Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor
Origin: Malakal, South Sudan
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~50
Germination tested 12/2024: 81%
Life cycle: Annual
We're thrilled to once again have this fantastic sorghum available. It was one of the first sorghums we ever grew, but we hadn't produced a crop for years until last year. Hailing from the same South Sudanese town (Malakal) as some of our other favorite varieties ('Coral,' 'Kassaby,' and 'Nerum Boer'), 'Nebur Der' is an excellent dual-use sorghum, particularly for more humid areas. Its juicy, sweet stalks can reach upwards of 12 feet high, and the seed-heads ("panicles") are somewhat loose and droopy, which reduces the threat of mold when late-season rains and humidity might otherwise put the whole crop at risk. It also seems to lessen the threat of bird predation. Tasty seeds are large and brown. Syrup is delicious.
Our seed was grown by EFN co-founder Nate Kleinman in collaboration with the excellent farmers at Reed's Organic Farm in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.