Everything you need to learn about millet crop cultivation, harvest and growth.
How to Cultivate Finger Millet (Ragi):
The finger millet or ragi is one of the major food crops in south India. According to De Candolle, the species, which is also known as African millet or Korakan, is a native of India. Although grown in different countries, not much information is available of its distribution. The crop is extensively grown in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, AP, Orissa, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is also grown in the hilly regions of UP and Himachal Pradesh. The total area under the crop in India is 2.5 million hectares and the production is 2.6 million tonnes.
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.)Gaertn.) belongs to the family Gramineae. It is an annual plant. Stem erect, slightly compressed and tufted. Leaves are numerous and distichous; sheaths compressed, open, glabrous and with more or less ciliate margins. Ligules are short and membranous. Leaf blades are linear and tapering to an acute point.
Inflorescence is terminal umbel of 2 to 10 straight, thick, sessile spikelets. Rachis are angular, pubescent at the base, glabrous above. Spikelets often curved, crowded, 2 – 10 flowered. Lower glume is ovate, obtuse and keeled with 2 lateral nerves. Upper glume is very similar, but slightly longer.
All flowers perfect and self-fertilized, except the terminal one, which may be only staminate or infertile Lemmas broadly ovate, acute and 3-nerved. Paleas somewhat shorter than the lemmas, 2, keeled. Lodicules 2 are broad and truncate. Stamens 3 are Ovary obovate, with distinct styles and plumose stigmas. Grain is oblongs, reddish brown, with finely curved striae. The flower is self- fertilized.
Climate and Soil:
Finger millet is grown in areas, where the rainfall ranges from 50 to 100 cm. It is generally grown in kharif season in northern India. It is also raised as a summer crop and as a rabi crop in southern India. The cropping season varies from 85 to 140 days with an average of 100 to 120 days. Finger millet can grow under conditions of very low rainfall and can withstand severe drought. It is raised both under rain-fed and irrigated conditions.
The crop grows well in light, red loams, in black and sandy loams in southern India and in alluvial soils in Gujarat, UP and Bihar. Clayey or heavy black cotton soils are unsuitable for it. It is moderately tolerant to alkalinity.
Rotation:
Rain-fed finger millet is grown in rotation with jowar, bajra, Panicum and different oilseeds and pulses and sometimes in rice fallows, while irrigated ragi is rotated with commercial crops, like tobacco, chillies, vegetables and turmeric. It is generally grown as a pure crop particularly in southern India and in Orissa. However, in dry lands, it is grown in mixture with some other crop. In certain areas in Bihar, urid forms a general mixture with ragi.
Cultivation:
The irrigated crop is cultivated throughout the year in the ragi-growing states of the south. The land is prepared thoroughly by 3 or 4 ploughings or harrowings. The rain-fed crop is sown during kharif, in May-June, or during rabi, in September-October. Manuring of the crop is done with 5 to 6 tonnes of farm yard manure per hectare and with application of nitrogen in split doses.
Application of 40 kg N/ha under rain-fed conditions and 160 – 200 kg N/ha under irrigated conditions has been found to be quite beneficial. Besides, 30-40 kg/ha each of P2O5 and K2O should also be applied. Seeds are sown by broadcasting or by drilling with the help of seed drill or behind desi plough, in lines 20 cm apart.
Transplanting of seedlings is also done in areas, where there is heavy rainfall. Interculturing may be done by two hoeing. This operation serves the purpose of weeding, crust breaking and thinning.
Harvesting and Yielding:
The crop matures in about 135 days and the plants are cut close to the ground. They are tied into sheaves and allowed to dry. The ears are removed from the plants and threshed. Threshing can be done by beating with sticks, by trampling of bullocks or by machine. The grains are winnowed and stored properly.
The average yield of grain of the rain-fed crop is 10 – 15 q/ha, whereas that of the irrigated crop is 40 – 50 q/ha.
Uses of Finger Millet Crop:
The crop is grown mainly for grain, which is very nutritious. It is a favourite food of the poor people and is also useful for diabetics. In south India, grains are sometimes fed to infants after malting. The stalk is considered to be a good fodder.
Varieties:
Some of the improved varieties now recommended for cultivation are:
AKP2, VZM1, Godavari and Kalyani (all kharif) and Simhadri and Kalyani (both rabi) in AP; BR2, RAU 8, HR 374 and PR 202 (all kharif) and BR2 and BR 407 (both summer) in Bihar; Gujarat nagli 1 (kharif) in Gujarat; HR374 (kar), Indaf 1, Indaf 8, PR 202, Indaf 9 and HR 919 (all kharif), Indaf 7, Indaf 5, HR 911 and Indaf 9 (all rabi) in Karnataka; B11, A 16, 28 – and El l(allkharif) in Maharashtra; JNR 852, IE 28, EC 4840 and JNR 1008 (all kharif) in MP; Dibyasingha and B 4-10-56 (both kharif and rabi – summer) in Orissa; Co7, Co 10 and K5 (all Nagalipattam), PR 202, Co 11, K6, K5, Co 12 and K7 (all Chitaraipattam), PR 202 and K5 (both Adipattam) and K6 and Co 11, (both Purattasipattam) in TN; Nirmal, T 36-b and PES 110 (all kharif) for plains and VL 204, VL 101 and PES 400 (all kharif) for hills in UP.
Diseases:
Some of the common diseases of the crop are:
(i) Blast caused by Piricularia oryzae, which can be controlled by growing tolerant varieties, by treating the seed with Ceresan or Agrosan GN before sowing, spraying Zineb or Maneb and by burning affected straw and stubble.
(ii) Charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseoli, which can be controlled by practising general, sanitation.
(iii) Downy mildew caused by Sclerophthora macrospora, which can be controlled by practising crop sanitation.
(iv) Helminthoriose caused by Helminthosporium leucostylum,H. nodulosum and H. tetramera, which can be controlled by treating seed with Agrosan GN before sowing.
(v) Sclerotial root rot caused by Pellicularia rolfsii, which can be controlled by practising clean cultivation.
(vi) Smut caused by Melanopsichium eleusinis, for which no control measure is known.
(vii) Bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas coracanae, for which no control measure is known.
(viii) Mosaic caused by virus, for which no control measure is known.
Insect Pests:
Some of the insect pests which attack the crop are:
(i) Ragi stem borer (Sesamia inferens), which can be controlled in the initial stage by destroying dead-hearts, by dusting 5% BHC and spraying 0.05% Endosulfan.
(ii) Black hairy caterpillar (Estigmene exigua), which can be controlled by dusting 10% BHC.
(iii) Ragi jassid (Cicadulina bipunctella bipunctella), which can be controlled by spraying 0.03% Phosphamidon, 0.04% Diazirtsip or Dimethoate.
(iv) Lucerne caterpillar (Spodoptera exigua), which can be controlled by dusting 10% BHC.
(v) Ragi root aphid (Tetraneura hirsuta), which can be controlled by mixing 10% BHC dust with the soil near the base of the plants.
How to Cultivate Italian Millet (Kaon, Kauni) ?
The Italian millet or fox-tail millet is cultivated in many countries of Asia, Africa and America, particularly in areas, where climatic hazards are such that cultivation of other cereals is not possible. In India, the major growing regions are Karnataka, AP, MP, UP and Tamil Nadu.
The Italian millet (Setaria italica Beauv.) belongs to the family Gramineae. The plant is an annual herb. Stem is erect and slender. Leaf is sheaths faintly grooved, glabrous or slightly hairy. Collar marked by a narrow band of fine brown hair. Ligule is short and thick. Leaf blades are long, and broad and taper gradually to an acute point.
Inflorescence is dense spike with innumerable bristles. Spikelets elliptical, each with 2 membranous glumes; the lower glume about one-third the length of the spikelet, oval-pointed and 3 nerved, and the upper one as long as the spikelet, broadly oval, pointed and 5-nerved. Within the glumes, 2 flowers present, the lower sterile and the upper perfect.
Lemma of the fertile flower are 5 nerved and broadly oval; palea about as large as the lemma. Lodicules 2 are broad and cuneate. Stamens 3 are Ovary smooth and oval, with 2 long styles, each terminating in a brush-like stigma. Lemma and palea firmly enclose the mature grain. Seed are shining and polished in some and dull in others. The caryopsis proper broadly oval, smooth and white.
Climate:
The plants do not require much rainfall and they can grow well in moderate to high temperature. The crop is mostly cultivated under rain-fed conditions. It can be grown throughout the year in southern India, specially as a summer crop, a rainy-season crop and a post-monsoon crop. It can also be grown at an altitude of 2000m.
Soil:
The crop can grow successfully on various types of soils, namely, light soils, including red loams, alluvial, and black cotton soils.
Cultivation:
It is generally sown mixed with cotton, finger millet and a number of pulses, but sometimes it is raised as a pure crop also.
The crop is generally grown under rain-fed conditions and sometimes under irrigated conditions. While the rain-fed crop is mostly sown in June-July and it matures in September, the irrigated crop is sown in February or March and it matures in May-June. A fine seed bed is prepared and farmyard manure at the rate of 5-10 tonnes per hectare is added to the soil.
About 8-10 kg of seed is sown per hectare by broadcasting or with the help of seed drills. Depending on the area of cultivation, the crop responds to 20-40 kg of nitrogen and 15-30 kg of phosphorus per hectare. The irrigated crop receives water at intervals of 10 days. This millet takes about 50-60 days to flower and 80-100 days to mature.
Harvesting and Yield:
The crop is harvested by cutting the whole plant or the ears separately. After they are dried in the sun, the ears are threshed with the help of a stone roller or by trampling of bullocks.
The grain-yield of the rain-fed crop varies from 500-1000 kg/ha, whereas that of the irrigated crop from 1000-1600 kg/ha. The yield of straw of the former is 1000-2000 kg/ha and of the latter up to 4000 kg/ha.
Use:
The grains are used as food after dehusking and cooking like rice and the stalks are used as cattle feed. This millet has medicinal properties as well and serves as a diuretic.
Varieties:
Some of the improved varies now being recommended are – Arjuna, SIA 326, and Chitra in AP; Local and SIA 326 in Bihar; K 221-1 and Rs. 118 in Karnataka; Ariuna and SIC 3 in Maharashtra and Co 4, Co 5 and K 2 in TN.
Diseases and Insect Pests:
There is no major disease or insect pest problem in this millet.
However, some of the diseases of the crop are:
(i) Blast caused by Piricularia oryzae, which can be controlled by growing tolerant varieties, by treating seed with Agrosan GN before sowing, spraying Bordeaux mixture or Hinosan 50 E.C. or Zineb or Dithane Z-78.
(ii) Downy mildew caused by Sclerospora graminicola, which can be controlled by growing resistant varieties, by spraying Zineb or Maneb.
(iii) Rust caused by Uromyces setariae italicae, which can be controlled by growing resistant varieties.
(iv) Smut caused by Ustilago crameri, which can be controlled by treating seed with Agrosan GN before sowing @ 2 g/kg.
How to Cultivate Common Millet (Cheena) ?
Common millet or Cheena is an important millet crop. It has a short growing period and a high resistance- to drought. It is used as human food and cattle feed. The crop is quite often grown in times of famines and scarcities, when the season is late for sowing the main food crops.
It is perhaps one of the oldest grain crops and is cultivated extensively in many different countries. It is grown on a large scale in Central Asia, Egypt, Arabia, Japan, China, southern Europe and in various areas of Africa and America. So far as India is concerned, the principal areas of its cultivation are UP, MP, Maharashtra, AP, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Common millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) belongs to the family Gramineae. The plant is an annual herb, growing up to a height of 45-60 cm. It tillers freely. Leaves linear and slender; leaf-sheaths enclose the internodes. Inflorescence a slender and much branched panicle with spikelets present singly or in pairs. Glume and palea firmly attached to the grain. Grains may be of different colours.
Climate:
Common millet is almost exclusively grown as a late monsoon crop.
Soil:
The crop is mostly raised in soils of poor fertility, in red loams, light loams and sandy loams without irrigation.
Cultivation:
The preparation of land is done by two to three ploughings. The sowing is done in the seed bed either by broadcasting 15 kg of seed per hectare or by drilling at the rate of 8 to 10 kg of seed per hectare, the spacing between rows in the latter case being 25 cm. But for the application of a large quantity of farmyard manure, the crop is rarely manured and it seldom receives any intercultivation. If the crop is raised under irrigation, one or two watering may be given. Common millet takes 90 to 100 days for its maturity.
Harvesting and Yield:
The mature plants are either cut close to the ground or uprooted. Threshing of the ears is done immediately to avoid shattering of grains, either by beating with sticks or by treading of cattle.
As much as 4 to 8 quintals of grain per hectare is obtained from an unirrigated crop and 10 to 20 quintals from an irrigated crop.
Use:
The grain is used in different ways as human food. It is husked and then cooked or parched before consumption. Chapatis can also be made with the flour obtained by grinding the grain.
Varieties:
Two improved varieties, P.V. 14 and P.V. 36, developed in Tamil Nadu, have been recommended for cultivation. Another variety, Co 1 has also been released.
Diseases and Insect Pests:
The two common diseases, which attack this millet, are:
(i) Downy mildew caused by Sclerospora graminicola, which can be controlled by growing resistant varieties, by destroying diseased plant debris and spraying 0.2% Zineb or Maneb;
(ii) Head smut caused by Sphacelotheca destruens, which can be controlled by pre-sowing treatment of seed with Agrosan GN @ 2 g/kg.
The crop is not subjected to the attack of any serious insect pest. However, shootfly occasionally assumes serious proportions. Its incidence is negligible if the crop is planted with the receipt of first rains. It can also be controlled by Phosphamidon or Methly-demeton (both 0.05%).
How to Cultivate Kodo (Kodra, Kodo) ?
Kodo does not occupy an important place among the millets cultivated in India. It is a very coarse-grained crop, possessing drought resistance and it takes a longer time than other millets to mature. It is grown mainly in the southern states of AP, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The crop is cultivated in Maharashtra and UP also.
Kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.) belongs to the family Gramineae. It is an annual grass, growing more or less erect up to a height of 45-60 cm. Tillering moderate. Leaves stiff and thick very narrow and extend beyond the length of the inflorescence. Inflorescence is thin, long raceme. Spikelets are one-flowered, and arranged on one side of the flattened rachis.
Cultivation:
It is normally sown in June-July in very poor and light soils. Sowing is done by drilling or broadcasting and the quantity of seed required for one hectare of land is 10 kg for the former and 15 kg for the latter. This millet can be grown pure or it can be grown mixed with crops, like arhar, sesame or hemp. Generally, no manuring is done.
However, it does well if farmyard manure or compost is applied in a large quantity. Kodo responds to the application of 20-40 kg of nitrogen, 20 kg of phosphorus and, in some cases, 20 kg of potash also, in the form of chemical fertilizers. The crop matures 4 1/2-6 months.
Harvesting and Yield:
The plants are cut close to the ground and are stacked for a week. Threshing is then done by trampling of bullocks. The yield of grain varies from 8 to 16 q/ha.
Use:
This millet is used as food by some poor people. The grains, which have medicinal properties, are particularly recommended for patients of diabetes.
Varieties:
The improved varieties now being recommended are – PSC1 in AP; PSC1, PSC2 and JNK 364 in Karnataka; JNK 147, JK 41.JNK 364, JK 62 and PSC1 in MP; Co3 and K1 in TN; and PSC1, PSC2 and jnk 364 in UP.
Diseases and Insect Pests:
The common diseases of Kodo are:
(i) Rust caused by Puccinia substriata and Uredo paspali scrobiculati.
(ii) Smut caused by Sorosporium paspali var. venucosum. No proper control measure is known for either disease.
The crop is not attacked by any serious insect pest.
How to Cultivate Bajra (Pearl Millet):
Pearl millet or bajra is important smaller millet. It is considered to be a very old crop and is believed to have originated in Africa. The crop is cultivated for grain, which is an important food for the poor, and also for fodder. Cultivation of pearl millet is done quite extensively in soils deficient in water and depleted of fertility and it is mainly confined to the arid regions of Africa and Asia, the important countries being China, India, Pakistan, Arabia, Iran, Egypt, USSR and those in south-west Africa.
In India, the crop occupies an area of about 12 million hectares, particularly in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP, Haryana, Karnataka, AP and Tamil Nadu and produces roughly 6 million tonnes of grain.
Bajra (Pennisetum typhoides L.) belongs to the family, Gramineae. The plant is an annual herb. Stem erect, cylindrical and solid, about 4 m in height. Leaves are small, flat, broad and lanceolate; mid-rib well developed. Leaf-sheaths markedly open above, overlapping at the base and glabrous.
Inflorescence is terminal, dense, cylindrical spike-like panicle. Rachis erect and beset with fine white hairs. Spikelets are in groups of 1 to 4, subtended by a cluster of long, scabrid and plumose bristles. In the spikelet, the lower glume are short and broad, membranous and truncate; the upper glume about half the length of the spikelet, truncate and somewhat 2-cleft.
Two flowers present, of which the lower normally staminate and the upper perfect. Lemma of the lower flower are oblong, acuminate, 5-7 nerved and sparsely hairy; palea small, membranous or absent. Lodicules are absent. Stamens3. Lemma of the perfect flower are oblong, lanceolate and 2-nerved; palea hyaline and narrowly oval.
Lodicules absent Stamens3 Ovary are obovate, smooth, with 2 styles, generally connate at the base. At maturity, the caryopsis just protrudes beyond the lemmas and readily becomes free. It is 3 to 4 mm long, obovate, pointed at the base, rounded at the apex, with a trace of the style laterally exserted. Cross pollination is the rule in bajra.
Climate and Soil:
Bajra is cultivated mostly as a warm-season crop during June to October and as a winter crop during November to February. It is also grown as a summer crop under irrigation, from March to June, in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab and Gujarat. Bajra may be raised in areas, which are not suitable for jowar on account of high temperature. The crop has high adaptability to different day length, temperature and moisture. The Indian cultivated varieties are more photo-insensitive than the West African varieties.
It is grown on a wide range of soils, such as sandy loams, light and very light soils, heavy clays and shallow black, red and light soils of the Deccan and southern India. Generally, light soils are more suitable than heavy soils. Since water stagnation is very harmful to the crop, the soil must have a good drainage.
Bajra may be grown as a pure or mixed crop. As a pure crop, it is rotated with cotton, jowar, wheat, etc. In rabi, it is grown as a mixed crop with pulses. Although bajra is generally raised in mixture with other crops, the new hybrids are grown as pure crops.
Cultivation:
The land for sowing bajra should be free from clods. This is particularly so, because the seeds are very small and the crop is commonly sown in kharif. The land preparation is done on a limited scale if the soil texture is light. Farmyard manure may be applied to the field before sowing.
The kharif crop is sown in June-July, the rabi crop in October, and the summer crop in March. Seeds are sown either by broadcasting or by drills. In the former method, the seed-rate is 10 to 12 kg/ha and, in the latter, the rows are spaced at 60 cm and the plants in a row at 15 to 20 cm.
In the case of the recently developed dwarf hybrids, the spacing can be reduced to 20-25 cm between rows and 8-10 cm within rows. Since the crop suffers from a number of seed-borne diseases, treatment of seeds with organo-mercurial fungicides before sowing is desirable.
The local varieties are rarely manured. However, experiments conducted recently have indicated that, while the optimum dose of N for the new hybrids, in severe drought-prone areas, is 40 kg per hectare that in areas of limited to adequate moisture is 80 kg per hectare. In areas of adequate rainfall, which have high retentivity of soil-moisture, 100 kg of N per hectare is regarded as the optimum dose.
In areas, where severe drought prevails, foliar application of half the recommended dose of nitrogen has been found to be useful. In light soils, the application of zinc sulphate at 2 kg/ha is considered essential owing to the deficiency of this element.
The weeds in the field may be got rid of by interculturing, up to four weeks after germination of seeds of the crop.
Harvesting and Yielding:
The crop matures in 88 to 96 days. When mature, the plants are harvested by cutting them close to the ground. Threshing of grain can be done after removing the ears from the harvested plants, by treading under the feet of cattle. The dwarf hybrids can also be harvested with a combine.
The average yields of dry grain of the local varieties and the new hybrids are 3 1/2 q/ha and 20-25 q/ha respectively. An average yields of 30 – 40 q/ha can be obtained if there is adequate soil moisture.
Uses and Varieties:
The grain is an important food for the poor people. The flour made from the grains is very nutritious and is used for making unleavened bread, which is relished by many. The crop yields a large quantity of forage also.
Several varieties of bajra have been developed in different states. The most important among them are- Co 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, K1 and X-3 of Tamil Nadu; AKP1 and 2 of AP; Bajra 207, Bajra 28 – 15, L – 17, Baroda and Babapuri of Gujarat and Maharashtra; RSK and RSJ of Rajasthan; T-55, A 1/3, S. 350, S. 530 and S. 28 of Punjab and UP and Pusa Moti of IARI.
During the past few years, certain hybrids have been developed and released for cultivation, namely, HB1, HB2, HB3 and HB4. Among them, HB3 is found to be excellent under rain-fed conditions and HB4 under conditions of adequate rainfall. However, since the hybrids, particularly HB4, are susceptible to downy mildew, resistant lines are being evolved.
Among the hybrids, 23A x J. 934 is more tolerant to mildew than HB4, but, all the same, HB3 is perhaps the best for several areas. Certain released hybrids have been reconstituted by using the male parents after their mutational rectification and, among the new hybrids, namely, New HB3, New HB4, New HB5; the last one is the best.
It combines disease resistance with good yield and wide adaptation. The hybrids of bajra are very popular on account of their relative stability in maturity (85-95 days) and very high increases in yield under improved conditions of fertility and moisture of the soil. Besides the above, a number of other promising hybrids and varieties have been released for general cultivation in the country. Particular mention may be made of hybrids, MH 143, MH 208, MH 182, X5, MBH 130, etc., and varieties, HC 4, PSB 15, RHR1, etc.
Diseases:
The common diseases of bajra are:
(i) Green-ear disease caused by Sclerospora graminicola, which can be controlled by growing resistant varieties and spraying 0.2% Zineb or Maneb.
(ii) Rust caused by Puccinia penniseti, which can be controlled by growing resistant varieties and by dusting fine sulphur @ 17 kg/ha.
(iii) Smut caused by Tolyposporium penicillariae, which can be controlled by removing smutted ears and spraying Lantvax or Vitavax (0.25%).
(iv) Ergot caused by Claviceps microcephala, which can be controlled by spraying Ziram or Zineb + copper oxychloride (0.25%) and by removing the sclerotia of the fungus by floating them in 2% salt solution.
(v) Mosaic and
(vi) Streak, both caused by virus, for which no control measure is known.
(vi) Leaf blotch caused by Xanthomonas annamalaiensis, for which no control measure is known.
Insect Pests:
Some of the important insect pests are:
(i) Leaf roller (Marasmia trapezalis), which can be controlled by dusting 5% BHC.
(ii) Shoot fly (Atherigone approximata), which can be controlled by adjusting the sowing date and destroying infested seedlings or by spraying 0.04% Endosulfan or 0.1% Carbaryl in the advanced stage of the crop.
(iii) Bajra midge (‘Geromyia penniseti), which can be controlled by burning the panicle residue and chaff to destroy larvae, or by applying 0.05% Endosulfan, 0.1% Carbaryl or 0.05% Lindane sprays or dusts.