Along with maize, sorghum is the most widely cultivated cereal in Haiti.  In the sub-humid regions of Haiti, sorghum is often intercropped or rotated with Congo Bean (Pigeon Pea).  Sorghum is a key subsistence crop in Haiti’s poorest regions.  Haiti’s farmers cultivate tall, photoperiod sensitive, traditional landraces.  

CHIBAS will be creating Sweet sorghum varieties and Hybrids as triple purpose crop (Food, Fodder and Fuel).  We aim at the development of sorghum genotypes producing high stalk sucrose concentrations and biomass, while producing stable grain yields of good quality.  Stay-green will be introduced to increase drought resistance and insure a “juicy” stem until grain maturity in order to facilitate the extraction of the juice.  Stay-green will also increase the leaves and residue values as fodder.

Intercropping Sorghum and Congo Bean  

Such triple purpose varieties (Grain: food, Stay green leaves: fodder, stem Juice: fuel) will allow to organize a smooth transition out of strict subsistence farming (and out of the poverty that goes along with it)

 Intercropping Maize and Sorghum