Breeding

Hi-Gest Sudangrass is the result of almost three decades of hybrid sudangrass plant breeding and university and on-farm evaluations for yield, palatability and digestability.

Brown Midrib Trait (BMR)

• Found in corn, sorghum and millet.
• Plants with the brown midrib trait have reduced lignin and improved fiber digestibility.
• The brown midrib trait has been available since the 1930′s but breeding efforts were needed to overcome reduced yield and vigor concerns.

Hi-Gest Sudangrass Development

• Focused breeding by Cal/West Seeds developed improved brown midrib hybrids that overcame the reduced yield and vigor concerns.
• Hi-Gest Sudangrass hybrids have competitive yield and significantly better forage quality, providing a new pathway to improved animal performance over open pollinated sudangrass and other sorghum types.

Product Evaluation

• Hi-Gest Sudangrass hybrids have been evaluated by on-farm and public trials in the geographies where they are normally recommended for yield, forage quality and animal performance.

Commercialized 2007

• Hi-Gest Sudangrass has been planted on farms in the US since the 2007 growing season with glowing results from producers.
• Utilized as pasture, hay or silage.
• Large dairies across the US are adding Hi-Gest Sudangrass silage to their TMR’s to reduce feed costs.
• Hi-Gest is a registered trademark.