Sudanese sorghum grass is showing promising results in combating a disease of barley and soybeans, according to researchers in Prince Edward Island. Potato farmers are already using it to protect their crops.
The plant with its tall stems and long leaves piqued the curiosity of Adam Foster, a grain and oilseed pathologist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Research and Development Center in Charlottetown.
Effects that persist
Sorghum grass from Sudan has been found to be particularly effective against a disease caused by a fungus that attacks the tissues and roots of barley and soybeans.
We were very surprised to see that the change in the soil microbiome had an effect on the pathogen community
said the researcher.
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Adam Foster studies Sudanese sorghum grass in the laboratory.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Ken Linton
Even after planting the crops one year, the effects continued through the winter and the following year
he adds.
I love making discoveries, and when we started this, we didn’t expect these results.
An agronomist with the Prince Edward Island Potato Commission, Ryan Barrett, notes that Sudan grass sorghum likes hot, dry weather and spreads its roots deep into the soil.
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Harini Aiyer studies the effects of various cover crops on barley and soybean crops.
Photo: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Over the past few years we have found that it helps break the cycle of disease and parasites
he said.
Effective for potatoes
Sudanese sorghum grass has been cultivated on the island for around ten years to contribute to soil regeneration.
The president of the Potato Commission, John Visser, has been planting it for five years, mixed with millet, on his farm in the south of the island.
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John Visser uses Sudanese sorghum grass to improve the productivity of his land.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Ken Linton
It is said to provide better yields of barley and potatoes, it grows very well when planted in spring and it helps kill weeds
he said.
At $200 to $250 per acre, the sorghum-millet mix is a bit more expensive than other cover crops, but John Visser is counting on better harvests to offset the cost.
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Farmers have been using sorghum grass from Sudan for around ten years.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Ken Linton
The Potato Commission estimates that sorghum-sudan grass and pearl millet crops now cover 10,000 to 12,000 acres, or 40 to 50 km2.
With reporting from CBC’s Nancy Russell