IPB University Professor: Sorghum is a Potential Food Source in the Future, Can Overcome Stunting

Prof Desta Wirnas, a professor at IPB University from the Faculty of Agriculture, emphasized that sorghum is a potential food source for the future. He said that sorghum has unique macro and micronutrient content.

“The nutritional content of sorghum is not inferior to rice, in fact, its protein content is higher than that of broken-hull rice, so it is good for overcoming stunting,” said Prof Desta Wirnas in a press conference before the IPB University Professor Oration, 18/7.

Prof Desta explained that the protein content of sorghum reaches 10.4 percent, while that of broken rice is only 7.9 percent in 100 grams of seeds. Not only that, sorghum also has a lower glycemic index so blood sugar increases more slowly.

“Sorghum is classified as a gluten-free food so it is perfect for people sensitive to wheat gluten. Sorghum also contains antioxidants which play a role in neutralizing free radical molecules which are thought to be related to levels of inflammation in the body,” added Prof Desta.

The professor also explained that sorghum can be processed into various foods. He said that sorghum can be cooked and consumed with side dishes like eating rice made from paddy rice. Sorghum is also processed into dry cakes, but cannot be processed into wet cakes like gluten-based cakes.

Regarding sorghum cultivation, Prof Desta explained that sorghum is a dry land crop so it does not need too much water. He added that sorghum has broad adaptability so it can be planted in various land conditions and is more adaptive to climate change.

“This sorghum is a C4 plant so it has very good adaptability to dry land and marginal land. Therefore, sorghum can be developed on dry land which has not been utilized so far,” he said.

Sorghum cultivation, said Prof Desta, can be done on dry land so it does not require important infrastructure such as irrigation. This makes sorghum development easier. For farmers, sorghum is also interesting because it can be ratted so that at one planting you can get 2 to 3 harvests.

Prof Desta said, to date, IPB has made efforts to develop sorghum as a staple food source through plant breeding activities. This effort was successful in producing the IPB Sorice Merah and IPB Sorice Putih varieties. Development of sorghum varieties will continue to be carried out to obtain sorghum varieties that are more suited to domestic needs, such as ripening quality and sufficient Fe and Zn mineral content, as well as industry, such as biomass yield potential and sweetness levels.

“Sorghum is the food of the future because it can be a staple food provider to deal with population growth amidst increasingly frequent weather anomalies. With the advantages and uniqueness of sorghum, it has great potential to be developed into a new staple food source for the Indonesian people, thereby supporting diversification programs,” concluded Prof Desta. (IAAS/ASD)