b'Grower Perception Controlling SorghumBen Beyer, U.S. sorghum breeding lead at Alta Seeds, talks about how the biggest challenge the sorghum industry could face in 2021 is growers perception influencing the amount of sorghum acres grown. Seed World (SW): What are youour EMPYR Premier Forages brand. some major improvements over what currently reading on your shelf? Sorghum in my opinion is underutilized,is currently offered in the next few Ben Beyer (BB): Im more interested inundervalued, and lagging behind otheryears. Other than that we are looking non-fiction so I recommend everyone tocrops in terms of technology andinto additional herbicide tolerance read Jared Diamonds Guns, Germs, anddifferentiation. The herbicide technologytechnologies and looking at some Steel and Timothy Egans The Worst Hardwill be a game changer in the industrynaturally occurring traits to improve Time. I am currently reading Malcolmand will provide growers with new weedenergy availability and thus improve milk/Gladwells The Tipping Point. control options that has been a bigton and beef/ton in our silage and forage success in other geographies.breeding program.SW: Best place to travel?BB: Being a native Texan and proud ofSW: No. 1 challenge sorghum mightSW: In a perfect future, whats my home state, my two favorite placesface in 2021? one problem youd eradicate from are the Texas Coast and Hill Country. IveBB: Given Chinas influence on the marketsorghum to help breeding efforts?taken a big interest in inshore saltwaterthe past 5 years, Im worried aboutBB: Currently we are looking at double fishing and chasing Redfish and Speckledgrower perception that current priceshaploid technology in which some Trout with both conventional and fly- could recede further and lead to fewersources have been identified a few years fishing gear in my kayak. The Texasacres. What I have noticed is that givenago through a project funded by the Hill Country offers lots of scenic viewssorghums acreage the past decade isUnited Sorghum Checkoff Program. accessed via hiking trails and nice cleanthere is always a buyer either domestic orWe have some additional possibilities rivers with our state fish the Guadalupeinternational and even having a bumperidentified by our molecular lab from Bass that are a lot of fun with a fly rod.crop doesnt lead to excess grain that isdifferent collections. There is much difficult to sell. research needed to optimize the system SW: Whats one thing youre lookingand sorghum is a little more complicated forward to in 2021? SW: Anything new in the pipeline? to work with than other crops and may BB: Im really looking forward to theBB: My program is producing somenot have the resources needed to fund launch of ALTA Seeds sorghum igrowthexcellent new parent lines for newthe research given the current size of the herbicide tolerance technology andhybrids and I believe we will be launchingindustry.SW82/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2020'