimated for the USA, as a major forage crop producer, with supply response modelling for 1991 and 2021 to understand the effect of price on supplies. The findings inferred that price affects maize and sorghum supplies in the USA by 20 % on average with an annual lag, with almost no difference. The USA example emphasized the importance of informing producers and sellers of feed products, and animal breeders regarding the low water demand and lower irrigation costs of Sudan grass. This may contribute to lower water use in feed production for animal breeding and to water sustainability accordingly. Besides, it was understood that price incentives may be used to encourage users of sorghum Sudanense rather than sorghum farmers to promote the product in the forage crop market in an indirect way.

Keywords

• forage crops
• water
• sustainability
• price
• USA

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