MILLET (Bajra) is an important grain and a fodder crop. It is a short duration plant and excellent for dry areas because of its potentiality to high tillering, drought and heat tolerance, high photosynthetic efficiency, versatile adaptation to soil types, high protein content and good stock production.
It contains important nutrients such as proteins (11.4 per cent), starch (47.1 per cent), fat (0.5 per cent) and minerals (2.7per cent). It is an excellent source of feed as dry hay for cattle in winter.
Millet is equally successful in barani and irrigated tracts. It is mostly grown in Sindh and Punjab after the rainy season.
This crop is grown throughout Sindh with Dadu, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Thatta and Thar as the main growing districts. Due to its less water consumption and adaptation to various soil types, it is grown in areas where other crops fail. Its average yield in our country is five maunds per acre which is quite low than in most of the millet-producing countries. However, if improved production technology is adopted, its yield can be increase five-fold.
High temperature is needed for rapid growth of the crop especially at the later stages of plant development. This crop does well on variety of soils, with an exception of waterlogged and saline soils. This crop has the ability to tolerate salinity to certain levels. However, fertile loamy soil is considered best for achieving better production. As this crop is badly affected with birds, the land selected should be free of trees. In order to make up the deficiency of organic matter eight to ten tones of well rotten farm yard manure should be added to the soil.
Better land preparation gives better yield. Two to three dry ploughings followed by clod crushing and levelling are necessary for achieving good production and equal distribution of water. Feeding channels should be made in such a way that each plot gets water separately. Irrigation from one plot to another will distribute the diseases and weeds. Soaking dose should be applied one week prior to sowing and when land comes in condition two ploughings followed by planking and then drilling should be done.
The crop meant for grain purpose gives better results by drilling method, as field operations i.e. thinning, hoeing, weeding and harvesting are easily performed. The distance between rows should be 45 cm. Fodder crop should preferably be grown by broadcasting method. For seed purpose crop two to three kilogrammes, where as for fodder purpose crop eight to ten kgs seed per acre is required. In Sindh, the crop is grown from June 15 to July for grain; where as March to August is best suited for fodder purpose crop. In Punjab, July to August is suitable for grain purpose crop.
However, in barani areas sowing dates depends on rainfall, which may vary from season to season. After two weeks of germination thinning of plants should be done to keep 20 cm distances between plants. Thinning should be carried out before first irrigation. While thinning weak and diseased plants should be removed. Thinning results in more number of tillers, which ensures better production.
This short-duration crop requires less number of irrigations and performs better even under less precipitation conditions.However, 3-4 irrigations are sufficient for achieving better results. First irrigation should be carried out after 20-25 days after sowing, second at the time of flowering, the third at grain formation stage and the fourth, if necessary, at milky stage.
Shortage of water during flowering and grain formation stages badly affects the yield. At sowing time one bag of urea plus two-and-half bags of S.S.P and one bag of S.O.P should be added to the soil. Where as half bag of urea per acre at the first irrigation and flowering time will help boost yield. Weeds are harmful for the crop and cause as much as 20 to 25 per cent reduction in yield. Weeding should preferably be done after first irrigation, followed by control of weeds and prevention of lodging of crop.
At the time of maturity the crop should be saved from birds which some times cause 100 per cent losses, leaving the ear head devoid of grains. Scaring of birds should be done early in the morning and evening.
The crop becomes ready for harvesting after 75 to 80 days of sowing. Harvesting should be done after dew drying. The ear heads are picked and heaped at a clean and dry place. The crop meant for fodder preferably should be harvested at leaf boot stage or at 50 per cent flowering stage. In irrigated areas 15 to 20 maunds per acre yield is achieved, where as fodder crop gives 300 to 350 maunds per acre.
DISEASES: Green ear head disease: This disease is common in millet growing areas and occurs on ear heads making it devoid of grains. Affected ear heads should be cut and burnt to avoid spread of the disease. In the worst effected fields millet should not be grown in the next year.
Grain Smut: This is the main diseases of the crop which attacks the ear heads. The affected grain becomes whitish and seen enclosed in golden membranes, which consist of disease spores instead of grain mass. Disease affected ear heads should be carefully cut and burnt outside the field. Seed before sowing should be treated with Topsin-M or benlate fumigate at the rate of two grams per kilogramme to avoid this disease.