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How do I Harvest grain sorghum?
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spencefarm View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Apr 2013
Location: Fairbury IL
Points: 349 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spencefarm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: How do I Harvest grain sorghum?
    Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 8:39am
So I've got a couple acres of grain sorghum this year and we are trying to figure out the best way to harvest it. Any ideas?
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CAL(KS) View Drop Down
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Joined: 18 Sep 2009
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Points: 3804 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CAL(KS) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 8:49am
any combine can harvest it.  not sure what you mean here
Me -C,U,UC,WC,WD45,190XT,TL-12,145T,HD6G,HD16,HD20

Dad- WD, D17D, D19D, RT100A, 7020, 7080,7580, 2-8550's, 2-S77, HD15
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Joined: 29 Apr 2013
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Points: 349 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spencefarm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 8:51am
But won't the stalks get pulled right through the rollers on the corn head? It's about 12 ft tall. It's really broom corn is what it is.
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
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Points: 22825 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CTuckerNWIL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 9:00am
You wouldn't use a corn head. 
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Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF
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CAL(KS) View Drop Down
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Joined: 18 Sep 2009
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Points: 3804 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CAL(KS) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 9:05am
you need a cutter bar head like used with wheat, oats, or a bean header bolted up rigid so it doesnt flex
Me -C,U,UC,WC,WD45,190XT,TL-12,145T,HD6G,HD16,HD20

Dad- WD, D17D, D19D, RT100A, 7020, 7080,7580, 2-8550's, 2-S77, HD15
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CAL(KS) View Drop Down
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Joined: 18 Sep 2009
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Points: 3804 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CAL(KS) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 9:06am
oh you have the really tall stuff.  normally that is chopped for silage not harvested for grain
there are also row heads that were made and have sickle knifes for sorghum, but i dont know much about them, we use a rigid header.  mostly older units, my neighbor has one he drug out of his barn for a sale and its still sitting there.  of a M2

but sorghum that tall will be putting a lot of unneeded material through combine


Edited by CAL(KS) - 23 Sep 2016 at 9:43am
Me -C,U,UC,WC,WD45,190XT,TL-12,145T,HD6G,HD16,HD20

Dad- WD, D17D, D19D, RT100A, 7020, 7080,7580, 2-8550's, 2-S77, HD15
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CrestonM View Drop Down
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Joined: 08 Sep 2014
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Points: 8457 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CrestonM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 11:23am
Grain sorghum is the short stuff, less than 5' tall. I don't know what combine you're using, but Allis combines had Milo guards that attach to the sickle bar. They bolt on. I highly recommend them as they prevent the heads from falling on the ground. Without them, there is a lot more loss. 

I have no idea how you'd harvest the 12' tall sorghum. Great-great-grandpa harvested all his by hand. 


Edited by CrestonM - 23 Sep 2016 at 11:25am
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JoeO(CMO) View Drop Down
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
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Points: 2696 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JoeO(CMO) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 11:51am
sounds like it should go through a molasses squeeze minus the head, which were hand harvested. I remember using a corn knife, and a wood slat, like a plaster lathe to strip the leaves off before cutting the stalk, but I was only about 5-6,or 7 at the time so I may be off here a little, and have slept. possibly shatter cane?
Later came hybrid grain sorghum, shorter stalks. Again I've slept since then so may be sort of fuzzy on recalling details.
Perhaps some of the antique engine folks will chime in here.


Edited by JoeO(CMO) - 23 Sep 2016 at 12:52pm




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Is there seed in the head?  Sounds like you have a forage sorghum.
1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner)
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shameless (ne) View Drop Down
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Joined: 08 Jul 2016
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Points: 7463 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shameless (ne) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 4:24pm
man would I love to watch you harvest that!
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Points: 424 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote combinechris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 4:56pm
Sounds like you will be cutting the tops off by hand and throwing them into the combine. Why they used a binder and a combine with a topping attachment.
35 combines and 15 forage harvesters. mostly allis combines and equipment.WTB 2 row cornhead for a 90
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
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Points: 364 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dennis(IA) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 5:58pm
I grew a couple of rows of that broom corn one year and had people pull off the road with there cars so they could get a better look.
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MACK View Drop Down
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Broom corn is for making brooms. You use the top part to manufacture brooms.    MACK
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Michael V (NM) View Drop Down
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Points: 2492 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Michael V (NM) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 8:33pm
broom corn, yea, was really popular here in Union county NM, I can bareley remember my Dad planting some in the early 70's. I think that's prolly the last it was grown around here, it had to be 'pulled' by hand, picked up, then 'seeded'(seeds removed, but not with a combine)then bundled some how, I really don't remember much, I was in school when most of that harvest happened
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Points: 1269 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dan Hauter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 8:56pm
A lot of grain sorghum was grown around here in the mid 1980's following the drought years of 1983 and 1984.  Grain sorghum is only about 5 feet tall, which has already been pointed out.  And the others are also correct that a grain head is the way to harvest it.  Try to get only the heads and as little stalk and leaves as possible.  It's very dusty, worse than soybeans.  Our historical society hand cut and cooked several batches of sorghum last week for our fall festival.  It's about 8 to 10 feet tall and has to be hand harvested.  Stripped of leaves, chopped off at ground level, heads cut off, loaded onto a wagon, hauled to the squeezer, squeezed, and the juice put in the pan and cooked.  This pan being about 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 6 or more inches deep.  The guys at Boonville were doing it if anyone was there to see it.  If you have broom corn it's only good for making brooms or ornaments.  Popular with crafters who make decorations with it.  But it has to be hand harvested.  
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Joined: 29 Apr 2013
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Points: 349 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spencefarm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 9:28pm
Thanks guys. There is seed in the head. It is a variety of sorghum for popping or milling into gluten free flour. We are going to try and rig something up this year it sounds like. Maybe next year we will buy something to help us out.
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Isn't grain sorghum also called milo in parts of the country?
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Originally posted by DougS DougS wrote:

Isn't grain sorghum also called milo in parts of the country?

Yes , it's called both around here
Education doesn't make you smart, it makes you educated.
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Points: 42 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Farmerhg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Sep 2016 at 10:31pm
A set up like I got back in the 70's to harvest sunflowers might work.It was pans that stuck out in front of the cutter bar that had slots for the rows and would catch the heads.You would like was noted before have to run alot of stalk through the combine,but could be done.
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Points: 2307 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jiminnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Sep 2016 at 9:38am
Had a neighbor who raised mini milo for several years for calf feed.  It was only about 4 feet tall and he just straight cut it with his C2, work good but boy was it dusty.
1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner)
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