Farmers To Grow Less Corn More Sorghum

Kansas farmers are planting fewer acres of thirsty crops like corn and soybeans this spring and more acres of drought-tolerant crops like sorghum.

Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reported Thursday that corn growers plan to plant 4.6 million acres. That would be down 2 percent from last year, but still the fourth highest corn acreage in Kansas since 1936.

Soybean acreage is also expected to shrink 2 percent from last year with 3.9 million acres. It would be the fourth largest soybean acreage in Kansas history.

By contrast, sorghum planting in Kansas is expected to climb 16 percent from last year, at 2. 9 million acres.

Winter wheat accounts for the vast majority of Kansas farm acreage with 9.3 million acres planted last fall, down 2 percent from 2011.