A new brown midrib (BMR) sorghum variety could give small dairies and livestock operations in Central America better forage quality without giving up yield.

The variety – CI0947bmr – was developed by researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Centro Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria y Forestal in El Salvador.

It offers a combination of agronomic adaptation, biomass and grain yield and improved quality, says Bill Rooney, the Texas A&M plant breeder who worked on the project. The sorghum can be grown as forage, silage or as a grain crop with the residue used as forage

Producing high-quality forage is difficult in the region's tropical climates, where pests and pathogens can wreck havoc on yield and quality. Seasonal dry periods also limit production.