A recent article by Dr. Om Dangi and Dr. Khizer Baig in the Canadian weekly, Ontario Farmer, discusses the status and potential of sorghum and pearl millet in Canada. Entitled "A new acreage conversation with two older crops," it references work of the authors with their organization, Agriculture Environmental Renewal Canada (AERC). The full article can be read on Press Reader at https://www.pressreader.com/canada/ontario-farmer/20260929/282007564313102 . I was unable to find a page with the article on the Ontario Farmer site, https://www.ontariofarmer.com/ I'm also copying the full article below for the readers of Collab per fair use. In this copy, I fixed a few paragraph break issues from the original. This is an excellent article, and worth your time. Thanks to Dr. Dangi for bringing this to our attention, and to AERC for its continued work on these crops. Collab readers will recall that Dr. Dangi presented on his work with pearl millet in the NAMA Millets Webinar in 17 April 2025: https://youtu.be/MtYL3MUquRA?si=FVi81pkMDn_PGpCh Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance ======== Full text of the article (minor edits to formatting) ======== *"A new acreage conversation with two older crops"* BY Dr. Om P. Dangi and & Dr. Khizer Baig, Agriculture Environmental Renewal Canada (AERC) Inc., *Ontario Farmer*, 29 Sep 2026 Canada’s 2026 acreage story is dominated by familiar crops. Statistics Canada reported record canola seedings of 23.4 million acres, while corn, soybeans, and barley also gained ground. These shifts show how quickly producers respond when price signals, processing capacity, and agronomic fit align. They also raise a forward-looking question: which crops can add resilience and new markets as Canadian growing conditions become more variable? Sorghum and pearl millet deserve a place in that discussion. They will not replace Canada’s major field crops, nor should they be presented as universal solutions. Their opportunity is more targeted: drought-tolerant forage during feed shortages, grain for specialized food and livestock markets, sweetstem biomass for fermentation, and rotation options for farms seeking biological and soil- health benefits. Ontario is well positioned to build these value chains because it combines livestock production, food processing, research capacity, and access to large consumer markets. *Thirty-five years of adaptation through conventional breeding* Sorghum and pearl millet originated in warmer regions, so their successful cultivation in Canada required much more than the introduction of tropical germplasm. The principal breeding challenge was to retain their natural tolerance to drought and heat while progressively incorporating and accumulating favorable alleles associated with early emergence, adaptation to cooler temperatures, early flowering and maturity, stable biomass or grain yield, and performance within Canada’s short frost-free growing season. This long-term effort may be compared, in principle, with the nobilization of sugarcane, in which repeated crossing and selection combined desirable characteristics from diverse genetic backgrounds to produce commercially useful cultivars. Similarly, Agriculture and Environmental Renewal Canada Inc. used conventional crossing, selection, and evaluation over successive generations to assemble favorable cold-adaptation and short-season traits in sorghum and pearl millet. This was not genetic engineering; rather, it was the gradual introgression and accumulation of naturally occurring favorable genes and alleles through conventional plant breeding. AERC has pursued this work for more than 35 years. Its systematic development of Canadian- adapted sorghum and pearl millet began in the 1990s. Approximately 4,850 accessions were evaluated, from which 38 sorghum and 22 pearl millet lines demonstrated useful adaptation in the Ottawa– Carleton environment. Continued selection and testing emphasized early vigor, tolerance to cool conditions, timely flowering and maturity, yield stability, forage and grain quality, and suitability for food, feed, and industrial applications. The resulting material was evaluated with Canadian federal and provincial organizations, universities, farmers, and industry partners. This prolonged adaptation process is important because drought tolerance alone does not make a tropical crop commercially suitable for Canada. A genotype may withstand dry conditions but still fail if it emerges poorly in cool soil, flowers too late, produces grain with excessive moisture at harvest, or does not fit existing livestock and processing systems. Canadian-adapted germplasm therefore provides the biological foundation, while validated agronomy, reliable seed supply, market specifications, and processing agreements are essential for successful commercialization. *A portfolio for several value chains* AERC’s current seed-chain portfolio demonstrates that sorghum and pearl millet are versatile crops capable of supporting several agricultural and industrial value chains. The portfolio comprises eight Canadian-adapted hybrids selected for forage, grain, food, livestock-feed, and sweet-stem applications. The sorghum portfolio includes CHMSH-35, a forage hybrid suitable for high-biomass fodder and silage production, and CFSH-30, a multicut forage hybrid developed to provide repeated harvests and dependable feed for dairy and beef production. The grain sorghum hybrids CGSH-9 and CGSH-28 offer opportunities for livestock and poultry feed, birdseed, gluten-free foods, flour, brewing, and other value-added products. CSSH-45 is a dual-purpose sweet sorghum hybrid that produces fermentable, sugar-rich stem juice for ethanol and other industrial products, while the remaining biomass can be used for silage after juice extraction (Photographs 1 to 3). The pearl millet portfolio includes CGPMH-90, a short-duration grain hybrid with potential applications in nutritious gluten-free foods, poultry and livestock feed, and specialized grain products. CFPMH-101 is a drought-tolerant, multicut forage hybrid intended for grazing, green chop, and silage, while CSSPMH-7 is a sweet-stem, dual-purpose hybrid that combines high-quality forage and silage production with sugar-rich sap suitable for fermentation and renewable-energy applications. In addition to these end uses, all three pearl millet hybrids—CGPMH-90, CFPMH-101, and CSSPMH-7—have demonstrated potential to suppress the root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchus penetrans), an important contributor to potato early dying and associated yield losses. Their inclusion in pearl millet–potato crop-rotation systems could help reduce nematode populations, interrupt pest and disease cycles, improve soil health and fertility through increased organic matter and root biomass, and enhance the productivity and yield stability of subsequent potato crops. These hybrids are therefore recommended for integration into sustainable potato and vegetable production systems as multifunctional rotation crops that combine nematode management and soilhealth benefits with valuable grain, forage, silage, and renewable-energy uses (Photographs 4 to 5). Together, these eight hybrids provide AERC with a focused seed-chain portfolio extending from the farm to the livestock, food-processing, and renewable-energy sectors. Their diverse end uses can help farmers reduce production risk while giving processors access to Canadian-grown grain, forage, and industrial feedstocks. *Where Ontario can lead* For farmers, the immediate opportunity is risk diversification. Sorghum and pearl millet can complement, rather than displace, corn silage, cereals, and established forages. Their drought tolerance and vigorous summer growth may provide an alternative when water is limiting or when a short-season emergency forage is needed. Lower-fertility and marginal fields may offer additional niches, but field selection must be based on local trials, economics, and realistic harvest logistics. For livestock operators, the opportunity is a more resilient feed basket. Multicut forage hybrids can spread harvest timing, while sweet-stem crops offer high biomass and palatability. Feed testing remains essential because maturity, fertility, frost, and ensiling conditions affect quality and safety. Sorghum requires particular attention to prussic acid after frost or severe stress. For food processors, Canadian-grown gluten-free grain could support flour, bakery mixes, snacks, beverages, and culturally familiar foods for a diverse domestic market. Ontario has the advantage of proximity to millers, bakeries, product-development expertise, and consumers. Processors can help accelerate acreage by specifying grain color, protein, starch, particle size, food-safety requirements, and minimum contracted volume before planting. For industrial users, sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet warrant pilot-scale evaluation for ethanol and other fermentation products. Their strongest proposition is not simply liters of juice; it is integrated utilization of juice, grain where applicable, and residual forage or biomass. Demonstration at commercial scale must establish storage, transport, extraction efficiency, fermentation yield, and the value of co-products. *From promising crop to dependable market* The next phase requires coordinated development. First, hybrids need replicated multi-location testing across Ontario and other provinces, with transparent reporting of maturity, yield, forage quality, grain moisture, lodging, disease response, and year-to-year variability. Second, region-specific production guides must address soil temperature at planting, seeding rate, fertility, weed control, harvest timing, and frost management. Third, seed multiplication and distribution must be reliable enough for commercial growers. Fourth, processors and livestock users should participate in trials so agronomic performance is connected to an actual purchase specification. A measured acreage-expansion strategy is preferable to growth without a market. Contracted Pearl millet hybrid CGPMH-90 demonstration blocks with dairy, beef, milling, and fermentation partners can generate farm-scale data while protecting growers from uncertain demand. Public researchers, crop advisers, and grower organizations can independently validate performance and clarify where each hybrid fits - and where it does not. Sorghum and pearl millet acreage is emerging from a small base in Canada, but a consistent national series is not published separately in the principal field crop survey. That makes careful language and better data collection important. Seed sales, insured acres, processor purchases, and provincial field trials could provide a more accurate picture of adoption. *A practical climate adaptation opportunity* Canada’s major crops will continue to dominate the seeded area. However, climate resilience will increasingly depend on providing farmers with a broader range of production options, particularly crops that can serve multiple end uses and maintain useful productivity under heat and moisture stress. After more than three decades of Canadian selection and adaptation, sorghum and pearl millet are progressing from experimental introductions toward practical options for farms, livestock operations, food processors, and industrial value chains. Ontario can lead this development by connecting Canadian-adapted genetics with independent agronomic validation, livestock-feeding research, food innovation, and industrial processing. Expanded domestic production of sorghum and pearl millet could reduce dependence on imported gluten-free grains, specialty food ingredients, livestock-feed components, and certain industrial feedstocks. It would also support the development and promotion of Made-in-Canada products, including nutritious grain and flour, gluten-free foods, bakery and snack products, livestock feed, silage, fermented beverages, bioethanol, and other renewable bioproducts. Developing an integrated domestic value chain would allow more economic value to remain within Canada. Farmers could benefit from crop diversification, new contractual markets, and additional income opportunities. Food processors would gain access to traceable, Canadian-grown raw materials, while industrial users could develop locally sourced, lower-carbon feedstocks. Seed production, grain handling, milling, feed manufacturing, transportation, and product development could generate further business and employment opportunities in rural communities. Canadian-adapted hybrids could also create export opportunities for certified seed, specialty grain, gluten-free ingredients, livestock-feed products, and renewable industrial materials. Canada’s reputation for agricultural quality, food safety, scientific research, and reliable supply could help position these products in markets facing drought, rising temperatures, and increasing demand for nutritious and climate-resilient crops. If growers are supported by verified performance data, reliable seed availability, suitable crop insurance, processing infrastructure, and dependable buyers, sorghum and pearl millet can generate new farm income, strengthen forage and food security, reduce import dependence, and expand Canada’s agricultural exports. The opportunity is substantial—but it will flourish only when production, processing, and markets grow together. *(Agriculture and Environmental Renewal Canada Inc. is an Ottawa-based hybrid seed company working on Canadian-adapted sorghum and pearl millet for forage, grain, food, and industrial uses)* ======== End of the article ========