Though USDA pegged U.S. sorghum acres at 1.8 million in its 2021 Prospective Plantings report, agronomists and crop specialists on the ground in sorghum country say they expect that number to be closer to 2 million, as farmers look to capture bullish market prices, many of which are higher than corn in areas suitable for both crops. Despite that favorable outlook for the crop, its success is contingent on one major, widely lacking variable: moisture. Rainfall has been sparse in parts of Texas where sorghum is grown, and though the crop has high heat and drought tolerance, adequate rainfall and irrigation will be necessary to hitting yield goals. Though moisture has been in decent supply in parts of Texas where the crop is already off and running, drier areas in western parts of the state will need rainfall soon in order to support a bumper sorghum crop, especially at the critical juncture at which farmers will be sidedressing fertilizer and applying herbicides and pesticides soon. See more on the current state of the Texas sorghum crop.