Shirohie Millet

We recommend Shirohie Millet, which can be sown once soil temperatures reach 14°C and rising. That is earlier than forage sorghum, so you get high quality feed sooner, with first grazing about 5–6 weeks after emergence. Total season yield is lower than forage sorghum, so many growers use millet to fill the early gap.

Shirohie Millet is a safe option. Temperate millets carry no hydrocyanic acid (HCN, or prussic acid) poisoning risk, unlike forage sorghums. It suits direct grazing by sheep and cattle and can also be cut for hay or silage. Graze at 20–30cm high for the best feed quality, although it can be grazed up to 50cm.

We suggest Shirohie Millet. It can be sown on lighter soils than forage sorghum and tolerates low salinity. It still needs good nutrition. Our sheets suggest starter fertiliser of about N30, P8 and K30 plus trace elements per hectare for a 2.5 t/ha crop. It is not frost tolerant, so sow it in spring or summer.

Sowing rate depends on soil type. For Shirohie Millet on light sandy loam, sow 7–10 kg/ha. Our sheets give different figures for medium sandy loams and for sandy clay loams or irrigation, so talk to us before ordering. Sow 3–4cm deep and lightly roll afterwards for good seed-to-soil contact.

Rainfall guidance for Shirohie Millet varies between our sheets, from 300mm+ to 500mm+ annual rainfall. It performs best where there is reliable summer moisture, follow-up rain or irrigation. Our 2024 brochure recommends a soil pH of around 5.0, and the crop is suited to sandy through to loam soils with good fertility.

All millets, including our Shirohie Millet, tend to run to head under stress or in hot, dry weather, and feed quality then drops. Grazing management helps. Graze first at 5–6 weeks, then every 3–4 weeks depending on growth, and keep plants at 20–30cm. Apply fertiliser after each grazing to keep plants leafy.

Wait until plants are well anchored and 20–30cm tall, which is usually 5–6 weeks after emergence. After that, Shirohie Millet can be regrazed every 3–4 weeks, depending on growth. Rotational or strip grazing gives plants time to recover, and topping up fertiliser after each grazing helps sustain regrowth through late summer.

Yes. Shirohie Millet is suitable for hay and silage as well as direct grazing, and it gives good regrowth for multiple cuttings. It is a robust, multi-stemmed, leafy annual grass that grows 150–300cm tall. Cut before it runs to head to hold feed quality, and support regrowth with fertiliser.

Shirohie Millet is not frost tolerant, so sow it only after the frost risk has passed in spring. Our sheets are inconsistent on waterlogging: one describes the crop as not tolerant, so we suggest a well-drained paddock. It is adapted to fertile loams and heavy cracking clays and responds well to fertiliser.

It depends on timing and yield goals. Shirohie Millet can go in earlier, at 14°C soil temperature compared with 16°C for Bounty Sorghum, and it has no prussic acid risk. Bounty Forage Sorghum gives higher total dry matter over the season and tolerates repeated heavy grazing. Some growers sow both for continuous summer feed.