The Art of Planting in Southern France
On Tuesday, October 12th, during the « Agronomy and Production » workshop of the congress, Guillaume Joly spoke about the specificities of sorghum production when done in organic agriculture systems. He also took the opportunity to review the characteristics of the regions of production, the production improvement techniques, and the specificities of organic farming.
The Eurosorgho Seed Production and Supply Chain Officer spoke in detail about the crop’s needs and the related logistics that are required for a successful harvest:
- the seedbed soil needs to be loose, to enable even emergence and limit tillering to the maximum;
- heat, a little moisture, and wind;
- good access to water;
- the proximity of a drying facility of industrial capacity, to preserve the quality of the crop.
South-eastern France:
an Asset for Sorghum Production
The south-eastern part of France is a major production region – and with good reason. It presents excellent characteristics for sorghum cultivation:
- good harvest conditions (no moisture at the time of harvest);
- no rainfalls in June-July;
- temperatures that are not too high at the blooming stage;
- areas that benefit from wind;
- good access to water with no problems of availability. In south-eastern France, 80 percent of areas are irrigated by the Canal de Provence from the Alpine region.
Ways to Improve Production…
Among them, Guillaume Joly mentioned:
- improved pollination;
- early grinding of male plants;
- adapted planting density;
- improved harvest and logistics (by using dessicants and defoliants, shortening the time between harvest and drying, using PCR tests, etc)
…and Adapt it to Organic Production
- good management of grass coverage;
- adjustment of fertiliser treatments;
- increased planting densities;
- vigilance as to pest attacks and sorting.