Prospect of sorghum development as corn substitution in Indonesia

Abstract

This paper explores the opportunities for the development of sorghum to reduce imports of corn. Besides being the primary raw material for poultry feed, corn is the second staple-food ingredient after rice. Still, the increase in corn production is not in line with the demand for corn due to the increasing population. This condition has resulted in the need for corn to be imported, while the government has imposed an import ban since 2017. It is necessary to have other commodities that can substitute corn as food as sorghum. Sorghum farming produces not only sorghum seeds but also plant waste which can use for a ruminant feed so that the availability of ruminant feed continues. Sorghum farming needs to be developed so that the availability of food and feed can sustain. The development of sorghum should be in areas where there is a feed industry to ensure the sorghum market for farmers and the availability of raw materials. The development can also be in areas that have long consumed sorghum (local food).

Evolving Paradigms in Sorghum Research: A Bibliometric and Content Analysis of Global Trends and Future Directions

“…Sorghum has become increasingly popular for diverse applications, including food [1][2][3], feed [4][5][6], and bioenergy [7][8][9]. Its widespread cultivation is attributed to its remarkable adaptability and drought tolerance, making it well-suited for changing climates [10,11].…”

“…Its widespread cultivation is attributed to its remarkable adaptability and drought tolerance, making it well-suited for changing climates [10,11]. Additionally, sorghum stands out for its high productivity, minimal nutrient requirements, and cost-effectiveness, making it a competitive crop globally, especially in regions like Africa and Asia [5,12,13].…”

“…To address this, new low-tannin sorghum cultivars like Macia have been developed for broiler feed, showing no adverse effects when replacing corn [19]. The Indonesian Cereals Research Institute also released Suri 3 Agritan and Suri 4 Agritan in 2017, low-tannin sorghum varieties with less than 0.1% tannin [5]. This highlights sorghum's potential to replace corn in feed during shortages.…”

Challenges and alternative solutions in developing sorghum to support food diversification in Indonesia

“…Given the slow development of sorghum for food in Indonesia until now, it is necessary to study what factors hinder it, from cultivation to consumption (from farm to table ). Some studies related to sorghum for food in Indonesia have been carried out, both in the aspects of diversity and assembling improved sorghum [13-19], land suitability [20,21], cultivation and production [22,23], harvesting, postharvest, and storage [24][25][26], processing and marketing [27][28][29][30][31], and sorghum development [32][33][34]. Studies on the role of women in developing sorghum are still limited.…”

Global Trends and Future Works in Sorghum Research: A Combined Bibliometric and Content Analysis Approach

“…Sorghum has become increasingly popular for diverse applications, including food [1][2][3], feed [4][5][6], and bioenergy [7][8][9]. Its widespread cultivation is attributed to its remarkable adaptability and drought tolerance, making it well-suited for changing climates [10,11].…”