Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 11 mild flavour and light color also make it an ideal substitute. Food companies are using it in cookies, cakes, crackers, muffins, cereal and pancake mixes. More and more contract growers are beginning to react to the demand of gluten-free products and planting specific sorghum varieties for food-grade sorghum, based on demand from brand distributors. Additionally, sorghum breeders are identifying genotypes and producing hybrids that have relatively high levels of antioxidants. These antioxidant levels are comparable to and above levels one could find in fruits and vegetables that are often promoted as heart-healthy and high in antioxidants. For example, sorghum has more antioxidants than blueberries and pomegranates. It is the tannins, associated with some darker-coloured sorghums, which are responsible for the high antioxidant levels. Past studies also indicate that sorghum can reduce cholesterol, and that it has high levels of phytochemicals, which are known to promote heart health and combat stroke, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders — all the more reason to encourage cultivation of the ancient cereal grain. And the other component people are interested in, specifically with the black sorghum, is its natural colour, using it in food processing to get away from artificial colours. Sorghum flour can be used for frying, resulting in a crispy texture without becoming sticky. Other sorghum-based products hitting the market include pet food, beer and “healthy” snack foods. Some of these markets are just in their infancy, encouraging independent research in specific areas, such as sorghum- based dog food for obese pets. Sorghum in Europe With the majority of Europe’s row crop production located in northern climates and with shorter growing seasons, growers may not believe that sorghum is a good fit for the geography. Sorghum’s origin is as a subtropical crop, and for it to move north, away from the equator, extensive global breeding activities are required to develop the needed adaptations. “As a company focused solely on sorghum, we are committed to advancing the crop into more temperate regions through the efforts of its industry-leading research and development program,” says Charles Miller, vice-president of Business Development & International Sales at Chromatin. “In northern regions, the demand by farmers for alternative crops for silage and grain are growing. Sorghum is extremely water-use efficient and tolerant to drought. There is going to be an increased space for sorghum in the northern latitudes, and we are committed to developing hybrids to meet that need.” Steady Increase Trends show that over the last 10 years, sorghum production in the EU has steadily increased as growers and end-users recognize sorghum’s advantages. “Ten years ago, farmers planted 90,000 hectares of sorghum, with the majority of that in France and Italy,” says Miller. “Today, about 150,000 hectares of sorghum is planted in the EU. That’s a growth of approximately 65 per cent. Farmers are definitely seeing the potential of the crop.” Miller adds that Ukrainian farmers were growing 50,000 hectares a decade ago. It’s now close to 200,000 hectares, up more than 400 per cent. On a global scale we’re seeing a similar expansive picture. The area planted to sorghum worldwide has increased by 66 percent during the past 50 years, and yield has increased by 244 per cent. “As a result of investment and time, our sorghum hybrid yields have steadily improved over the last 10 years” says Scott Staggenborg, director of product portfolio and technology advancement for Chromatin. “Our breeding program has produced an increase in yields every year, and we have seen some fairly rapid increases in yield in our new hybrids because that’s been the focus of our breeding programs.” Breeding New Sorghum Varieties The pick-up in the new markets didn’t happen overnight. For many years, sorghum was under-represented and relatively unknown, but consumers and buyers are now taking more notice. But before reaching the market, seed companies are typically testing their potential varieties in a number of different environments to see which varieties perform best in each of the various environments. “Over the last three years, we have tested sorghum varieties in a number of climates, including regions of Italy, France, Germany and Ukraine. The varying conditions range from Mediterranean environments where rainfall is plentiful in the spring and planting conditions are ideal, turning hot and dry during the summer — to the North, where the spring is cooler and there is potential for drought late in the season,” says Staggenborg. “With an industry average of 10 to 11 years of breeding and development to create new sorghum hybrids to fit varying conditions, we have developed a proprietary method that significantly reduces new hybrid development,” he continues. “We owe that success to a large genetics and breeding team and state-of-the-art facilities committed to sorghum development. Our biggest concern is how fast we can move improved hybrids into New Chromatin sorghum hybrids being tested in field in the Rhone valley in France.