When rain fails, sorghum often survives. The cereal grain tolerates heat and drought better than corn or wheat, which makes it a staple in parts of Africa, Asia, and the southern United States. Farmers grow it for grain, forage, and syrup.

Plants grow tall, sometimes over two metres, with a seed head at the top. Grain varieties produce round seeds used for food and animal feed. Forage types are harvested for hay or silage. Sweet varieties are pressed for syrup.

Common sorghum types

• Grain sorghum for food and feed
• Forage sorghum for hay and silage
• Sweet sorghum for syrup and biofuel
• Broomcorn for brushes and decorative uses

Sorghum has a waxy coating that reduces water loss, and its roots reach deep. Those traits let it produce a crop in conditions where other cereals fail outright.