RA 00110.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

Management Practices to Increase and Stabilize
Pearl Millet Production in India
Rajat De 1 and R.C. Gautam 2
Abstract
Pearl millet is a dominant crop of arid and semi-arid India with an average grain yield of only 650 kg ha -1 .
With scientific management practices crop yields can be increased at least three-fold. Incorporation of
rice-husks or farmyard manure (FYM) in sandy soils, the maintenance of an optimum plant population at
1.3 x 10 s plants ha -1 in rows spaced at 50-cm intervals, and chemical weed control with triazine compounds
are recommended. Responses to nitrogen of up to 137 kg ha -1 N were obtained, with a response of 6.0-10.5
kg grain kg' 1 N applied. Grain legumes as preceding crops, or as mixtures, can increase the yield of pearl
millet and the productivity of land. Azospirillum seed inoculation, and evapotranspiration reduction, either
by the use of chemicals or by organic or polyethylene mulches, have also been reported to increase yields.
Introduction
Pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) is a staple
food crop of arid and semi-arid India, grown on
about 12 million ha, with a total production of
nearly 7.5 million t. The crop is almost entirely
grown under rainfed conditions (i.e., during the
monsoon) using low managerial inputs with resultant
low productivity not exceeding, on average, 650
kg ha -1 . Experimental evidence shows that given
adequate attention, yield levels can be increased 2.5-
3 times even on farmers' fields (Gautam et al. 1981).
Inadequate plant populations, lack of fertilizer
application and weed control measures, meager soil
and water conservation practices, and the use of
unimproved cultivars keep yields low.
In this paper, an attempt has been made to highlight
management practices evolved from research at
various agricultural research institutions in India.
The main source of information is the work done
under the A l l India Coordinated Millets Improvement
Project (AICMIP).
1. Agronomist, 10E/24, East Patel Nagar, New Delhi 110 008, India.
2. Senior Scientist (Agronomy), Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India.
ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics). 1987. Proceedings of the International Pearl Millet
Workshop, 7-11 April 1986, ICRISAT Center, India. Patancheru, A.P. 502324, India: ICRISAT.
247