|
Look for the NSP Tag on the Bag to Ensure Hybrid Forage Quality
With the recent changes in silage sorghum genetics with traits like Brown Midrib (BMR) sorghums and the continued research and development of high quality forages, the National Sorghum Producers (NSP) launched a branding program last spring aimed at helping producers make seed selection decisions.
"In the last ten years, sorghum breeders have made a lot of progress and this has created a wide quality range for hybrid forages," said NSP CEO Tim Lust. "Our Quality Hybrid Forage program was designed to set the bar for yield and quality and give producers another tool in their toolboxes."
NSP branded varieties have the approximate quality and yield of corn forage, and are also held to a high genetic purity standard. The silage hybrids are tested at the Texas Agricultural Experiment station in Bushland and to ensure genetic purity, the hybrid is planted in the Texas Seed Trade Association/Texas Department of Agriculture growout program. NSP makes no claims regarding the standability of qualifying varieties.
Seed companies pay a small royalty to NSP for the right to use the tag on bags of qualifying varieties. The revenue generated will help fund promotion efforts and legislative work. Lust said that since launching the program last February, NSP has sent out thousands of tags for qualifying varieties. "The program is gaining momentum and in its first full season we expect to get more participation from seed companies who offer superior quality hybrid forage seed."
NSP, in coordination with TAES, initiated the trials in 1999 to educate agricultural researchers about the unique characteristics of forage sorghums. In the years since, NSP used the data while working with USDAs Risk Management Agency to establish a pilot program for sorghum silage insurance. NSP also presented data to the Farm Service Agency to make some silage sorghum varieties eligible for Loan Deficiency Payments.
NSP Research Director Dr. Jeff Dahlberg said that the research has also shown the value of sorghum silage compared to corn. "We've known for years that forage sorghum can be as good or better than corn while using less water. The Bushland trials validate that. As pumping costs continue to increase and water resources dwindle, producers and end-users will continue their search for high yielding, top quality, cost-effective silages."
NSP represents U.S. sorghum producers. Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, in the heart of the U.S. Sorghum Belt that stretches from the Rockies to the Mississippi River and from South Texas to South Dakota, the organization works to ensure the profitability of sorghum production through market development, research, education and legislative representation.
|