P O R C : S T E L IL M U T R IT I O N A L S E S F O R C L IM ATE CHAN G E A N D N LL A M S Y IT CU R AICRP on Small Millets Improved Production Technology for Proso millet Prabhakar Prabhu C. Ganiger Boraiah B Sujata Bhat Nandini C Kiran Tippeswamy V Manjunath H. A. Project Coordinating Unit ICAR-AICRP on Small Millets GKVK, Bengaluru - 560 065 2017
Technical Bulletin - 5/2017-18 Improved Production Technology for Proso millet Prabhakar, Prabhu C. Ganiger, Boraiah B., Sujata Bhat, Nandini C., Kiran, Tippeswamy V., Manjunath H.A. 2017 All rights reserved - No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published by Project Coordinating Unit ICAR-AICRP on Small Millets GKVK., Bengaluru - 560 065 Designed & Printed by VV V 9901556099
Foreword In India it is cultivated over an area of 0.41 lakh ha with total production of about 0.22 lakh tonnes and with productivity of 531 kg/ha during the year 2015-16. Proso millet is widely cultivated as a cereal across India, Nepal, Western Burma, Srilanka, Pakistan and South East Asian countries. Proso millet is grown throughout India in more than half a million hectare mainly in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Proso millet is important minor millet crop, is able to evade drought by its quick maturity. It is a short season crop (60-90 days) with low water requirement and it is a C4 plant, highly tolerant to heat and drought. It is preferred for extreme soil and climatic conditions as it yields reasonable harvest even in degraded soils under unfavourable weather conditions. It prevents the high blood pressure and provides adequate zinc, vitamin B6 and iron for the daily functioning. It is easily digested as they are non-acid forming. They are rich in fiber which helps to make the stomach full for long period of time and prevents overeating. Yield levels of this crop in farmer s field in Proso millet can be increased by adopting improved production technologies. The information contained in this technical bulletin would help to create the much needed awareness among farmers and extension personnel on the latest released varieties, crop growing conditions, and plant protection technologies. I am confident that the information given in this bulletin will assist the farmers and extension workers in their efforts to increase Proso millet production. I appreciate the efforts put in by the scientists in bringing out this bulletin in an impressive manner. Date: 8-12-2017 Place: Bengaluru (PRABHAKAR) Project Co-ordinator AICRP on Small Millets
Contents Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 Introduction Origin and History Area and Distribution Botanical Description Plant protection Insect pests Diseases Chapters Crop growing conditions Climate Soil Season Varieties Production technologies Spacing and seed rate Manures and fertilizers Water Management Weed control Cropping system Page No. 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 4 7 7 8 8
Common name Vernacular Names Introduction Cheena Proso (Common) millet (English), Cheena, Panivaragu, Variga and Baragu Family Gramineae Proso millet is important minor millet grown in India. The crop is able to evade drought by its quick maturity. Being a short duration crop (60-90 days) with relatively low water requirement, this escapes drought period and, therefore, offers better prospects for intensive cultivation in dry land areas. Under unirrigated conditions, proso millet is generally grown during kharif season but in areas where irrigation facilities are available; this is profitably grown as summer catch crop in high intensity rotations. In India it is cultivated over an area of 0.41 lakh ha with total production of about 0.22 lakh tonnes and with productivity of 531 kg/ha during the year 2015-16. Proso millet is free from gluten and has numerous amounts of fatty acids and carbohydrates. It also contains the minerals such as magnesium, manganese, phosphorus etc. It is helpful for the postmenopausal women. It prevents the high blood pressure and provides adequate zinc, vitamin B6 and iron for the daily functioning. It is easily digested as they are non-acid forming. They are rich in fiber which helps to make the stomach full for long period of time and prevents overeating. Origin and History Proso millet probably originated in India. It spread from India to other proso millet growing parts of the world. It might have originated for Panicum psilopodium which is found in its wild state in Burma, India and Malaysia. Area and Distribution Proso millet is one of the oldest grain crops and is grown in many parts of the world known by different names such as broom corn millet, hog millet, Hershey millet, proso millet or common millet, etc. It is grown extensively in India, Japan, China, Egypt, Arabia and Western Europe. In India proso millet is largely grown in Madhya Pradesh, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. 1
Botanical Description It is an erect herbaceous annual which tillers profusely. Its plant grows up to a height of 45-100 cm. Stem is slender with distinctly swollen nodes. The roots are fibrous and shallow. The leaves are linear, slender and the leaf sheath encloses the entire internode. The inflorescence is a much branched panicle without bristles having spikelets at the tip of the branches. Usually the last or the fourth glume encloses a perfect flower which sets grain. The glume and palea are firmly attached to the grain. The seeds may be creamy white, yellow, red or black. Climate Proso millet is a crop of warm climate. It is grown extensively in warm regions of the world. It is highly drought resistant and can be grown in areas where there is scanty rainfall. It can withstand water stagnation also to some extent. It is a hardly crop which completes its life cycle in a short span of time. Soil Proso millet can be grown both in rich and poor soils, having variable texture, ranging between sandy loam to clays of black cotton soils, coarse sands are not suited for proso millet cultivation. Well drained loam or sandy loam soils free from Kankar and rise in organic matter are ideal for proso millet cultivation. Season The rainy season crop is sown in onset of monsoon preferable in July. September - October in Tamil nadu and Andhra Pradesh Mid March - mid May in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as irrigated catch crop It is chiefly grown in central and eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Bihar, North Eastern states and Andhra Pradesh 2
Varieties A number of varieties with high yield potential have been released for different states. Table 1 : Latest and popular varieties recommended for different states of India Sl. No. State Varieties Co-5, TNAU 151, TNAU 164, TNAU 145, TNAU 202, CO 4, K 2, CO 3,CO 2, GPUP 21, GPUP 8, TNPm-230 1 Tamil Nadu 2 Uttarakhand PRC 1, TNAU 145, 164, 151 3 Karnataka GPUP 8, GPUP 21, TNAU 145, TNAU-151, TNAU-164, TNAU-202, TNPm-230, DHP-2769 4 Bihar BR-7, TNAU 164, 145, PR 18, TNAU-202, TNPm-230 5 Andhra Pradesh Sagar, Nagarjuna, CO 4, CO 3, TNAU-151, TNAU-164, TNAU-202, TNPm-230 6 Uttar Pradesh Bhawna, PRC 1, TNAU 145, 164, 151 Popular varieties GPUP 8 GPUP 21 TNAU 151 TNAU 164 3
Spacing and seed rate Spacing: 25 cms between rows and 10 cm between plants within a row -1 Seed rate: 10 kg ha for line sowing 15-1 kg ha for broad casting Manures and fertilizers Apply 5 tones of farm yard manure per hectare 2-3 weeks prior to sowing. Table 3 : State wise recommendation of fertilizer States Andhra Pradesh Bihar and Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh Other states Fertilizer recommended -1 NPK kg ha 20:20:0 20:10:0 40:20:0 20:20:0 Water Management Proso millet sown during Kharif season, generally does not require any irrigation. However, at tillering stage, if dry spell prevails for longer period, then one irrigation must be given to boost yields. Summer crop, however, would require two to four irrigations depending upon soil type and climatic conditions. Give first irrigation 25-30 days after sowing and second irrigation about 40-45 days after sowing. Due to shallow root system of proso millet, heavy irrigation is not advisable. 4
Table 2 : Popular varieties and their special features Variety Maturity (days) TNAU 145 PV 1403 x GPUP 21 TNAU 151 TNAU 164 TNAU 96 x PV 1673 Pratap Cheena-1 (PR-18) Pureline selection TNAU 202 Pedigree PV 1454 x TNAU 96 TNAU 137 x CO 4 PV 1453 x GPUP 16 Average yield (q/ha) 70-72 70-75 72-75 70-75 65-70 70-75 18-20 CO (PV) 5 (TNAU 143) 23-25 18-20 18-20 15-17 18-20 Special characters Area of adaptation High yielding, superior grain quality for value addition Tamil Nadu High yield, profuse tillering, drought tolerant All Proso millet growing areas of the country Bold grains, tolerant to shootfly All Proso millet growing areas of the country Non lodging, tolerant to shootfly and rust All Proso millet growing areas of the country Early duration, dual purpose. All Proso millet growing areas of the country All Proso millet growing areas of the country Profuse tillering and bold grains All Proso millet growing areas of the country 5
Table 2 : Popular varieties and their special features (continued) Variety TNPm-230 DHP-2769 GPUP 21 GPUP 8 (DHPH 1) PRC 1 Pedigree Maturity (days) Average yield (q/ha) Selection TNAU-164 x IPM-19 from GPUP 14 x K1 S7 x L111 Selection from GPMS 519 IPM-2769 70-75 21-23 70-72 24-25 65-75 15-16 85-90 25-26 70-75 10-12 Special characters Short duration, drought tolerant variety Variety suitable for contingency planting Non-shattering, early duration and high fodder yield High yielding; Resistant to brown spot and tolerant to shoot fly Resistant to leaf blight Area of adaptation All Proso millet growing areas of the country Karnataka Karntaka and Tamil Nadu Karntaka and Tamil Nadu Uttarakhand hills 6
Weed control Important weeds: Among grassy weeds, Echinochloa colonum, Enhinochloa crusgulli (sawan), Dactyloctenium aegypticum (makra), Elusine indica (kodo), Setaria glauca (banra), Cynodon dactylon (doob), Phragmites karka (narkul), Cyperus rotundus (motha), Sorghum halepanse (banchari) are common. The broad-leaved weeds are Celosia argentia (chilimil), Commelina benghalensis (kankoua), Phylanthus niruri (hulhul), Solanum nigrum (makoi) and Amaranthus viridis (chaulai). Weed Control For getting high yield and minimising loss of soil moisture and nutrients, the field should be kept weed-free up to 35 days stage. Post-emergence application of 2,4-D sodium salt (80%) @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha at 20-25 DAS. Isoproturon @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha as preemergence spray is also effective in weeds control. Two inter cultivations and one hand weeding in line sowing Pre-emergent spray of Isoproturon @0.5 kg.a.i. ha-1 in broadcasted crop Cropping system Bihar and Uttar Pradesh : Intercropping of Proso millet + green gram in 2:1 Western Bihar : Potato - Proso millet cropping sequence is profitable. Harvesting and Threshing Proso millet is ready for harvest after 65-75 days of sowing in most of the varieties. Harvest the crop when it is about to mature. The seeds in the tip of upper heads ripe and shatter before the lower seeds and later panicles get mature. Therefore, the crop should be harvested when about two thirds of seeds are ripe. Crop is threshed with hand or bullocks. Yield With improved package of practices it is possible to harvest 20-23 quintals of grain and 50-60 quintals of straw per hectare. 7
Table 4 : Insect Pests of proso millet Common name & Scientific name Shoot fly (Atherigona spp.) Nature of Damage The damage of this pest is observed from sowing to six weeks of old crop. As result of it s feeding the central shoot starts drying and shows the typical symptoms of dead heart in the early stage and profuse tillering in the later stage, which are also affected. Damaged tillers may produce ear heads, but with no grains (white ears). Maximum incidence occurs during late July or early August. Management Early sowing of crop i.e. second fortnight of July or with the onset of monsoon. Adopt higher seed rate (1.5 times the recommended seed rate) to make up for seedling mortality. Monitored by fishmeal trap. Soil application of phorate 8-10 kg/acre in furrow is found effective. Carbofuron 3G (1.5 kg a.i/ha) as soil application was most effective in reducing shoot fly incidence in proso millet. Spraying of quinolphos (2ml/lit) effectively reduced shoot fly infestation. Table 5 : Diseases of Proso millet Common name & Scientific name Grain smut of kutki is caused by Macalpino mycessharmae Symptoms The affected ovary is converted into smut sorus, but does not increase in size than the normal grain. The glumes are pushed apart by the transformed spore balls (sori). Management Cultural practices like delayed sowing and Seed treatment with Carboxin or Carbendazim @ 2 g per kg seed chemicals. 8
Insect Pests and Diseases of Proso millet Egg, maggot and adult of shoot fly Fishmeal trap Dead heart system Banded sheath blight 9
Small millet growing areas in different states of the country