For more information, contact:
Rodrigo Onofre
Assistant Professor, Row Crop Extension Specialist
Kansas State University
Onofre@ksu.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sorghum Connection Winter Series brings the latest sorghum research to Kansas growers Dec. 2–4
MANHATTAN, Kan. (Nov. 2, 2026) —Kansas sorghum growers can get the latest research, market outlooks and practical management advice at the 2026 Sorghum Connection Winter Series. The three one-day meetings are set for Dec. 2 in El Dorado, Dec. 3 in Great Bend and Dec. 4 in Liberal.
The series is hosted by the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission in collaboration with K-State Extension and the K-State Department of Plant Pathology. Each meeting runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:35 p.m., with lunch provided
The Sorghum Connection Series launched in 2024 to give producers direct access to the latest research and information in order for them to make informed decisions in the heart of sorghum country. The winter series builds on the program’s summer field day held in August, with a deeper look at key topics tailored for growers by region.
The dates and locations are as follows:
- Wednesday, Dec. 2, El Dorado at the Butler County 4-H Community Building, 200 N. Griffith St.
- Thursday, Dec. 3, Great Bend at the Great Bend Events Center, 3111 10th St.
- Friday, Dec. 4, Liberal Seward County Fairgrounds Ag Building, 1501 W. 8th St.
Each meeting opens with a welcome from Adam York, CEO of Kansas Sorghum, and includes a grower panel moderated by Sarah Sexton-Bowser, Director of the Center for Sorghum Improvement. Rodrigo Onofre, K-State Research and Extension Row Crop Specialist, will present on stalk rot, seed treatments, and foliar fungicides at all three stops. Bruce Steward of FMC Corporation will give a product update on protecting yield potential.
Each location also features its own speakers:
- El Dorado: precision ag and the future of ag technology (Terry Griffin, K-State); advancing sorghum seed genetics (Terry Felderhoff, K-State); regional markets (Zach Simon, United Sorghum Checkoff Program); and a listening session on rethinking sorghum production.
- Great Bend: precision ag (Terry Griffin, K-State); nitrogen fertility management in grain sorghum (Augustine Obour, K-State Agricultural Research Center–Hays); the sorghum end-user perspective (Kyle Adams, Kansas Ethanol); export markets and logistics (Blake Connelly, Alliance Ag & Grain); and optimizing limited water with forage sorghum (Jourdan Bell, United Sorghum Checkoff Program).
- Liberal: optimizing limited water with forage sorghum (Jourdan Bell); a roundtable on water-stable crop systems; sorghum performance testing (John Holman, K-State); what 45Z means for biofuels (Kevin Hershner, Conestoga Energy Partners); and sorghum in the dairy ration (Justin Axman, Dairy Nutrition and Management Consulting).
“Stalk rot, water limits and tight margins are on every grower’s mind as they begin preparing for the spring planting season,” said Onofre. “We want producers to leave with practical, research-based information they can use on their own farms to make next season as profitable as possible.”
Full agendas, speaker lists, and registration details can be found at ksgrainsorghum.org/commission/sorghum-connection-2026. Registration opens on site at 9:30 a.m. each day. There is no cost to attend, but attendees are kindly asked to RSVP.
Registration
Registration is open at ksgrainsorghum.org/commission/sorghum-connection-2026. Registration opens on site at 9:30 a.m. each day, and the program closes at 2:35 p.m.
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The Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission (KGSC) is committed to sorghum promotion, research, and information designed to strengthen, expand and develop new foreign and domestic markets for sorghum.
