Many taller- stemmed varieties are grown in other countries. Sorghum leaves roll along the midrib when moisture- stressed, making the plant more drought resistant than other grain plants. Like corn, sorghum can be grown under a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. Unlike corn, however, sorghum's yield under different conditions is not so varied. Consequently, it is grown primarily in arid areas where corn wouldn't make it without substantial irrigation.
Sorghum is an important part of the diets of many people in the world.
It's made into unleavened breads, boiled porridge or gruel, malted beverages including beer, and specialty foods such as popped grain and syrup from sweet sorghum. In Africa, the straw of traditional tall sorghums is used to make palisades in villages or around a homestead. The plant bases are an important source of fuel for cooking and the stems of wild varieties are used to make baskets or fish traps. Dye extracted from sorghum is used in West Africa to color leather red. Sorghum starch is manufactured in the U.S. by a wet-milling process similar to that used for corn starch, then made into dextrose for use in foods.