Millets

Plenty of varieties of millets are grown in major areas of the world, enabling a number of people to get sufficient amounts of these small seeded grasses. Millets are grown in areas as cereal crops and for consumption by many people as well as for the purpose of fodder. Production of miller is done in developing countries to the extent of about 97%, mostly in Africa and Asia. Since this particular kind of crops require humid and hot climate, it is grown in semi-arid regions of the world, such as in India, Nigeria and other African countries. Marginal conditions of rainfall and dry zones are suitable for the growth of these crops.

Included in the list of millet crops are many kinds of cereals, which require low level of soil fertility and less moisture. Since these are able to grow in short periods of time, they can be suitable during non-harvesting seasons. In India, many places with huge agricultural populations are nowadays growing millets and with proper conditions, these can be stored for a long period of time.

Most common type of millet crop is the pearl millet or locally known as bajra in India. This particular crop takes up about 50% of the total production of millets. Some of the other varieties are proso millet, finger millet and foxtail millet. Each kind of millet has its botanical name, but ragi or finger millet is the fourth largest produced millet. The second largest production is done with Kang or Rala in Maharashtra, third being the production of common millet or white millet. Some farmers and agriculturists put corn and sorghum under the millet category.

Plant of millet crops are of an average height of about 0.5 mts to 4 mts, with pearl millets being the highest. Finger millet has lower height and the size of the grains is also lower.

Nutritional Aspects of Millets

As food materials, millets are having the properties of non-glutinous, nutritious and non acid farming products. They have barn and have easy digestive properties. Predominantly, they are quite starchy with finger millet having the lowest fat content than the others. B-complex vitamins are derived from the bran layers of millets. They do not have allergic properties. All kinds of millets release lesser amounts of sugar, compared to other kinds of grains. Protein content of millets is supposed to be about 11% of the weight. It has been said that the millets are good for diabetes, because they release glucose in lower quantities. Besides carbohydrates and barn, millets also possess minerals in small quantities such as magnesium, iron, potassium and phosphorus. Finger millet variety has the large amount of calcium contents, which can be 10 times more than that of wheat or rice. In the raw form, consumption of millets is not possible as it is not digestible and the nutritional value is lower than the cooked food. Appropriately, millets are supposed to be prepared and cooked for human consumption as required.

Origin of Millets

Millet crops are indigenous to many parts of the world. But, the evolution of this kind of staple crop had its origin in Africa. This is evident from the large number of wild and cultivated forms of the plants found in the country. History is also replete with the popularity of these food items, as it has been seen that the millets had existed since thousands of years ago as staple food of people. It is considered that millets had been in cultivation in East Asia for more than 10,000 years now.

Millet Production in India

As it is known that millets require very little water, Indian subcontinent is well known for the vast amounts of areas under production of millets of different types. They typically require semi arid and dry high temperatures, so that there is good production of the plant. In addition to that, millet crops do not require any kind of fertilisers, so that farmers can use simple farmyard manures and household bio-fertilizers. For this reason, the encouragement of millets products in India through subsidized farming. Being pest-free crops, they also do not carry the danger of being infested with pests during production as well as storage. With so many advantages associated with millet production, strangely, millet productions in India have declined, over a period of last five decades, especially after the setting in of the green revolution. But, the many advantages of millet production has ensured that Indian policy makers look at these prospects with attention and make necessary rules and take steps towards improving the quality of production in the country. In times of crises, when rice cultivation is damaged or not possible, millets of different kinds can lead to major productions. Low fertile soils in India have enough produce of millets. Pearl millets can be grown in saline salts and in sandy areas like that of Rajasthan. Finger millets are produced in large quantities in saline soil. Indian agricultural scenario has a number of poor farmers, most of the areas occupied by them being quite poor in fertility. In such conditions, the only kind of crop that is sustained is that of millets. Hence, it is seen that most of the millet production in India is done in Deccan areas and Rajasthan, which also serve as good fodder for the cattle.

Millet production is a cropping system, rather than a single crop in India. At any particular time in millet cultivation, there are about 6 to 20 crops sown at a particular place and cultivated. Baranaja cropping system in Himalayan belt, Saat Dhan region in Rajasthan and Pannendu Pantalu system in South India are places which have millet crop systems in prominence. In 1956, 41% of the all cereal cultivated areas in India was under millet production. But, by 2006, the area had reduced from 36.2 Mha to 21.31 Mha, which is a decrease of 42% of the cultivated area. In terms of gross cropped area of India, millet production has come down to about 11% of these areas by the year 2006.

Methods of Growing Millets

Millets are large seed grasses, which are primarily used as food source. It is believed that millet was one of the first harvested grains in the country for food purposes. Hot summers are the best time for the growth of millets, but these are not found in the southern states of India, because of the high humidity levels. First the plot of land is prepared for harvesting and organic rich compost and nitrogen rich fertilizer is added to it. Seeds are planted near to each other, with 2 inches gap. Rows are made 1 foot apart and the soil cover needs to be 1 inch high. As the crop growth occurs, more compost is added and mulching is done to come up with the best results of no pest infestations. When the seed heads have turned brown and the grasses are brown, harvesting is to be done, with hand or with mechanised harvesters.

Millet Growing Regions in India and Best Season

Variety of statistical data suggests that millet growing regions in India are spread across the entire country, from the sea level areas to the heights of about 8000 meters. Cereal crops are produced in the largest qualities in some states of the central India, with millets being the highest in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan are some of the states, where millets are produced in the dry climatic conditions. Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh had top ranks among the states producing millets in India.

Soils suitable for the growth of millets in India comprise of low rain fed, poor shallow and marginal soil in the states in which millet production is high. Some hilly areas also have the production of these crops, although being done with shifting cultivation.

Best season for millets cannot be specified because it can grow in any season, but requires dry and hot climate. So, during summer seasons, when the climate is dry and water irrigation facilities are poor in India, millets can be cultivated.

Photo Gallery