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5 months ago

Millet

Resource by Plusfarm

Millet is a small grained cereals and nutritious crop is grown in Kenya as a Cash crop by a majority of small-scale farmers in the warm regions of Kenya with altitudes of about 1600m above sea level. Millet is a cereal crop plant belonging to the grass family.

Varieties

Variety	Optimal production altitude (masl)	Maturity (Months)	Potential
P224	1150-1750	3-4	10
Gulu E	250-1500	4	8
KAT/FMI	250-1150	3	7
Lanet/FM1	1750-2300	5-7	7

Cultivation

ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS

Planting

This stag involves seed sowing, germination and about 2-3 weeks after the emergence of the seedlings.to promote uniform germination and break seed dormancy, soak seeds in OPTIMIZER 20ml/1l overnight.

Newly emerged seedlings are sprayed with LAVENDER 20 ML/20L OR GATIT SUPER STAT 50 G/20L OR legendary 40ml/20l or PLANT SOUL 20l or ZINC GOLD 10ml/20l.

Application of DAP during planting is very important.

These fertilizers ensure there’s rapid rood development, facilitate balanced plant growth and enhance the natural defence system of the young crop.

Vegetative growth stage.

Crop begin to grow vigorously and photosynthesize in order to accumulate enough food resources for use in the reproduction stage. The application of nitrogenous fertilizers is highly encouraged.

Spray the crop with lavender LAVENDER 20 ML/20L or GATIT SUPER STAT 50 G/20L.

Top dressing with CAN is done when the crop is about 30 cm high. Other nitrogenous basal fertilizers like NPK 23.23.0, can also be applied.

These fertilizers promote a faster vegetative growth, increase crop resistance to diseases and weather stress and ensure balanced growth of the crops.

Reproduction Stage.

This stage entails flowering, fertilization, grain filling, and maturity of the crop.

Spray the crop with GATIT SUPER FLOWERS & FRUITS 50 g/20l or DIMIPHITE 20ml/20l or LEGENDARY 40ml/20l or BIODISTINCTION XTRA 20ML/2OL.

Potassium-rich basal fertilizers e.g. NPK 17.17.17 should also be applied.

They also improve quality, increase crop growth as well as improve crop productivity and promote tillering, among other benefits.

Pests and Diseases / Commonly Used Agrochemicals

diseases	Symptoms	Active Ingredient	Commonly used Agrochemicals
Damping-off	The infection causes rotting of seeds before they emerge as well as seedlings after emergence from the soil.
Grey leaf spot	Leaf lesions, discoloration (chlorosis), and foliar blight. rectangular, brown to gray necrotic lesions that run parallel to the leaf, spanning the spaces between the secondary leaf veins.	Difenoconazole (125G/L) Azoxystrobin (250G/L) Tebuconazole (200G/L) Trifloxystrobin (100G/L)	AMISTAR TOP 325 SC NATIVO SC 300 (
Northern leaf blight	Canoe-shaped lesions are 1 inch to 6 inches long. The lesions are initially bordered by gray-green margins. They eventually turn tan colored and may contain dark areas of fungal sporulation.	Difenoconazole (125G/L) Azoxystrobin (250G/L)	AMISTAR TOP 325 SC
Corn rust	Lesions begin as flecks on leaves that develop into small tan spots. Spots turn into elongated brick-red to cinnamon-brown pustules with a jagged appearance. Found on both upper AND lower leaf surfaces (unlike southern rust) Pustules turn dark brown to black late in the season.	Difenoconazole (125G/L) Azoxystrobin (250G/L) Copper oxychloride (50%) Tebuconazole (200G/L) Trifloxystrobin (100G/L)	AMISTAR TOP 325 SC CUPRAVIT 50 WP NATIVO SC 300
Loose kernel smut	formation of thin pointed galls, which burst out releasing dark brown spores. Spores are blown away leaving long dark pointed, curved structures in the central part of the gall.	Captan	CAPTAN 400
Covered kernel smut	All kernels are destroyed and replaced with cone-shaped galls.	Captan	CAPTAN 400
Head smut	Large dark brown smut galls emerge in the place of the panicle. Initially, the galls are covered by a whitish layer but later break open releasing spores.	Tebuconazole	DUCASSE 250 EW
Top downy mildew	The infected plants develop thick, stiff, twisted, pale green leaves with bumpy surfaces. The plants do not produce heads in severe cases of infection.	Metalaxyl-M 40g/Kg Mancozeb 640g/Kg	RIDOMIL GOLD® MZ 68 WG
Rust	Mostly appears on the leaves as small raised pustules which then rapture releasing reddish-brown spores. These occur on both sides of the leaf.	Difenoconazole (125G/L) Azoxystrobin (250G/L) Copper oxychloride (50%)	AMISTAR TOP 325 SC CUPRAVIT 50 WP
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Pests	Symptoms	Active Ingredient	Commonly used Agrochemicals
Stem borer	Tunnels are visible, bore holes straight into the centre of the stem. stunted growth and production of sterile or poorly developed ear heads.	Deltamethrin (cis-deltamethrin) (25G/L) Lambda-Cyhalothrin (17.5G/L) Chlorpyrifos (480G/L)	DECIS 2.5 EC DUDUTHRIN 1.7 EC DURSBAN 4 EC
Termites	hollowed root system filled with soil. Attacked plants can be pulled up by hand easily because the roots are damaged.	Imidacloprid 700g/Kg Imidacloprid 200g/L Fipronil 50g/L Chlorpyriphos 480g/L	IMIDA TOP 70 WDG KOHINOR 200 SL MORTEL 50 SC PYRINEX 48 EC
weevils	Bore holes in grains	Spinosad	SPINTOR 0.125% Dust; TRACER 480 SC Soluble Concentrate
Fall Armyworm	moist sawdust-like frass near the funnel and upper leaves, the leaves appear ragged or torn causing windowing.	Indoxacarb(p)(150g/l) Flubendiamide(480g/l) Chlorantranilipole(200g/l) Lambda-Cyhalothrin(17.5g/l) Chlorpyrifos (480G/L) Carbosulfan(250g/l)	AVAUNT 150 EC BELT 480 SC CORAGEN 20 SC DUDUTHRIN 1.7EC DURSBAN 4 EC MARSHAL 250 EC
African bollworm	Parallel rows of holes are signs of feeding on unopened leaves,reduced leaf area	Azadirachtin Deltamethrin	ACHOOK 0.15% EC Emulsifiable Concentrate; FORTUNE AZA 1,000 ppm; NEEMARK EC 0.03%; NEEMRAJ SUPER – 3000 0.3%; NIMBECIDINE Emulsifiable Concentrate 0.03%; OZONEEM 1% EC ATOM 2.5EC Emulsifiable Concentrate; DECIS 0.5 ULV Ultra Low volume; DECIS 2.5 EC (Emulsifiable Concentrate); FARM – X 2.5EC; KATRIN EC Emulsifiable Concentrate
Sorghum midge	developing seeds shrink and flatten. Damaged panicles have small, transparent midge pupa attached to the tips of the damaged spikelets.
Birds	The major destructive species is the Quelea Quelea birds. Others include weaver birds, bishop’s birds, etc. these birds feed on the seeds causing heavy yield losses.
cutworm	missing, cut, or wilted plants.	Lambda-Cyhalothrin (17.5G/L) Bifenthrin (25G/L) Cypermethrin\|Alphamethrin (100G/L)	DUDUTHRIN 1.7 EC BRIGADE 25 EC BESTOX 100 EC
armyworm	mass of holes on leaves and the whorl (funnel), ragged edges, and larval frass. Young larvae skeletonize the leaf lamina.	Lambda-Cyhalothrin (17.5G/L) Lufenuron (50G/L) Abamectin\|Avermectin B1 (18 g / l) Chlorantranilipole (45 g / l)	DUDUTHRIN 1.7 EC MATCH 50 EC VOLIAM TARGO 063SC
aphids	reduced tillering, stunting, and early leaf senescence.	Carbosulfan (250G/L) Beta-cyfluthrin (45G/L) Imidacloprid (100G/L) Imidacloprid (350G/L) Thiamethoxam (35G/L) Cypermethrin\|Alphamethrin (100G/L)	MARSHAL 250 EC THUNDER OD 145 GAUCHO FS 350 CRUISER 350 FS BESTOX 100 EC (
thrips	distorted leaves that turn brownish around the edges and curve upward.	Carbosulfan (250G/L) Imidacloprid (350G/L) Thiamethoxam (35G/L)	MARSHAL 250 EC GAUCHO FS 350 CRUISER 350 FS
Leafhopper	yellow streaks, dieback, or dwarf. Stunted growth, small cobs with open husks.	Thiamethoxam (35G/L)	CRUISER 350 FS
caterpillar	a mass of holes, ragged edges, and excrement. Damage prevents cob formation	Cypermethrin\|Alphamethrin (100G/L)	BESTOX 100 EC (
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Herbicides	application	Active ingredient
AGIL 100 EC	Post emergence	Propaquizafop 100g/L
LINAGAN 50 WP	Pre and post-emergence	Linuron 500g/Kg
GLYPHOGAN 480	Nonselective	Glyphosate 360g/L
SIGMA COMBI 50 SC	Preemergence	Acetalachlor 250g/L+Atrazine 250g/L
BADGE 45 EC	Post emergence	Bromoxynil 225g/L + MCPA 225g/L
CLAMP-DOWN 480 SL	Pre emergence	Glyphosate (360G/L)
GLYPHOGAN 360 SL	Pre planting application	Glyphosate (360G/L)
GUGUSATE 410 SL	Pre emergence	Glyphosate isopropylamine salt (41%
SENCOR 480 SC	Postemergence	Metribuzin (480G/L)
ROUND-UP TURBO	Pre planting application	Glyphosate (450G/L)
WEEDAL 480 SL	Inter row guarded application	Glyphosate (480 g / Litre)
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Post Harvest

After threshing, drying and cleaning, millets are usually bagged into 100 kg hessian/sisal bags and sealed ready for transportation . Sometimes millet grains may be packed in bags sewn from artificial polythene bags for either transportation or storage. Storage of crops is an essential component of the whole production system. Most millets have excellent storage properties and can be kept for up to 4-5 years in simple storage facilities such as traditional granaries. This is because the seeds are protected from insect attack by the hard hull covering the endosperm, and because grain is usually harvested and stored in dry weather conditions . Millets may be stored, after drying and threshing, as loose grain in bags or loose containers . They are commonly left on the field, prior to threshing, in stacks or piles of harvested plants. The detached heads may also be stored away from the field, in exposed stack or in traditional storage containers. However, the essential pre-requisites for storage of millets are the same as those for other grains. Storage life in millets is inversely related to temperature and relative humidity in storage. Quality can be maintained by reducing storage temperature and humidity or moisture content (or all the three factors) . The relative humidity of 20 percent is marginally acceptable for storage,

.Harvest during the summer season to allow the heads to dry. Ensure to store yield in dry places and away from direct contact with floor; preferrably clean dry gunny bags