Because chinch bugs are usually a problem in southern Nebraska, grain sorghum or corn should usually not be doublecropped after a small grain. Chinch bugs are not as much of a threat in northeast Nebraska, but even then their development should be monitored if sorghum or corn is the second crop. In northern Nebraska, the doublecrop needs to be planted by about June 25, requiring harvest of the small grain for forage at boot to soft dough stage. In order to doublecrop after winter wheat harvested for grain in northeast Nebraska, a second crop with an extremely short maturity is needed. Consider proso millet and buckwheat since they can produce mature grain in about 60 days.
Proso millet is used for bird seed and can be substituted for corn in beef rations.
Proso millet is more drought tolerant than buckwheat. Buckwheat has a limited root system that restricts its use to irrigationd conditions. However, markets are not large for these crops, particularly buckwheat. Doublecrop grain yields of several crops planted after harvest of barley forage or winter wheat grain, Northeast Research Center, Concord, NE, 1987-89. Supplemental irrigation was applied.