Growing Food: A Guide to Food Production

Seed spacing: often interplanted with other cereals or legumes. Several seeds are
often planted in stations 1.5–2 m apart, which should be thinned later. Sometimes a
second crop is interplanted between plants from the first sowing.
Depth: 2–3 cm.

GROWTH CONDITIONS
Day length: there are both short day and day neutral varieties.
Growth period: harvest starts after about 90 days and continues for several weeks.
Temperature: pearl millet tolerates higher temperatures than sorghum—32C is
optimum. Heat is needed for growth, especially during and after flowering, though
some varieties tolerate light frost.
Rainfall: it requires less water than most other grain crops, and can grow well with
400 mm a year. Even at 250 mm a year it can produce some yield if the rains are
well distributed, or if soils are deep or retentive, and if evaporation is not too high.
Weeds: it can sometimes be grown in Striga-infested land (1L) which can no longer
support maize or sorghum. The plants benefit from careful weeding in the early
stages.
Rotation: ideally it follows groundnuts or other legumes.
Pests: pearl millet is often badly damaged by birds. The main insect pest is Stem
Borer (Coniesta ignefusalis), and several caterpillars and grasshoppers also damage
its leaves. Stored seed can be protected with insecticides. Bird damage, such as by
Quelea, can be devastating.
Diseases: Downy Mildew (Green Ear)—probably the most serious disease, though
some varieties have some resistance, Smut—the panicles become blackened, Ergot -
the grains become purple and enlarged, and should not be eaten, by either man or
animals, and Rust—leaves become infected, but little damage is caused. Rain at
flowering may lead to Honeydew (Sugary) Disease.

YIELD
Pearl millet yields are very variable. The global average yield of pearl millet is about
850 kg/ha, though yields of 200–300 kg/ha are common.
3 MT/ha or more is possible in fertile soil with irrigation. More than 17 MT/ha
of dry forage is possible.

UTILISATION

fed to animals, but is more commonly used to make beer. It stores well.

North America).

LIMITATIONS

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Grain: normally eaten as a porridge, cake or unleavened bread. It is sometimes

Stems: useful for building material, fencing and fuel.

Whole plant: grown for grazing and for hay, and sometimes for silage( eg in

The stems and leaves (haulm) is woody and not very digestible to animals.

Yields of pearl (bulrush) millet are normally rather low.

The seed heads are very susceptible to bird damage.

GROWING FOOD – THE FOOD PRODUCTION HANDBOOK