2. Millet:
– The millets are:
i. Group of small-seeded grasses
ii. Widely grown around the world as cereal crops
iii. Grains for both human food and fodder.
• Millets are important crops in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa,
with 97% of millet production in developing countries.
• The crop is favored due to its productivity and short growing season
under dry, high temperature conditions.
• While millets are grown in many parts of the world, but millets most likely
has an evolutionary origin in tropical western Africa, as that is where the
greatest number of both wild and cultivated forms exist.
4. Plant Characteristics:
• The height of millet plant may range from 0.5 to 4
meters.
• The millet grain has great variation, and can be nearly
white, pale yellow, brown, grey, slate blue or purple.
• The kernel shape has five different
classifications: obovate , hexagonal, lanceolate ,
globular and elliptical.
• Grains of millet are about 3 to 4 mm long.
• The seeds usually weigh between 2.5 and 14 grams.
• The size of the millet kernel is about one-third that
of sorghum.
5.
6. MILLETS GROWN IN INDIA
MAJOR
MILLETS:
Sorghum
Pearl millet
Minor millets:
Finger millet
Proso millet
Little millet
Foxtail millet
Barnyard millet
Kodo millet
13. Nutritional Facts:
• Millet is a principal source of energy, protein, vitamins
and minerals for millions of the poorest people in the
regions where it is cultivated.
• Millet, like sorghum, is generally 9 to 13% protein, but
large variations in protein content, from 6 to 21%, have
been observed.
• Millet grain compares favorably with maize and
sorghum as a high-energy, high-protein ingredient in
feed for poultry, cattle and sheep.
• Several studies indicated that, compared to maize,
millet is 8-60% higher in crude protein, and 40% richer
in amino-acids lysine and methonine.
14. Anti nutritional facts:
• Oxalic acid in millet reduces the bioavailability
of calcium and hence has a negative impact on
milk production and fat content.
15. MILLET PRODUCTION
COUNTRY PRODUCTION IN
TONNES
INDIA 10,610,000
NIGERIA 7,700,000
NIGER 2,781,928
CHINA 2,101,000
BURKINA FASO 1,104,010
MALI 1,074,440
SUDAN 792,000
17. Top millet consumers
COUNTRY FIVE YEAR AVERAGE IN MATRIC TONNS
INDIA 9,041,765
NIGERIA 4,299,211
NIGER 1,733,793
BURKINA FASO 1,116,505
MALI 856,337
18. Cultural practices
• SEEDBED PREPARATION:
Weeds should be controlled prior to planting and the seedbed should be firm
and well-worked. Since millets are planted late in the season, spring plowing
and cultivation for weed control are practices.
• SEEDING RATE:
Seeding rate is recommended at 4 pounds per acre. An exact seeding rate is
not critical, because pearl millet can partially compensate for a poor stand by
increasing the number of tillers. Seeding depth should be 1/2 to I inch deep.
• SPACING AND DEPTH:
Sowing depth: 2-5 cm (sorghum) and 2-4 cm for millet
Row spacing : 15-50 cm
19. IRRIGATION
• Finger millet
• Total water requirement: 350 mm
• Finger millet is a drought tolerant crop. Pre-
planting irrigation at 7 or 8 cm is given. Third day
after transplantation life irrigation with small
quantity of water is sufficient for uniform
establishment. Water is then withheld for 10-15
days after the establishment of seedling for
healthy and vigorous growth. Subsequently three
irrigations are essential at primordial initiation,
flowering and grain filling stages.
21. Fertility management
• For conventional production, about 40 to 80 pounds of nitrogen
fertilizer per acre should be applied on most Indiana soils. The
lower amount is appropriate if the millet follows a legume such
as soybeans. Since nitrogen needs are modest, fertilizer nitrogen
can be applied side dress rather than pre plant if appropriate.
Nitrogen needs can certainly be met from organic sources, such
as animal manure or a leguminous cover crop.
• Phosphorous and potassium needs of pearl millet have not been
well studied, but again the rule of thumb is to use rates
recommended by a soil test lab for sorghum. Phosphorous
response is likely to improved if the P is banded near the seed.
Liming is probably not necessary on most Indiana soils for pearl
millet, since it has been reported to be fairly tolerant of low soil
pH's.
22. WEED CONTROL
MECHANICAL: Millets do not compete well against
weeds so its important to control serious weed
problems prior to planting.
Millet s are not seeded until the middle of june
germinating annuals and emerging perrineals can be
controlled by frequent cultivation during early growth.
CHEMICAL : control broadleaf weeds in proso millet, 2,4-D
amine can be applied when the crop is 4 to 6 in. tall.
Spraying should be avoided when heading or flowering.
Atrazine which was used for control of annual broadleaves
and some grasses in proso millet will not be labeled for
such use after September of 1990.
23. DISEASES AND THEIR CONTROL
Head Smut
(Sphacelotheca
destruens)
Controlled by seed
treatment
Kernal smut (Ustilago
crameri)
Requires seed treatment
and crop rotation
Bacterial Stripe Disease
(Pseudomonas
syringae pv. panici)
24. INSECTS AND MITES AND THEIR
CONTROL
Wheat Curl Mite Grasshopper Armyworm
Control: using insecticides such
as Malathion, Mattch, Methaldehyde,
Methoprene, Phostoxin, Pyrellin, Sevin, and
Telone
25. HARVESTING
• Proso millet is ready for harvest when seeds in the upper half of the
panicle are mature. Seeds in the lower half of the panicle may still be in
the dough stage but should have lost their green color. At this point, the
leaves and stems may still be green.
• Millet is usually harvested by swathing to allow drying of straw before
combining. Swathing too early reduces yield, test weight and color quality.
Harvesting too late increases loss as a result of shattering and lodging.
Rodents and birds can cause damage to proso during ripening.
• Harvest the millet when the grasses and seed heads have turned golden brown.
Millet can be harvested either by hand or with the use of a mechanical
thresher.
26. DRYING AND STORAGE
• Millet seed should be stored at 13% moisture or less.
Federal grain standards have not been established for
millet. However, good quality millet seed should have a
minimum of broken kernels and be relatively free from
weed seeds.
27. Millet as fodder:
• In many countries these are primary sources of
animal feedstuffs.
• It is good source of diet as compared to the corn
diet for various types of animals like poultry,
ducks, cows.
• It is estimated that over 95% of millet production
is used as food, the reminder being divided
between animal and poultry feed (7%), other
uses (seed, bakery products etc.)
28. Cont…
• The crop residue after
grain harvest is valuable
source of fodder for
livestock because of its:
Wide adaptation
Short duration with
rapid growth
High tillering capacity
Drought tolerance.
29. Cont…
• Utilization of grain as
feed for the milch
animals or poultry is not
significant (7%)
compared to sorghum
(almost 50% of total
output).
• Mostly millet grain is
used as animal feed.
