b'PARTNER CONTENTS&W Seed Company Advances Sorghum GeneticsSeed technology company, S&W Seeds Sorghum Partners brand delivers solutions to the growing challenges U.S. sorghum producers face. I n October 2018, S&W Seeds acquiredlivestock producers to pull animals from the Sorghum Partners brand throughthose areas for several weeks until the the purchase of Chromatin, Inc., aprussic acid has subsided in the plant, sorghum genetics company.says Staggenborg, Dhurrin-free hybrids Today, S&W utilizes state-of-the-arteliminate the need to remove livestock breeding technology in a molecular lab,after a freeze, saving producers both time located in Lubbock, TX, withdedicatedand grazing days. sorghum breeders in the U.S. and inOther cornerstones of the S&W breed-Australia, working with genetics that areing programs for these markets are stabil-moving the sorghum industry forward.ity and resilience within the environments We breed for all of the U.S. sorghumthe hybrids will be grown in. markets, says Scott Staggenborg, Sor- Harvestable yield isnt just important ghum Product Marketing Director for thein grain sorghum, it is the most important Americas. And what makes us unique andyield, Staggenborg says of the brands able to quickly move hybrids forward isS&Ws Double Team Sorghum, which isfocus on creating hybrids with stiff-stalk our molecular lab that prioritizes our twotolerant to ACCase herbicides, is anand stay-green traits that reduce end-important crops, sorghum and alfalfa. Weexcellent example of how S&Wsof-season lodging issues that can affect arent competing for time in the lab; weResearch and Development pipelineharvestable yields. dont ever have to wait to have markers runfocusing on bringing technology toTo ensure hybrid performance, field because everything we do in our Lubbocksorghum growers fields. testing is never shortened in the develop-lab is sorghum and alfalfa focused.ment of a hybrid. This dedicated facility and programtraits that improve stem quality, standabil- We brought 43M80 to market in about focus have allowed the S&W team to de- ity, sugar levels and dry matter productionfive years, we fast tracked the focus of liver on their goal of bringing to market so- while reducing prussic acid levels.that hybrid, says Staggenborg. But what lutions for each of the three U.S. sorghumWe have several developments in thecant be sped-up, or rather what shouldnt markets: grain, forage and silage.pipeline that will benefit both forage andever be sped-up, is the field testing in the For the grain market, our customerssilage growers, says Staggenborg.environment that hybrid is intended to be needs are yield plus technology, andWe are currently offering hybridsgrown in. thats what we are bringing with Doublewith a brachytic dwarf trait that improvesWith the strides forward S&W is mak-Team herbicide tolerance technol- the leaf to stem ratio, which increases theing in delivering the genetics their cus-ogy to the market as well as sugarcanepalatability and quality of silage. We willtomers need, Staggenborg says that he aphid tolerance and stay-green, stiff-stalkbe bringing hybrids to both the silage andis hopeful for sorghums future and the technologies, Staggenborg says. You canforage markets that offer sugarcane aphidpotential market opportunities that are produce 250 bushels an acre, but you havetolerance, Double Team herbicide toler- within reach. to be able to harvest those bushels. Ourance and a dhurrin free trait, he says.I think that sorghum, with this goal is to bring high, harvestable yields toWhile all the traits will provide greatertechnology, is going to gain prominence customers, and we are doing that throughvalue to the growers who utilize them,as a feed grain, especially as water be-the traits and technology.Staggenborg says the dhurrin free traitcomes more limiting to crop production, For the silage and forage growers S&Wwill be a game-changer for the forage mar- Staggenborg says. When you are about to serves, the end goal is also yield with theket because of the added grazing time thegrow crops on more marginal acres, these added goal of quality. To accomplish thesetrait provides. technologies are important for grower goals, S&W continues to develop brownThe risk of dhurrin converting tosuccess, thats a big win for the sorghum midrib (BMR) hybrids and is incorporatingprussic acid, post-freeze, motivates mostindustry. DECEMBER 2020SEEDWORLD.COM /115'