FOXTAIL MILLET
Setaria italica ( Syn. Panicum italicum, Chaetochloa italica)
Italian Millet, German Millet, Hungarian Millet, Siberian Millet
Sétaire d’Italie, Millet des Oiseaux (French); Borstenhirse (German);
Kakun (Hindi); Dana, Mijo Menor, Panizo Comun (Spanish);
Painço (Portuguese—grain and plant)
It is thought that this very ancient crop originated in China where it was grown in
the north-west of the country 5000 years ago. It is now the most important millet in
Japan.
It is an annual plant, 30–200 cm tall, with more slender and leafy stems than
pearl millet. The panicle colours vary from creamy white, pale yellow, orange,
reddish orange to dark purple—or mixtures of these colours. Unlike pearl millet the
panicles often curve downwards; they are 7–25 cm long, 1–5 cm in diameter. The
flowering period lasts for 10–15 or more days; they are mainly self-pollinated
though cross-pollination also occurs.
The mature grain is up to about 2 mm long, with the husk (the lemma and palea)
tightly held onto the testa. Grain colour varies from white, pale yellow to orange,
red, brown or black.
Foxtail millet grows very quickly—it can mature in 10 weeks or so—and so can
be very useful as a catch crop. The plants look very much like the 3 common weeds,
the yellow, green and giant foxtails. It is mainly grown in India, Japan, China,
southeast Europe, North Africa and America.
PLANTING
Soil: good drainage is important. Foxtail millet adapts to a very wide range of soil
types including infertile ones.
Seed rate: 4–6 kg/ha when planted in rows, 11–17 kg/ha when broadcast on to clean
land, 27–33 kg/ha when broadcast onto poor or weedy soil. There are about 450–
500,000 seeds per kg.
Spacing: often intercropped with legumes or other cereals. As a monoculture, the
plants should be closely spaced, 5–6 cm between plants and 20–30 cm between
rows, to smother weeds.
Depth: foxtail millet seeds are small and should only be planted into moist soil; up
to 3 cm deep if necessary, for example in sandy soil.
Rotation: best if grown after legumes or another small grain or maize. In dry
regions some crops yield poorly after foxtail millet, unless irrigated and/or fertilised.
Intercropping: this is commonly done, with legumes, cotton, finger millet and other
cereals.
GROWTH CONDITIONS
Growth period: the grain matures in 75–120 days. Hay can be made from some
varieties in 55–65 days. This fast growth can make it useful as a late-planted catch
crop (1Gc).