Sorghum Diseases in India

Pearl Millet Diseases in Southern Africa
W.A.J. de Millianoi
Abstract
Pearl millet is thought to have been in southern Africa for more than 2000 years. In the last 15
years, the region had occupied about 2% of the world's pearl millet area. Ten of the 12 countries
grew pearl millet and produced 3 to 4% of the grain in Africa annually, and about l%of the world
production. National grain yields were low and fluctuated below 1 t ha -1 . Tanzania, Zimbabwe,
Angola, and Namibia had the largest areas under production. These were no indications that
fluctuations in areas under production, low grain yield, or low total production could be attributed
to high disease incidence. Varieties began to replace landraces, but hybrids were used in research
only.
There is still a need to identify pearl millet diseases and study their occurrence and incidence in
southern Africa. Data about losses caused by diseases were not available. Grain losses because of
ergot and smut, and losses of dry matter because of fungal foliar diseases occurred regularly. Loss
of grain and dry matter losses because of downy mildew occurred occasionally. Witchweeds and
grain molds were of importance only in some regions or during some seasons. Disease research in
relation to pearl millet improvement was stimulated by the initiation of the SADCC/ICRISAT
Sorghum and Millet Improvement Program in 1984. The present status of information on diseases
and research results is reported here and areas for further research are indicated.
Introduction
It is believed that pearl millet reached southern
Africa by 900 to 800 BC (Robinson 1966). In the
past 15 years, pearl millet was grown in at least 9
of the 12 countries of southern Africa. It is
grown for its grain, stems, and total biomass.
Lesotho and Swaziland recently introduced
pearl millet for experimental forage studies, but
the crop is not (yet) grown by farmers in these
nations. From 1969 to 1985, the whole region
produced approximately 5-6% of the millet
grain in Africa annually, approximately 2% of
the world production [FAO tapes, 1986 (1988)].
Pearl millet and finger millet (SADCC/ICRISAT
1985) are lumped together in the FAO statistics,
but on the basis of estimated ratios of the two
crops, southern Africa probably produced 3-4%
of Africa's pearl millet grain annually, and about
1% of the world production.
Angola, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe
had the largest areas under production (Table 1).
There are no indications that fluctuations in the
areas sown could be attributed to high disease
incidence. The area under production appeared
stable in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, the
Republic of South Africa, and Zaire. Tanzania
and Namibia appeared to have a steady increase
in the area under production, possibly as a result
of economic factors, successful extension, and
response of farmers to successive droughts. In
Zambia and Zimbabwe, pearl millet areas were
reduced because (1) maize is preferred, is hardly
damaged by birds, and is easier to process for
1. Principal Cereals Pathologist, SADCC/ICRISAT Regional Sorghum and Millet Improvement Program, PO Box 776, Bulawayo,
Zimbabwe. Present address: Section Leader, Phytopathology, Zoaduniz Westeinde 62, PO Box 26,1600 AA Enklhuizen, the
Netherlands.
de Milliano, W.A.J. 1992. Pearl millet diseases in southern Africa. Pages 115-122 in Sorghum and millets diseases: a second world
review. (de Milliano, W.A.J., Frederiksen, R.A., and Bengston, G.D., eds). Patancheru, A.P. 502 324, India: International Crops
Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. (CP 732).
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