• Texas is the 2nd largest producer in the U.S., harvesting 3.15 million acres annually.
• The cash value to farmers is $315 million, which generates $1.065 billion for Texas.
• Sorghum is commonly rotated with other crops to reduce insects, weeds and diseases.
• The grain is important for beef cattle, the feed lot industries, and poultry.

• 80% of the acres are scouted and insecticide use is based on economic thresholds.
• Greenbug and sorghum midge are the most damaging insects. If left untreated, these pests can reduce crop yields 15% or more.
• Other pests include spider mites, headworms, stink bugs, chinch bugs, and aphids.
• Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) is used for greenbug. Terbufos (Counter), dimethoate (Cygon), carbofuran (Furadan), ethyl parathion, and carbaryl (Sevin) are also important. All of these pesticides are targeted for review under FQPA.
• Three pyrethroids are important – esfenvalerate (Asana), lambda-cyhalothrin (Karate) and cyano (Baythroid).

• Sorghum hybrids are bred for genetic resistance to most diseases. But seed rot, head smut, pythium, downy mildew, charcoal rot, and nematodes are still a problem.
• Seed treatments and crop residue management help alleviate most disease problems. Metalaxyl (Apron) and Captan (a potential carcinogen) are common seed fungicides. No fungicides are foliar-applied in the field.

• Weeds cause major crop losses in an already water-sensitive crop. Weeds reduce yields up to 24% if not controlled and are a primary concern for producers.
• 100% of the irrigated sorghum is treated with a herbicide but little of the dryland sorghum is treated at planting time.
• Cultivation and crop rotations are commonly practiced in all fields.
• Pigweed, morning glory, johnsongrass, and sunflower are major problems. Cocklebur and foxtail are on the rise. Weeds are a greater problem in irrigated fields.
• Atrazine is of major importance but is being reviewed by EPA.
• Other common herbicides (usually in combination with a triazine) are metolachlor (Dual), prosulfuron (Peak), bromoxynil (Buctril), and dimethenamid (Frontier).
• Postemergence herbicides, especially 2,4-D and dicamba (Banvel) help control escapes or late season weeds.
• Roundup Ready sorghum is not being developed since sorghum out-crosses with johnsongrass and could result in a herbicide-resistant weed.

• Breeding for greenbug resistence and head smut tolerance continues.
• Non-chemicals are advocated in Extension programs, but pesticides are essential to sustain production.
• For latest information regarding these issues and status of risk assessments visit ipmwww.ncsu.edu/opmppiap and www.epa.gov/pesticides.

Educational programs conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife, Texas A&M University, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level race, color, sex, religion, handicap or national origin.