Sorghum is one of the most water efficient crops grown

One of its distinctive features is its status as an “in C4” plant, with a CO2 absorption mechanism that offers it higher photosynthetic yield, and thus efficiency in both warm and dry conditions.

Furthermore, thanks to its tightly-meshed root system (which can extend as far as 2 metres into the ground, when the soil is deep and well-prepared), it can extract and use water and soil nutrients with greater efficiency.
In total, its requirements (soil reserve + rain + irrigation) range from 400 to 500 mm.

The capacity for adaptation

Which sorghum shows in the face of hydric stress is widely known. In most cases, irrigation is not even needed. In soils of average depth, sorghum’s water requirements are markedly lower than those of other spring-time crops. When the farmer has an irrigation system and in the event of special needs (summer drought, low soil depth), well-targeted water input (between the sorghum boot and heading stages) will be maximised.