RA 00110.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

Improving Millet-Based Cropping Systems in the Sahelo-Sudanian Zone of Mali
(Amelioration des systemes de culture axes sur le mil dans la zone sahelo-soudanaise au
Mali)
S.V.R. Shetty, B. Keita, A.A. Sow,
Agronomists, I C R I S A T / I E R , B.P. 34, Bamako, Mali
and
P.G. Serafini
Agronomist, I C R I S A T / I E R , B.P. 34, Bamako, Mali; presently at ICRISAT Sahalian Center, B.P. 12404,
Niamey, Niger
Agronomic experiments on pearl millet-based production systems conducted jointly by Institut d'economie
rurale (IER) and ICRISAT are briefly reviewed. Cropping systems research approaches are described which
consider both improvements to existing pearl millet-based systems, and also the design and evaluation of more
productive alternative systems. The two major production systems studied are two intercrops, maize/ millet in
the Sudanian Zone and millet/ cowpea in the Sahelian Zone. The traditional maize/ millet and millet/ cowpea
systems as practiced by the subsistence farmers in Mali are briefly described. The effects of such key agronomic
factors as crop variety, density, and geometry, dates of planting and harvest, and added fertility on the total
productivity of these systems are synthesized to develop improved technology packages. The suggested
technologies for millet/cowpea system include planting millet after the onset of rains at about 30 000 plants
ha -1 with about 25 000 plants ha -1 of cowpea planted later when millet is in the 3-4 leaf stage in a 2-row
millet: 1-row cowpea arrangement. The recommendation domains for improved maize/millet and millet/-
cowpea systems are also indicated. The need to introduce management-responsive millet cultivars to develop
more productive millet-based systems is emphasized.
Alternative production systems presently being studied are indicated with particular reference to millet/-
groundnut systems. It is suggested that the future target systems should include cash crops that provide income
to farmers and as a result stimulate the use of agricultural production inputs on the millet component of the
intercrop.
Cropping Systems of Pearl Millet in Arid Zones of Rajasthan
(Systemes de culture du mil dans les zones arides du Rajasthan)
H.S. Daulay and A. Henry
Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342 003, India
Pearl Millet is one of the principal crops of the Indian arid zone being cultivated on more than 60% of the total
cropped area, sharing 80% of the state acreage and 60% of the production. It forms the staple food of the
people and its stover is used as livestock fodder. Pearl millet is one of the components in the traditional
cropping systems, either grown pure or mixed with grain legumes or oilseeds, top feed tree Prosopis cineraria
(lopped for fodder), or shrubs Zizyphus nummularia spp.
Among the single crop systems tried from 1975-80, pearl millet-fallow, though it showed high yield,
fluctuations, proved the most productive (1720 kg ha -1 ). High and extended rainfall years permit double
cropping and in these conditions pearl millet followed by mustard proved the most productive and remunerative
(3030 kg ha -1 ). Long-term fertilizer use studies in green gram-pearl millet rotation revealed a saving of 20
kg ha -1 N than continuous growing of pearl millet. Intercropping one row of pearl millet between two pairs of
green gram/ cluster bean/ mothbean resulted in higher total productivity and WUE. Pearl millet, either grown
pure or mixed with legumes, proved more productive than sorghum-based fodder systems and a pearl millet
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