Millets are cultivated in low-fertile land, tribal and rain-fed and mountainous areas.
Jowar is mostly cultivated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Bajra is grown in the drier parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and south-west Uttar Pradesh. India leads the world in production of millets. In 2007, India produced 10,610,000 tonnes of Millets,.
Types of Millets in India The millets commonly grown in India include Jowar (sorghum), Bajra (pearl millet), ragi (finger millet), Jhangora (barnyard millet), Barri (Proso or common millet), Kangni (foxtail/ Italian millet), Kodra (Kodo millet) etc. Let us read about them in detail and also learn their regional names.
How to grow Kodo millet in India?
India’s Rewa district in 1997 showed a 72% increase in Kodo millet grain yields as opposed to no fertilizer. Kodo millet prefers full light for optimal growth but can tolerate partial shading. Its ideal temperature for growth is 25 to 27°C. It requires four months until maturity & harvesting.
This has, in part, made millet production popular, particularly in countries surrounding the Sahara in western Africa. Millets, however, do respond to high fertility and moisture. On a per-hectare basis, millet grain production can be 2–4 times higher with use of irrigation and soil supplements.
The usual soil type in which millets grow in include well-drained, loamy soils with balanced moisture content. Millets are the staple food in the regions of Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, due to which their production is being encouraged there.
Another inquiry we ran across in our research was “Why is millet a good crop to grow?”.
The crop is favored due to its productivity and short growing season under dry, high-temperature conditions. Millets are indigenous to many parts of the world. The most widely grown millet is pearl millet, which is an important crop in India and parts of Africa.
What is the regional name of little millet in Tamil?
Foxtail Millet is rich in minerals and vitamins. It is known as Thinai in Tamil, Kirra in Telugu, Thinna in Malayalam, Navane in Kannada and Kangni in Hindi. Little Millet is also loaded with iron and fibre, the regional names are Chama in Malayalam, Same in Kannada, Samai in Tamil, Sama in Telugu and Kutki in Hindi.