The millets are various grass crops that are harvested for animal and human food.
Sorghum is known as “millet” in parts of Africa and Asia.
Compared to other cereals, millets are mainly suited to less fertile soils and
poorer growing conditions, such as intense heat and low rainfall. These poor soils
may be deficient in one or more trace elements, in which case yields of millets will
be reduced.
There are eight different types and many species of millet, cultivated in the
warmer regions of the world. They are mainly used as a human food grain crop, but
are also used for hay and forage (eg Guinea Grass, Panicum maximum) and for
making beer, pombe and other drinks.
The FAO estimate of the global production of millets for the 2004 season was 29
million MT, ranking them as the 6th largest of the cereals, after maize, rice, wheat,
barley and sorghum. Millets are widely cultivated in parts of Asia, Africa, China and
Russia.
The eight most commonly grown species for human food are listed below; the
first three millets are described in more detail later on. These eight species are all
members of the Poaceae(alt.Graminae) family, and are all in the Paniceae sub-
family except for Finger Millet which is in the Chlorideae sub-family:
Foxtail Millet—Setaria italica (Syn. Panicum italicum, Chaetochloa italica)
Finger Millet—Eleusine coracana
known as Sanwa Millet and Billion Dollar Grass. An awnless annual 60–120 cm
tall, grown for forage, hay and grain. It is the fastest growing millet, some varieties
maturing in six weeks. Grown mainly in SE Asia and the USA, with cultivation
methods similar to those for Foxtail Millet—see later. Often grown in Egypt as a
reclamation crop on land too saline for rice. Grain is light brown to purple. Jungle
Rice E.colonum is a related species, usually considered to be a weed.
Browntop Millet—Panicum ramosum (Syn. Brachiaria ramosa). A native of India,
it is a fast growing annual 60–120 cm tall, mainly grown for hay or forage, or for
wild bird food. Its seed shatters readily and so can become a weed on arable land.
Common or Proso Millet—Panicum miliaceum. Also known as Panic Millet,
Broomcorn Millet, Brown-corn Millet, Hog Millet, Hershey Millet, Russian Millet,
India Millet and Cheena (Hindi). A very drought resistant fast growing (60–80 days)
annual about 75 cm tall, grown as a human grain crop and also as fodder and bird
seed. Good potential as a catch crop in hot dry areas with poor soils, but does not
grow well on coarse, sandy soils. Reputed to need less water to grow than any other
cereal. Mainly self fertilised, but some cross-pollination does occur.
Kodo or Koda (Ditch) Millet—Paspalum scrobiculatum var. commersonii and var.
scrobiculatum. Grown on light soils, mainly in India for forage. Hardy and drought
resistant, but low yields.
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Pearl or Bulrush Millet—Pennisetum typhoides (Syn. P. americanum, P. glaucum,
P. spicatum)
Japanese (Barnyard) Millet—Echinochloa frumentacea (Syn. E. crusgalli). Also
GROWING FOOD – THE FOOD PRODUCTION HANDBOOK
Millets