Bajra(Pennisetum typhoideum)

Origin and History- Originated in India or Africa.

It is popularly known as pearl millet, belongs to the family Graminea.

Ecological Requirements-

Climate- The crop has a wide adaptability as it may grow under different day lengths, temperature and moisture stress. It requires low annual rainfall ranging between 40-50 cm and dry weather.

Soil- Light soils of low inherent fertility good drainage, mild salinity are best type for this crop.

Cultivation practices

Preparatory tillage: 2-3 harrowings and a ploughing is followed so that a fine tilth may be obtained to facilitate the sowing and proper distribution of seed at appropriate depth.

Manures and Fertilizers: Generally the crop requires low quantity of nutrients. But All India Co-ordinated millet Improvement Project has proved that new plant types of bajra especially hybrids respond to very high doses of fertilizers.

Under rainfed areas application of organic manures such as FYM or compost helps in increasing the crop yield @ 150-200 quintals/ha 80 –100 kg N:40-50 kgP:40-50kgK

is recommended dose for hybrid variety.

Fertilizers are applied in split doses, half of nitrogen, full phosphorus and potash should be basal placed at the time of sowing . The organic manures must be applied 20 days before the sowing of the seeds for full decomposition. One fourth doses of nitrogen should be applied about 30 days and 60 days after sowing.

Sowing time:- Most appropriate time of sowing is middle or last week of July.

Seed rate and Spacing:-

4-5 kg/ha for drilling method

2.5-3 kg/ha for dibbling method

spacing 40 –45 cm between rows, 10 –15 cm within rows.

Seed treatment- The organo-mercurial compound Ceresan, Agrosan should be used @ 2.5-3 kg/ha to control seed borne diseases

Interculture - Thinning or gap filling is followed, weeding is done or application of Atrazine @ 0.5 kg/ha is profitable to control weeds.

Harvesting and Threshing

The crop is harvested when grains become hard enough and contain moisture. Two methods are adopted for harvesting the crop a) Cutting earhead first from standing crop followed by cutting of remaining plants later b) Cutting of entire plants by sticks and stalking the plants for five days in sun for obtaining grains. Grains are separated either by beating the earheads with sticks or by trampling the earheads under bullock feet. For storage moisture level should be 12-14%.

Yield: - Irrigated crop yields 30-35 quintals/ha, while unirrigated crop yield 12-15 quintals/ha.

Plant protection measures

Insect pests: stem bores and grasshoppers are serious pests of bajra controlled by two sprayings with 2 litres of Eldrin 20 c.c or dusting the crop with BHC 5 percent. .

Diseases: Downy mildew- for controlling this disease seed treatment with fungicide like Dithane Z-78 or M-45 @ 2.0kg/ha in 800-1000 lit. of water.

Smut- Treatment with Ceresan or Thirum @ 1-2 kg seeds is effective.

New varieties

NBH-149, VBH-4 developed for Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Maharashtra are capable of producing 14% higher yield.

ICM4-155 gave higher yield than the standard check and adopted for all growing tracts of India.

Also MH-306, NH-338 and hybrid like MP-204, MP205 have been identified.