{
  "id": 12493340,
  "title": "Sorghum may help European agriculture face climate change",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/sorghum-may-help-european-agriculture-face-climate-change",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-06T23:20:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-sorghum-european-agriculture-climate.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study by INRAE and AgroParisTech suggests that sorghum could help European agriculture adapt to climate change. Sorghum, a drought-resistant crop, may perform better under warmer temperatures and water scarcity conditions that are expected in Europe due to climate change. While sorghum is commonly grown in arid regions like Africa and the United States, its presence in Europe is minimal, accounting for just 0.1% of European cropland. The study modeled potential future production under different climate scenarios and found that sorghum yields could increase from 3 to 3.4–3.8 tonnes per hectare by 2050-2100, with higher yields in northern Europe and slight declines in southern Europe. If grown one year out of three, sorghum could potentially replace up to 90% of the maize currently used in livestock feed. Its lower water requirements and heat tolerance make it a promising alternative to maize, which often requires significant irrigation. The researchers used a machine-learning model to predict sorghum yields based on climate parameters, providing a robust framework for assessing the crop's potential in European agriculture.",
  "summary": "Research by INRAE and AgroParisTech suggests that global warming could have an overall positive effect on sorghum yields in Europe. Sorghum is a promising alternative to maize in livestock feed. Additionally, the crop requires less water and can tolerate higher temperatures. The researchers carried out simulations that used past climate data and future climate scenarios with the broader goal of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}