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Finger millet
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is an annual herbaceous plant. It is a tetraploid and self-pollinating species probably evolved from its wild relative Eleusine africana.
Finger millet is native to the Ethiopian and Ugandan highlands. It has the ability to withstand cultivation at altitudes over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level and a high drought tolerance. The grain is suitable for decades-long storage. It is widely grown as a cereal crop in the arid and semiarid areas in Africa and Asia.
Finger millet is under the genus Eleusine Gaertn.
Finger millet originated in East Africa (Ethiopian and Ugandan highlands). It probably evolved from its wild relative Eleusine africana. It was claimed to have been found in an Indian archaeological site dated to 1800 BCE (Late Bronze Age); however, this was subsequently demonstrated to be incorrectly identified cleaned grains of hulled millets. The earliest record of finger millet comes from an archaeological site in Africa which is thought to date to the 3rd millennium BCE, although it has not been precisely dated.
By 1996, cultivation of finger millet in Africa was declining rapidly because of the large amount of labor it required, with farmers preferring to grow nutritionally inferior but less labor-intensive crops such as maize, sorghum, and cassava. Such a decline was not seen in Asia, however.
Main cultivation areas are parts of eastern and southern Africa – particularly Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania – and parts of India and Nepal. It is also grown in southern Sudan and "as far south" in Africa as Mozambique.
Finger millet is a short-day plant with a growing optimum 12 hours' daylight for most varieties. Its main growing area ranges from 20°N to 20°S, but it is found to be grown at 30°N in the Himalaya region (India and Nepal). It is generally considered a drought-tolerant crop,[verification needed] but compared with other millets, such as pearl millet and sorghum, it prefers moderate rainfall (500 mm or 20 in annually). The majority of worldwide finger millet farmers grow it rainfed, although yields often can be significantly improved when irrigation is applied. In India, finger millet is a typical rabi (dry, winter season) crop. Heat tolerance of finger millet is high. For Ugandan finger millet varieties, for instance, the optimal average growth temperature ranges at about 27 °C, while the minimal temperatures should not be lower than 18 °C. Relative to other species (pearl millet and sorghum), finger millet has a higher tolerance to cool temperatures. It is grown from about 500 to 2,400 metres (1,600 to 7,900 ft) above sea level (e.g. in the Himalaya region). Hence, it can be cultivated on higher elevations than most tropical crops. Finger millet can grow on various soils, including highly weathered tropical lateritic soils. It thrives in free-draining soils with steady moisture levels. Furthermore, it can tolerate soil salinity up to a certain extent. Its ability to bear waterlogging is limited, so good drainage of the soils and moderate water-holding capacity are optimal. Finger millet can tolerate moderately acidic soils (pH 5), but also moderately alkaline soils (pH 8.2).
Finger millet monocrops grown under rainfed conditions are most common in drier areas of Eastern Africa. In addition, intercropping with legumes, such as cowpea or pigeon pea, are also quite common in East Africa. Tropical Central Africa supports scattered regions of finger millet intercropping mostly with legumes, but also with cassava, plantain, and vegetables.
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Finger millet
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is an annual herbaceous plant. It is a tetraploid and self-pollinating species probably evolved from its wild relative Eleusine africana.
Finger millet is native to the Ethiopian and Ugandan highlands. It has the ability to withstand cultivation at altitudes over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level and a high drought tolerance. The grain is suitable for decades-long storage. It is widely grown as a cereal crop in the arid and semiarid areas in Africa and Asia.
Finger millet is under the genus Eleusine Gaertn.
Finger millet originated in East Africa (Ethiopian and Ugandan highlands). It probably evolved from its wild relative Eleusine africana. It was claimed to have been found in an Indian archaeological site dated to 1800 BCE (Late Bronze Age); however, this was subsequently demonstrated to be incorrectly identified cleaned grains of hulled millets. The earliest record of finger millet comes from an archaeological site in Africa which is thought to date to the 3rd millennium BCE, although it has not been precisely dated.
By 1996, cultivation of finger millet in Africa was declining rapidly because of the large amount of labor it required, with farmers preferring to grow nutritionally inferior but less labor-intensive crops such as maize, sorghum, and cassava. Such a decline was not seen in Asia, however.
Main cultivation areas are parts of eastern and southern Africa – particularly Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania – and parts of India and Nepal. It is also grown in southern Sudan and "as far south" in Africa as Mozambique.
Finger millet is a short-day plant with a growing optimum 12 hours' daylight for most varieties. Its main growing area ranges from 20°N to 20°S, but it is found to be grown at 30°N in the Himalaya region (India and Nepal). It is generally considered a drought-tolerant crop,[verification needed] but compared with other millets, such as pearl millet and sorghum, it prefers moderate rainfall (500 mm or 20 in annually). The majority of worldwide finger millet farmers grow it rainfed, although yields often can be significantly improved when irrigation is applied. In India, finger millet is a typical rabi (dry, winter season) crop. Heat tolerance of finger millet is high. For Ugandan finger millet varieties, for instance, the optimal average growth temperature ranges at about 27 °C, while the minimal temperatures should not be lower than 18 °C. Relative to other species (pearl millet and sorghum), finger millet has a higher tolerance to cool temperatures. It is grown from about 500 to 2,400 metres (1,600 to 7,900 ft) above sea level (e.g. in the Himalaya region). Hence, it can be cultivated on higher elevations than most tropical crops. Finger millet can grow on various soils, including highly weathered tropical lateritic soils. It thrives in free-draining soils with steady moisture levels. Furthermore, it can tolerate soil salinity up to a certain extent. Its ability to bear waterlogging is limited, so good drainage of the soils and moderate water-holding capacity are optimal. Finger millet can tolerate moderately acidic soils (pH 5), but also moderately alkaline soils (pH 8.2).
Finger millet monocrops grown under rainfed conditions are most common in drier areas of Eastern Africa. In addition, intercropping with legumes, such as cowpea or pigeon pea, are also quite common in East Africa. Tropical Central Africa supports scattered regions of finger millet intercropping mostly with legumes, but also with cassava, plantain, and vegetables.