In this article we will discuss about the pearlmillet cropping systems in India.
1. Mixed Cropping:
In dryland agriculture, mixed cropping used to be the major system before the concept of intercropping system was introduced during 1970s. In mixed cropping, there will not be a separate row for the component crops. The seed of proposed crops, as mixture, are mixed and the mixture sown by drilling with local seed drills.
In south India, the mixture constitute as many as nine crops in different proportions: pearlmillet (50%) sorghum (25%), pigeonpea (5%), greengram (5%) cowpea (5%), fieldbeans (3%) horsegram (3%), blackgram (2%) and sesame (2%).
Proportion of crops in the mixture varies depending on the fanner’s domestic needs. All the component crops are traditional long duration verities. Pearlmillet is the first crop to be harvested. Pods of pulse crops are harvested several times whenever they mature.
This mixed cropping will continue in the field up to January- February, depending on termination of northeast monsoon rains. This type of mixed cropping is aimed at yield stability and meeting the domestic needs. It is still practiced in several remote villages in south India. In Rajasthan, pearlmillet is grown mixed with greengram, kidney bean and field peas. In Uttar Pradesh, pigeonpea is largely grown with pearlmillet as mixed crop.
2. Intercropping:
Mixed cropping with pearlmillet has been the traditional practice to reduce the risk of crop failure in aberrant weather. Mixed cropping is practiced without any specific row arrangement for component crops leading to low yields due to competition among component crops. The technique and planting pattern have been perfected through intercropping for yield advantage using improved short duration cultivars of component crops.
Studies in this direction have shown that one or two rows of short duration pulse crop planted in the interspace of paired rows of pearlmillet (30/70 cm) give around 400 kg ha-1 without affecting pearlmillet yield. Pearlmillet + pigeonpea in 2:1, pearlmillet + greengram/ blackgram/clusterbean in 1:2 are more remunerative than sole crop of pearlmillet under different situations.
3. Rotations:
Rainfed pearlmillet is, generally, grown in rotation with cotton, sorghum, groundnut or setaria in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The rotations maybe of two years (pearlmillet-cotton) or three years (pearlmillet – cotton – sorghum).
Irrigated pearlmillet is often rotated with rice under intensive cropping systems. Kharif rice-rabi rice-summer pearlmillet or kharif rice-rabi groundnut – summer pearlmillet are the usual yearly sequences under irrigation in south India.
In drylands of Rajasthan, pearlmillet is usually grown in rotation with cotton or groundnut in two years rotation. Continuous pearlmillet for three or four years followed by fallow for an year is also common in Rajasthan.
Chickpea-pearlmillet-fallow is most common in Punjab. Under irrigated conditions, kharif pearlmillet- rabi wheat is a common one year sequence in north and north western parts of the country. In Gujarat, it is grown in rotation with tobacco.
At IARI, yield of pearlmillet was significantly high after legume crops such as groundnut (22.6%) cowpea (24.2%) or pigeonpea (12.1%) than after pearlmillet in double cropping systems under irrigation. Previous crops of summer greengram did not affect the yield of pearlmillet.
The benefits from previous crop of groundnut and cowpea were equivalent to about 60 kg N ha-1 applied to pearlmillet following previous crop of pearlmillet. Clusterbeen-pearlmillet system is most profitable in Rajasthan with 12 per cent yield advantage in pearlmillet.