Agriculture and Environment: Sorghum

Environmental Impacts of Production: Poisoning Animals

Defensive chemicals produced by the sorghum plant itself can be toxic to domestic animals and wildlife.

The sorghum plant can be toxic to herbivores if it is eaten prior to flowering. Sorghum, sorghum hybrids, and related plants contain high levels of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide).

Prussic acid poisoning
Prussic acid poisoning can occur when livestock is pastured on sorghum or when wild herbivores eat sorghum by mistake or during periods when other food is scarce.

These characteristics are common with grain sorghum as well as related plants including Sudan grass, sorghum-Sudan grass hybrids, Johnson grass, and sweet sorghum.

The presence of naturally occurring polyphenol chemicals in the sorghum plant, especially in varieties with purple undercoats, has also been found to affect the health of wild birds.