Supercharge Your Silage: A Guide to Forage Sorghum 

This guide explains Barenbrug's forage sorghum range—Nudan, Lush, Revolution BMR, and Hunnigreen—so you can match the right hybrid to your operation. Each variety is bred for a specific purpose, and each is backed by clear agronomic data. 

Barenbrug offers a purpose-bred forage sorghum range, with each hybrid developed for a distinct production goal—from premium hay and intensive grazing through to extended standover feed. Whatever your summer feed requirement, there is a variety engineered to meet it. The four spotlighted below cover the full spectrum of summer forage needs. 

Nudan — The Premium Hay and Grazing Hybrid 

Nudan is a next-generation Sudan x Sudan grass hybrid, bred specifically for the top end of the forage market where quality and performance are paramount. Its soft, velvety leaves and fine stems make it the first choice for hay producers, while its prolific tillering and rapid regrowth suit intensive grazing for dairy, beef and sheep. 

Key features and benefits: 

• Fine stems for quicker dry-down after cutting and higher-quality hay 

• Excellent leaf-to-stem ratio that reduces waste and lifts grazing utilisation 

• Late maturity and increased tillering to extend the growing season 

• Lower prussic acid levels, ideal for earlier grazing 

• Proven higher forage quality, with up to 4% extra liveweight gain compared with SSS 

• Increased carrying capacity by 11 DSE compared with Shirohie Millet 

Where to use Nudan: short-term summer grazing or forage conservation systems in summer-dominant rainfall zones (400mm+) or under irrigation. It performs well as a stand-alone forage or in a mix with Sustain LS Lablab, and is highly recommended for dairy, beef, silage and hay. 

Sowing specifications: 

Ensure adequate plant height (80cm+) before first grazing, and adopt rotational grazing to optimise yield and maintain quality. 

The video below features Chris Haire, Barenbrug's Northern Breeding Manager, comparing Nudan against SSS and explaining the trial data behind the results. It runs for under two minutes and is well worth a watch before you make your next seed decision. 

Lush — The Proven, High-Volume All-Rounder 

Lush is one of the most popular forage sorghums in Australia—a fine-stemmed, leafy, highly productive quick feed that responds to intensive management. For producers who want a lot of feed, fast, Lush is a reliable, proven performer across all summer forage areas of the country. 

Key features and benefits: 

• Sorghum x Sudan grass hybrid with exceptional yields and rapid regrowth 

• Very leafy forage with an excellent leaf-to-stem ratio 

• Fine stemmed, especially at higher planting rates 

• Low prussic acid levels 

• Suits intensive grazing and high stocking rates 

• Ideal for early grazing, and makes excellent hay thanks to high leaf ratio and regrowth ability 

Where to use Lush: intensive grazing operations and high-input systems running cattle and sheep, as well as greenchop, hay and round-bale silage. It is well suited to both dryland and irrigated situations, and can also be considered for standover feed. 

Sowing specifications: 

Revolution BMR — The Quality Leader for Intensive Grazing 

Revolution BMR is built around ground-breaking 12-gene brown mid-rib technology, which lowers lignin and reduces dietary fibre to lift intake and digestibility. The result is a highly palatable, high-quality feed in serious volume—perfect for intensive grazing where feed quality is the priority. 

Key features and benefits: 

• BMR sorghum x BMR sudan sorghum hybrid, extremely vigorous and well suited to early sowing 

• BMR technology may boost weight gain and milk production by around 20% 

• Lower lignin content and high palatability 

• Fine stemmed and very leafy, ideal for hay making and silage 

• Higher water use efficiency (WUE) 

• Safe, low prussic acid levels, recommended for early grazing 

Where to use Revolution BMR: intensive livestock grazing, quick regrowth systems, plus hay and silage for any producer seeking a highly palatable, high-quality feed in quantity. It rates as excellent for early grazing, haymaking, greenchop and plastic-wrap silage. 

Sowing specifications: 

Hunnigreen — The Late-Maturing Standover Specialist 

Hunnigreen is a sweet sorghum x sweet sorghum hybrid that will not flower until day length drops below 12 hours and 20 minutes. 
This extended vegetative phase keeps it leafy and productive well into the season, long after quicker-flowering sweet sorghums have run to head. The result is higher-quality, sweeter grazing for longer. 

Key features and benefits: 

• High-energy feed with superior sugar content 

• Late flowering that reduces ergot risk and keeps the crop leafier for longer 

• Excellent standover feed for late grazing into autumn and winter 

• Excellent for silage, and suitable for grazing and some haymaking 

• Leafy with excellent palatability, and can be grazed all summer 

Where to use Hunnigreen: extended grazing programmes and standover feed for beef and dairy, particularly in areas with longer seasons. It is the ideal choice for producers who need feed to hold its quality late and who want to lessen the risk of ergot. 

Sowing specifications: 

Choosing the Right Hybrid for Your Operation 

Each variety in the range earns its place by doing a specific job well. Use the comparison below to narrow your choice. 

If premium hay and top-end forage quality matter most, Nudan is the clear choice. For a proven, high-volume workhorse across varied conditions, reach for Lush. Where intensive grazing demands the highest digestibility, Revolution BMR delivers. And if you need feed that holds its quality into autumn and winter, Hunnigreen is purpose-built for the task. 

Below are some easy to use ready reckoners to help select your ideal sorghum.  

Hybrid Comparison Reckoner 

The right forage sorghum can transform your summer feed programme—lifting forage quality, extending your season, and driving the liveweight gains that pay the bills. Barenbrug's range gives you a purpose-bred hybrid for every requirement, each backed by replicated trial data and decades of breeding expertise.