Nitrogen-Efficient Dual-Purpose Sorghum for Sustainable Production in the Northern Plains

Commodities

Practices

Project Title: Nitrogen-Efficient Dual-Purpose Sorghum for Sustainable Production in the Northern Plains

Farmers in the Northern Plains need profitable alternative crops that fit short growing seasons, variable growing conditions, and rising input costs. Sorghum has strong potential to fill that need as a resilient rotational crop because it performs well under drought, heat, and low-input conditions and can provide both grain and useful biomass. It also offers flexibility for multiple end uses, helping farmers maintain productive and diversified systems under uncertain conditions. This is especially important as nitrogen fertilizer remains one of the largest and most volatile production costs in row-crop systems, increasing economic risk and limiting the sustainability of high-input production.

This project will identify nitrogen-efficient, early-maturing sorghum lines adapted to South Dakota and the broader Northern Plains and advance them as parental germplasm for future breeding and hybrid development. The project will generate both learning and action outcomes. Farmers and agricultural stakeholders will gain knowledge about sorghum as a regionally relevant, reduced-input crop that can strengthen diversification, reduce nitrogen dependence, and improve resilience in Northern Plains farming systems. Participating farmers will evaluate selected sorghum lines under on-farm conditions, identify traits most important for practical use, and help guide selection of superior lines for future breeding. These outcomes are directly relevant to farmers because they support lower input costs, more stable grain and biomass production under reduced nitrogen, and expanded rotational options for farms seeking practical and adaptable alternatives.

The project uses a staged evaluation approach. First, about 300 pre-selected sorghum lines will be screened under contrasting nitrogen levels at two South Dakota locations to identify lines with strong nitrogen-use efficiency and agronomic performance. Next, top-performing lines will be tested across multiple representative conditions under reduced nitrogen to assess stability and adaptability. Finally, selected lines will be validated in farmer-led on-farm trials under farmer-managed conditions so that final selections reflect real production conditions and farmer priorities. Evaluation will focus on both learning and action outcomes through pre- and post-engagement surveys, farmer feedback, participation in field activities, and follow-up discussions assessing changes in knowledge, perceptions, and interest in continued testing or adoption of sorghum-based, reduced-input systems.

This project will generate both learning and action outcomes for farmers, researchers, and agricultural stakeholders in South Dakota and the Northern Plains.

Learning Outcome: Farmers and agricultural stakeholders will gain knowledge of sorghum as a resilient, low-input crop capable of producing both grain and biomass under short growing seasons and water-limited conditions. They will better understand how nitrogen-efficient sorghum can reduce fertilizer requirements, improve resource-use efficiency, and contribute to more stable cropping systems. Increased knowledge will be assessed through changes in survey responses before and after outreach activities.

Action Outcomes: Participating farmers will evaluate selected sorghum lines under on-farm conditions and identify key traits influencing performance and practical use, including maturity, yield stability, biomass production, and overall field suitability. Their feedback will be integrated with agronomic data to identify superior lines. These lines will be prioritized as parental germplasm for subsequent breeding efforts. Action outcomes will be assessed through farmer-reported intentions, continued participation, and expressed interest in sorghum adoption or further evaluation.

Project outreach will be integrated with on-farm trials and field evaluations, allowing farmers to observe and assess test lines under real production conditions while contributing feedback that informs selection decisions.