This document provides information on various types of millets and their production technologies. It discusses major millets like pearl millet, sorghum, maize, finger millet and their varieties, seed rate, spacing, fertilizer requirements, irrigation needs, pest and disease management. It also summarizes details of minor millets like foxtail millet, little millet, kodo millet, barnyard millet and proso millet and their suitable production practices. The document ends with contact details for the author for any further queries on millet production technologies.

1. Production Technology of Millets
Dr. K. VANANGAMUDI, Ph. D., Post. Doc (USA)
Formerly Dean (Agriculture), Agri. College & Research Institute,
Coimbatore,
Dean, Adhiparashakthi Agricultural College, Kalavai
Professor & Head, Seed Science& Technology,
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641003, Tamil Nadu.
e-mail: vanangamudi.tnau@gmail.com
Website: https://trinityculturalacademy.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWGv08j5jaZ-nkvz46HrBVw

2. • Family: Poaceae
• 2n = 20
• Origin: Central America and Mexico
Maize
(Zea mays)

3. • Flint corn: Zea mays indurata - Soft & starchy, Widely
grown in India
• Dent corn: Zea mays indentata - Soft starch, grown in SA
• Sweet corn: Zea mays saccharata – Young cobs for
canning & table purpose
• Flour corn: Zea mays amylacea - Soft endosperm, USA
& SA
• Pop corn: Zea mays everta – Small kernels, explode due
to heating, cultivated in New World
• Waxy corn: Zea mays ceratina – Broken kernel shows
waxy appearance, starch for making adhesive

4. • Seed rate (kg/ha)
 Grain: 20
 Baby corn: 25
 Hybrid: 20
 Rainfed crop: 25
• Seed treatment
 Chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 4ml + 0.5g gum in 20ml
of water – To control stem borer
 Metalaxyl @ 2g/kg – To control downy mildew &
crazy top

5. • Spacing (cm)
 Irrigated: 60 x 25
 Rainfed: 45 x 20
• Fertilizer schedule (NPK kg/ha)
 Irrigated: 135:62.5:50
 Rainfed: 60:30:30
 FYM: 12.5 t/ha
 Azospirillum @ 600 g/ha

6. • Irrigation
600-700 mm
45-65 DAS - Most critical phase
Critical stages: 6th leaf, tasseling, 50%
silking, dough stages.
• Herbicide
Atrazine @ 500g/ha at 3 DAS
Do not use atrazine, if pulse is intercrop

7. • Grain: 5000
• Straw: 10000
• Baby corn: 6000
• Green fodder: 25000
• Rainfed: 3000 - Grain
Yield (kg/ha)

8. • Poaceae
• 2n = 20
• Africa and India
Sorghum
(Sorghum bicolor)

9. • Transplanted: 7.5
• Direct sown: 10
• Rainfed: 15
• Intercrop with pulse
 Sorghum 10 kg/ha
 Pulse 10 kg/ha
Seed rate (kg/ha)
•Seed treatment
•Carbendazim @ 2g/kg of
seed

10. • Spacing (cm)
 45 x 15
• Fertilizer (NPK kg/ha)
 90:45:45
 FYM: 12.5 t/ha
 Micronutrient: 12.5 or 25 kg/ha ZnSO4 with sand
• Azospirillum @ 600g/ha or
• Azophos @ 1200g/ha.

11. • 450-650 mm
• Stress mitigation: Spray 3% kaolin or
kaolinite or China clay
• Atrazine @ 500g/ha on 3 DAS
• Major weed: Striga
• 4000-6000
Irrigation
Herbicide
Yield (kg/ha)

12. Q & A
 The herbicide which is not used when sorghum
intercroped with pulses is
a. Pendimethalin b. Atrazine
c. Butachlor d. 2, 4 –D
 Parasitic weed in sorghum is
a. Dodder b. Striga
c. Cuscutta d. Orabanche
 Fertilizer recommendation for rainfed maize is ____ NPK
kg/ha.
a. 60:30:30 b. 40:20:20
c. 70:35:35 d. 100:50:50

13. • Family: Poaceae
• Chromosome: 2n = 24
• Origin: Africa
Pearl millet
(Pennisetum glaucum)

14. • Seed rate (kg/ha)
 Irrigated transplanted: 7.5
 Direct sown: 10
 Rainfed direct sown: 15
• Seed treatment
 Carbendazim @ 2g/kg of seed, Azospirillum @
600g/ha, Azophos @ 1200g/ha
• Nursery
 7.5 cents for ha
 Incorporate nursery with 180 g phorate 10G or 600g
carbofuran 3G
 Optimum age of seedlings – 18 DAS

15. • 45 x 15
• Intercrop with pulses: 30 x 15
• 90:45:45
• FYM: 12.5 t/ha
• Azospirillum @ 2 kg/ha
• Azophos @ 4kg/ha mixed with 25 kg of FYM
and 25 kg soil
Spacing (cm)
Fertilizer schedule
(NPK kg/ha)

16. • Irrigation
 300-400 mm
• Herbicide
 Atrazine @ 500g/ha on 3 DAS/DAT
Yield (kg/ha)
•Rainfed: 1200 - 1600
•Irrigated: 2500 - 3500

17. Finger millet
(Eleusine coracana)
• Poaceae
• 2n = 36
• Ethiopia and Ugandan highlands (East
Africa)

18. • Seed rate - 6 - 8 kg/ha
• Fertilizer requirement: 60:30:30 NPK kg/ha
• 2-5 irrigations
• Herbicide: Butachlor @ 1.25kg/ha; 2,4D @
0.5kg
• Yield
 Rainfed: 1200-1500 kg/ha
 Irrigated: 4000-4500 kg/ha

19. Minor millets

20. Foxtail millet (Thenai)
Setaria italica
• Seed rate - For line planting: 10 kg/ha
Sowing: 12.5 kg/ha for seed drill
• Spacing: Line planting: 22 x 10 cm
Sowing: 10 cm in between plants
• Weeding: 15 and 40 DAS
• Thinning: Done soon after weeding or before
20 DAS

21. Samai (Little millet)
Panicum sumatrense
• Seed rate - For line planting: 10 kg/ha
Sowing: 12.5 kg/ha for seed drill
• Spacing: Line planting: 25 x 10 cm
Sowing: 10 cm in between plants
• Weeding: 15 and 40 DAS
• Thinning: Done soon after weeding or before
20 DAS

22. Varagu (kodo millet)
Paspalum scrobiculatum
• Seed rate - For line planting: 10 kg/ha
Sowing: 12.5 kg/ha for seed drill
• Spacing: Line planting: 45 x 10 cm
Sowing: 10 cm in between plants
• Weeding: 15 and 40 DAS
• Thinning: Done soon after weeding or before
20 DAS

23. Kuthiraivali (Barnyard millet)
Echinocloa frumentacea
• Very drought resistant
• Withstand water logging conditions
• Grown as rainfed crop
• Seed rate: 8-10 kg/ha

24. Panivaragu (Common/proso millet)
Panicum miliaceum
• Highly drought resistant crop

25. Q & A
 Indian Institute of Millets Research is located at
a. Karnal b. Coimbatore
c. Hyderabad d. Mizapur
 Crop tolerates salinity of pH upto > 11.0 is
a. Finger millet b. Kodo millet
c. Proso millet d. Foxtail millet
 Minor millet suitable for drought conditions
a. Barnyard millet b. Kodo millet
c. Proso millet d. All the above

26. FOR pdf and Online tests
Text me @
• 91 9894904745 (WhatsApp)
or
Mail me @
• vanangamudi.tnau@gmail.com