Millets - Healthy and Eco-friendly

Millets are annual, warm weather grasses which are mostly grown on dry lands as rain-fed crop.Millets are probably the world's earliest food plants used by humans, and certainly the first cereal grain that was used for domestic purposes. Its use is ancient and was mentioned in the bible as a seed that bread was made from.They are the main source of protein and energy.In India, out of the total net sown area of 141 Mha, rainfed area accounts for 85 Mha spread over 177 districts. This constitutes approximately 60% of the total farming area in the country. Rainfed agriculture contributes 44% of the total food grain production of the country and produces more than 90% of sorghum, millets etc. Even after neglecting these, the rainfed regions provide livelihood to nearly 50% of the total rural workforce and sustain 60% of cattle population of the country.

Why Millets?

• Millets need no irrigation and require very little water for their production.
• They does not demand rich soils for their growth and hence for the owners of the dryland area , theya re a boon.
• Millet production is not dependant on synthetic fertilizers and hence as an alternative, farmyard manures can be used.
• Millets does not attract any pests as they can be grown under traditional methods.They can also be called as pest-free crops.
• Millet is one of the most nutritious and easily digested of all grains; and it is high in starch, making it a good high energy food.
• All these qualities of millet farming system make them the climate change compliant crops.

Comparative rainfall requirement for various crops

Crop	Rainfall needed (in mm)
Rice	1200-1300
Sorghum	400-500
Bajra	350-400
Ragi	350-400

Commonly grown millets in India are

Name	Hindi	Telugu
Sorghum	Jowar	Jonna
Pearl Millet	Bajra	Gantilu
Finger Millet	Mandua	Ragulu
Barnyard Millet	Jhangora	Odalu
Foxtail Millet	Kangni	Korra
Kodo Millet	Kodra	Arikelu
Proso Millet	Barri	Varigulu
Little Millet	Kutki	Sama

Sorghum: It is one of the most important food grain crop and is cultivated widely across Maharashtra,Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and in parts of Rajasthan. The crop is hardy and cultivated in areas with rainfall beyond 350 mm.

Pearl Millet: It is a Kharif crop and is chiefly grown in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Maharashtra. The crop can do well in the areas with less than 350 mm annual rainfall and temperatures between 25 to 35 degree Celsius.It is particularly well adapted to nutrient-poor, sandy soils.

Finger Millet: It is the most important small millet food crops of Southern Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, It is grown successfully in areas where rainfall is about 350 mm and temperatures more than 30 degree Celsius.Finger millet grows best in moist climates in almost any type of soil.

Barnyard Millet: It is the fastest growing of all millets and produces a crop in six weeks.It is grown in India from Himalayan region in the north to Deccan plateau in the south. It is generally cultivated in hill slopes and undulating fields of hilly, tribal or backward areas. The grains of barnyard millet is consumed and cooked like rice.It is usually grown as a late-season green feed in temperate climates with humid or sub-humid conditions. It makes the most rapid growth of all millets under favorable weather conditions

Foxtail Millet: At present it is grown extensively in Central Asia, northern East India.Foxtail millet requires warm weather and matures quickly in the hot summer months. It has a low water requirement, though it does not recover well from drought conditions because it has a shallow root system.Foxtail millet can be planted when it is too late to plant most other crops.

Kodo Millet: It is harvested as a wild cereal in India.It is grown in India from Kerala and TamilNadu in the south, to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West bengal in the north.

Proso Millet: Moderately warm weather is necessary for good plant growth. Proso millet has the lowest water requirement of any grain crop; It is also subject to drought injury because of its shallow root system. It does not grow well on coarse sandy soil.

Little Millet: It is grown mainly in India. Its main virtues are the ability to produce moderate yields on very poor soils and to withstand both drought and water logging better than most other crops.

Nutrient Content of Millets

Crop	Protein (g)	Fibre (g)	Minerals (g)	Iron (mg)	Calcium (mg)
Pearl Millet	10.6	1.3	2.3	16.9	38
Finger Millet	7.3	3.6	2.7	3.9	344
Foxtail Millet	12.3	8	3.3	2.8	31
Proso Millet	12.5	2.2	1.9	0.8	14
Kodo Millet	8.3	9	2.6	0.5	27
Little Millet	7.7	7.6	1.5	9.3	17
Barnyard Millet	11.2	10.1	4.4	15.2	11
Rice	6.8	0.2	0.6	0.7	10
Wheat	11.8	1.2	1.5	5.3	41

In this table if we observe, nutritional values of millets are more compared to rice and wheat.Each one has more fibre than rice and wheat.Some as much as fifty times that of rice.Finger millet has thirty times more calcium than rice while every other millet has atleast twice the amount of calcium compared to rice. In their iron content also, foxtail and little millet are rich compared to rice.In this fashion, nutrient to nutrient every single millet is extraordinarily superior to rice and wheat.