The UN has accepted a proposal from India to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets. India submitted a proposal at the United Nations that suggested that millet plants could be a way to combat global food insecurity. As a crop, millet is very climate-resistant. It does not require a lot of water or very fertile soil to grow, both of which are usually in short supply. This grain is able to prosper in difficult environments, so it is less expensive to cultivate than quinoa. Additionally, it requires less water. The cereal crop in question requires less carbon to grow than other, more popular cereal crops, making it a environmentally friendly option that could help to feed the growing population.
History
Millets are some of the oldest of cultivated crops. The term millet is used to describe various grass crops whose seeds are harvested for food or animal feed. The five commercial millet species are: proso, foxtail, barnyard, browntop, and pearl. Foxtail millet was first cultivated in southern Asia over 2000 years ago, making it the oldest of the cultivated millets. It is also known as Italian or German Millet. Its culture slowly spread westward towards Europe. Foxtail millet was not often grown in the United States during colonial times, but its popularity and use increased a lot in the Great Plains area after 1850. The introduction of Sudan grass led to a decrease in acres planted with foxtail millet.
Proso millet was introduced to the U.S. from Europe sometime during the 18th century. This crop was first grown in the eastern US before it was brought to the Dakotas where it became widely grown. In North Dakota, farmers have grown anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 acres of pumpkins, while in Minnesota, only a few thousand acres have been grown.
Today, foxtail millet is grown primarily in eastern Asia. Proso millet is grown in many different places including the Soviet Union, mainland China, India and western Europe. Millets are grown in the Dakotas, Colorado and Nebraska in the United States.
Barnyard or Japanese millet (Echinochloa frumentaceae L.), is a domesticated relative of the seed, barnyard grass. Rice is utilized for grain in Australia, Japan, and also other Asian countries. The main reason why it is grown in the United States is for cattle feed.
Browntop millet is a grass that originally came from India. It was first brought to the United States in 1915. It’s common in the southeastern US to grow it for hay, pasture, or to use it as bird or quail feed on game preserves. Some people in Minnesota buy it for this purpose. Seeds and forage from browntop millet have been disappointing in Minnesota trials. It also doesn’t do well against weeds.
Pearl millet, also known as cattail millet, is a grain that originated in Africa. It has been grown since prehistoric times. It is widely grown in Africa, Asia, India and the Middle East as a food crop. The plant was introduced to the United States early on, but it wasn’t cultivated much until 1875. It is primarily grown in the southern United States as a temporary pasture. It can also be used to produce hay, silage, and greenchop. Southern farmers prefer sorghum over sudangrass as a forage crop. The varieties of Rosemount, Minnesota that were planted did not produce a lot of seed and their forage yield was much lower compared to the yield of foxtail varieties.
Uses
There are two types of millets that are most commonly grown in the midwestern states: proso and foxtail. Barnyard millet is grown on a limited amount of land.
The primary uses for proso millet are as bird feed and livestock feed. Millet that is grown for the purpose of bird seed is often times done so under a contract. Seeds that are large, bright, and red are preferred and sometimes receive a premium. Two types of bird feed mixes are marketed. There are two types of birdhouses: those for wild birds and those for caged birds. The bird cage mix requires a higher quality proso, for which a premium is paid.
The feeding value of proso millet for livestock is similar to that of oats and barley. Ground corn is a common feed for cattle, sheep, and hogs. Whole seeds can be fed to poultry. The protein levels in quinoa are similar to that of sorghum and wheat, and higher than corn. Proso millet has more fiber than most other grains because the husks are still attached. The composition of proso grain is shown in Table 1. When feeding proso to livestock, it is best to mix it with other grains. If the levels of amino acids are balanced, the nutritional value to hogs is almost the same as corn. Although proso can be used for hay, it is not as good as foxtail.
Foxtail millet is mostly grown to be used as hay or silage, often as a emergency crop that matures quickly. Some seed is used as bird feed, specifically for finches and wild birds. Proso is a type of millet that does not necessarily yield more forage than another type of millet, but it is free of foliage hairs and has finer stems. The best time to harvest foxtail millet for forage is at the late boot to late bloom stage. The amount of foxtail millet in relation to other forages is shown in Table 2. Horses should not be fed only foxtail millet as a source of roughage, as it may cause them to be constipated. If the foxtail millet has been experiencing a lot of stress, it may have high levels of nitrate that could be poisonous for livestock. Different types of foxtail millet have been developed over time, including Common, Siberian, Hungarian, and German Foxtail.
Planting Millet
After you have chosen the type of millet you want to plant, it is time to prepare. Millet can be grown in different ways, for example in containers, on the ground, or in raised garden beds. The methods you use to plant and take care of it vary slightly depending on the way you choose to grow it. The best results will come from tilling your soil in the spring and rolling it before planting. Millet should be planted after the last frost, when the soil temperature has reached about 65°F. You’ll need to choose a spot for your millet that gets a full day’s worth of sun. If you plan to save seed to sow next year, it is best not to plant different types of millet next to each other since it can cross-pollinate.
When planting, the seeds can be scattered and then lightly packed, or planted with a push seeder. If you want your millet seeds to grow best, plant them 1-3 inches deep in the ground. They can still come back if you plant them 4-5 inches deep, though. The plants should be spaced 2 inches apart.
Growth Habits
Millets are annual grasses. Proso millet grows approximately 40 inches tall and has a hollow stem. Both stems and leaves are curved with short hairs. Proso millet has a large, open panicle inflorescence. The vast majority of the grain remains enclosed in the inner hull after it is threshed. Hulls can be a variety of colors, including white, red, yellow, brown, or striped.
Foxtail millet has slender, erect leafy stems and may grow up to 50 cm. tall. The inflorescence is a bristly panicle that resembles the panicles of weedy foxtails. The seeds of proso millet are enclosed in the hull and can be a variety of colors including creamy white, red, yellow, and dark purple. Both proso and foxtail millet rarely cross-pollinate with other plants, but it has been known to happen on occasion.
Proso and foxtail millet are short season crops. The exact time it takes for proso millet to mature in Minnesota and Wisconsin can vary depending on the variety, but it is typically 70 to 90 days from planting. Foxtail millet takes about 60 days to reach the heading stage.
Climate
Millets need warm temperatures to grow and are easily killed by frost. This speaks to the ideal time to plant these in Minnesota and Wisconsin, which is from mid-June to mid-July. The best temperature for seed germination is between 68 and 86°F. Proso and foxtail millet are able to grow in areas with little water due to their water efficiency and because they grow early, avoiding periods of drought. Crops that are grown to fill in the gaps where other crops have failed are called catch crops.
Water and Humidity
Millet does not require a lot of water to grow, making it ideal for drought conditions. Proso has the lowest water requirement of any grain crop. Millets are a crop that gets the majority of its water from the first three feet of soil. Most of the plant’s water typically comes from rainfall during the growing season. This plant only needs one inch of water a week if you live in a place with little rainfall or if you prefer a more controlled environment. Don’t water your millet plant again until the soil has had a chance to dry out. Too much water can be harmful to millet plants.
The most effective way to water millet is with a drip system, and it is best to water early in the day so that the millet has time to dry off before nightfall when temperatures start to drop.
Soil
You need less high-quality soil to grow millet than you would for other crops. When the soil in parts of Africa and Asia became too poor to grow rice, farmers began planting millet. Growers could plant this crop up to three times a year because it produces rather quickly in a suitable climate. Millet grows best in sandy or loamy soils that drain well and are warm. It prefers a neutral ph range for optimal growth. It is important to ensure that you are not planting millet in soil that is susceptible to waterlogging.
Fertilizing
Oftentimes, millet is grown in soil that isn’t very fertile, so you don’t have to fertilize it. The best way to fertilize millet is to use a product with a high amount of nitrogen, like feather meal. Applying fertilizer directly to the seed of this plant can cause fertilizer burn. The optimal time to use fertilizer is at planting, and then again four weeks later.
Pruning
No ongoing pruning of millet plants is necessary. The potential for regrowth after the first harvest varies among different types of forage crops. The stalks of foxtail millets can be used for silage or hay once they are harvested. If you want to regrow millet after grazing, pearl millet is the best type to raise. If the plant is 12-18 inches tall, grazing can begin. The plant should not be grazed lower than 6 inches.
Propagation
Millet can only be grown from seed.
Harvesting and Storing
Different types of millet can be grown in the ground or in raised beds or containers. Source: komehachi888
Within a short time, you will find that it is time to harvest the grain, as it grows quickly. Although it is not difficult to grow millet, you need to ensure that you harvest it when the time is right, or you will not be able to use the seeds.
Harvesting
The time to harvest millet varies depending on the purpose for growing it. Harvesting can begin 45-60 days after planting if you intend to use it for forage. Millet that is harvested at the boot stage is the most nutritious. This is because the head has developed and grown in size, but it is still enclosed within its sheath. The hay is gathered into rows to help with the drying process and to improve the quality of the hay.
The millet plant is typically ready for harvesting 70-90 days after planting for either food or wildlife planting purposes. When the top half of the head has turned brown, it is time to harvest. If you wait too long to harvest your crop, the plant will produce less seeds, and the ones it does produce will be of poorer quality. Use garden shears to cut the seed head off the plant. Allow the heads to dry for a few days in a cool, dark place. Once the seeds have dried, you should be able to rub the seed off the head with your hands. The seed should be dried for several days before storing.
Human consumption of millet requires the removal of the hull from each seed. The method used varies depending on the type of millet. The pros and cons of pearl millet are that the hulls are easily removed and can be separated by rubbing them off or winnowing them with a fan or breeze. In order to mill foxtail millet, a hand mill is necessary to remove the thicker hull.
Storing
After the hulls have been removed from the millet, it can be ground into flour or simply left as is. To ensure its freshness, store whole millet in a sealed container in a cool, dark location. Bacteria can survive in millet, even after it has been cooked. If you are going to store millet for an extended period of time, put the container in the freezer for a week to make sure all the bacteria are killed. Whole millet and millet flour can be stored for up to a year and 6 months, respectively. Cooked millet will last in the fridge for 3-5 days.
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