Deficit irrigation effects on yield and yield components of grain sorghum

•An intensified deficit irrigation strategy may optimize water use efficiencies by considering the growing season crop water use dynamics.•Managed deficit irrigation minimizes evaporative losses from the soil surface that occur prior to canopy closure.•Managed deficit irrigation concentrates irrigation applications between growing point differentiation and half bloom to sustain ovules.•The ability to incorporate this management strategy is dependent on the irrigator’s irrigation capacity.•Yield was stabilized by increasing seeds per panicle under Managed Deficit Irrigation.