Barnyard millet

Season

·         Tamil Nadu: September –October (Rainfed) and February –March (Irrigated)

·         Uttaranchal and North Eastern States: April-May

·         Dry seeding prior to the onset of monsoon is practiced in hills.

Spacing and Seed rate

Spacing:

25 cms between rows and 10 cm between plants within a row

Seed rate:

·         8-10 kg ha^-1 for line sowing

·         12-15 kg ha^-1 for broad casting

Manuring and Fertilization

·         Apply 5 tones of farm yard manure per hectare 2-3 weeks before sowing.

·         fertilizer required for different states is as follows

Bio fertilizers

Inoculating seeds with Agrobacterium radiobacter and Aspergillus awamori is recommended

Weed Control

·         Two inter cultivations and one hand weeding in line sowing

·         Two hand weeding in broadcasted crop.

Cropping system

·         Barnyard millet + rice bean in 4:1 row ratio is recommended for Uttaranchal

Diseases

The crop although affected by three different smuts, the grain smut caused by Ustilago panicifrumentacei is important.

Control : Pre sowing treatment of the seeds with Thiram or Carbendazim @ 2g/kg.

Pests

Shootfly

It is the most serious pest causing significant yield losses.

Early sowing with the onset of monsoon is an effective and cheapest method of control