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, following a plough or a ripper. Seeds can also be broadcast and harrowed into the soil, but this hampers weeding and may result in irregular stands.

Soil cultivation and planting should take place before or at the onset of rains. When planted into dry soil, the planting depth should be 5 cm, but when planting in a moist soil planting depth should be 2.5 to 4 cm.

Optimum plant spacing is determined by the availability of moisture, depending on rainfall and soil type. In low-rainfall areas a population of 20,000 plants per hectare is considered ideal, whereas in high-rainfall areas three times as many plants may be grown on the same area. Under favourable conditions, recommended spacing between rows can vary from 50 to 75 cm, and spacing in the row from 12 to 20 cm. This results in about 70,000 to 120,000 pockets per hectare. For drier or less fertile conditions a row distance of 90 cm to 1 metre and spacing between plants of 15 cm is appropriate. If another crop is planted between the rows of sorghum – depending on the climate and the intercropped species – every second row is planted with the intercrop, or the spacing between the rows is enlarged.

Up to 10 seeds may be sown per pocket to compensate for poor seedbed or to allow for unfavourable moisture conditions. The seed rate varies from 3 kg in very dry areas to 10 kg, or 15 kg per hectare under irrigation. For broadcasting about 6 kg seed per hectare are needed.

Occasionally, sweet sorghum is transplanted from a nursery. Sorghum can also be propagated by splitting tillers from established plants and transplanting them. This practice is mostly used by smallholder farmers to fill gaps.