University of Nevada, Reno Researcher Develops Sorghum Varieties for Dairy Feed and Gluten-Free Food

University of Nevada, Reno researcher Melinda Yerka and her team have unveiled 200 sorghum varieties that could be a game-changer for food, brewery, dairy feed, and biofuel industry. Results of preliminary experiments show that the sorghum varieties have drought tolerance with some varieties also exhibiting record levels of protein and digestible starch.

In 2023, Yerka founded Yerka Seeds to complete the development and commercialization of the sorghum varieties. Yerka Seeds, together with several university programs seeking less water-intensive dairy feed, developed pilot studies to assess the varieties' viability as alternative dairy feeds. The results are promising according to Yerka, as field trials confirmed that the seeds perform best on 20 to 25 inches of water per year compared to the 30 to 40 inches that most corn and alfalfa varieties require. Yerka is now advancing research to identify the optimal combinations of soil type, climate, fertilizer, and water that maximize the seed's potential.

The new sorghum varieties have already attracted international attention. Yerka has partnered with sorghum breeders at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Nairobi, Kenya, to develop similar sorghum varieties for climates in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia and Senegal.

For more details, read the article in Nevada Today.