Brown midrib, a fairly new trait available in forage sorghums, is increasingly popular because it is better for cattle than traditional sorghum. "Brown midribs have a lower lignin content, so cattle can digest it more easily," said Kunz. "This makes it more palatable to them and helps improve the animal’s overall performance," he added.

The agricultural research center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln has found brown midrib sorghum to be 10 percent more digestible than regular sorghum. Researchers there also found that dairy cows that were fed brown midrib sorghum produced the same amount of milk as those fed corn silage, and 10 more pounds of milk per day than cows fed traditional sorghum silage.

Lignin is a universal component of plant cells, considered indigestible for cattle. According to Kunz, the reduced lignin makes brown midrib forage sorghums comparable to corn silage in terms of feed value, but takes one-third less water to grow. This can give farmers an advantage in dry years, especially if they can raise the same tonnage of sorghum as they can corn.

Bill Rooney, associate professor of soil and crop sciences at Texas A & M, has noticed an improvement in brown midrib hybrids. "Seed companies, such as Garst, have made improvements to the overall quality and standability of brown midrib hybrids over the years," Rooney said. "And when you take into consideration the water efficiency of sorghum versus corn, brown midrib is a pretty easy sell," he concluded.

Chris Hummel, a development agronomist for Garst Seed Company, has noticed an increase in demand from feedlots as well. "Some big dairies have been requesting brown midrib specifically," Hummel said. "Because it doesn’t have as much phosphorous as other feeds, it helps hold down the levels of phosphorous in their waste," he added.

Dairies are working to reduce phosphorous levels in manure to make it easier to dispose of and more usable as a fertilizer. According to Hummel, growers could see higher prices for brown midrib sorghum on the market as demand continues to escalate.

Recent dry weather throughout much of the United States has shown the importance of conserving water. As brown midrib hybrids continue to improve, the popularity of the product is expected to increase. "Whenever you get a feed crop that increases animal performance but doesn’t require as much resources, people are going to like it," Kunz concluded.