SAM HIGGINBOTTOM UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCES
Assignment on: cultivation practices of Bajra
Submitted to: submitted by:
Dr. Prashanth kumar rai BERLLA
JAMES
Asst.prof in seed science & technology ID:16MSSDCI003
TAXONOMY
Pearl Millet (pennisetum glaucum) 2n=14
Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta - Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta - Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Liliopsida - Monocotyledons
Subclass: Commelinidae
Order: Cyperales
Family: Poaceae - Grass family
Genus: Pennisetum - fountaingrass
Species: Pennisetum glaucum- pearl millet
INTRODUCTION
Bajra is popularly known as “pearl millet” and belongs to the family of
Graminea. This grain is basically originated from India or Africa.
Bajra is a coarse grain crop and considered to be the poor man’s staple
nourishment and suitable to cultivate in dry lands.
Major Bajra production states in India are: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana,
Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Bajra can also be used as valuable animal fodder.
It is one of the major crops of China, India, South Eastern Asia, Sudan, Pakistan,
Arabia, Russia & Nigeria
Major Bajra Production States in India:- Top Bajra producing state is
Rajasthan followed by Maharashtra, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Top high
yielding state is Tamil Nadu
LOCAL NAMES
Pearl Millet (English),
Bajra (Hindi,Urdu,Panjabi),
Sajje (Kannada),
Kambu (Tamil),
Kambam (Malayalam),
Sajjalu (Telugu),
Bajri (Rajasthani, Gujarati and Marathi).
AGRO-CLIMATIC REGION FOR CULTIVATION
Bajra grows well in dry and warm climatic conditions and it’s drought tolerant
crop which requires low annual rainfall ranging between 40 cm to 60 cm.
Ideal temperature for bajra cultivation is between 20 °C to 30 °C.
Moist weather is advantageous during its vegetative growth.
In North India, bajra is grown as kharif crop and in some southern parts is grown
as summer crop providing Irrigation.
FLORAL BEHAVIOUR
The inflorescence is terminal, cylindrical and compact, spike having 10 to 50 cm length.
Each spiklet consists of lower staminate and upper bisexual flower.
The whorl consists of 30 to 40 bristles surrounded 2 to 5 spiklets.
Each spikelet having two empty glumes and two inner glumes.
The staminate flower is having single lemma and three
stamens but does not have pelia and lodicules.
The bisexual and hermaphrodite flower has broad lemma,
three stamens, pelia, and single carpe, style dividing into
two branches.
The ovary is unilocular containing single seed.
POLLINATION:
Pearl millet is predominately protogynous (the stigma is emerged before the
anther appears which facilitates cross pollination).
Self pollination may occur on late tillers.
Wind is the major agent for cross pollination.
Insects also affect cross pollination.
CONTROL:
Female heads are enclosed in water proof glass paper bags.
When most stigmas are exerted, pollen collected from
required male is dusted on female head after removing bag.
Bag the spike after cross pollination has taken place.
SOIL REQUIREMENT
Bajra can be grown in wide range of soils. However, It thrives best in black cotton
soils, sandy loam soils having well drainage.
This crop does not prefer acidic and water logging soils.
Avoid saturated soils for its cultivation. It grows successfully well in soils with low pH
(or) high salinity. Bajra can be easily grown in regions where other cereal crops like
wheat or maize would not survive.
FIELD PREPARATION
Two to three harrowings followed by a ploughing is required to make the soil in the
field to the fine tilth. Any weeds should be destroyed during the field preparation to
accommodate proper sowing and distribution of seed at appropriate depth.
FYM APPLICATION
Apply 750kg of FYM or compost and incorporate by ploughing.
Cover the seeds with 500kg of FYM
REMOVAL OF ERGOT AFFECTED SEEDS
Dissolve one kg of common salt in 10 litres of water.
Drop the seeds into the salt solution
Remove the ergot and sclerotia affected seeds which will float.
Wash seeds in fresh water 2 or 3 times to remove the
salt on the seeds.
Dry the seeds in shade.
Treat the seeds with three packets (600g) of
the Azospirillum inoculant and 3 packets (600g)
of phosphobacteria or 6 packets (1200g) of azophos
SEED TREATMENT
The organo mercurial compound Ceresan, Agrosan should be used @ 2 –
3 kg per hectare to control seed borne diseases.
TREATMENT OF THE NURSERY BED WITH
INSECTICIDES
Apply phorate 180 g or Carbofuran 3 G 600 g mixed with 2 kg of moist
sand, spread on the beds and work into the top 2 cm of soil to protect the
seedlings from shootfly infestation.
SEED RATE, SPACING & SOWING
Seed rate and spacing in bajra cultivation as follows:
3 to 3.5 kg/ha for dibbling method.
5 to 5 kg/ha for drilling method.
Row spacing of 40 cm to 45 cm should be maintained and within rows, 10 cm – 15
cm should be kept.
SOWING:
Ideal time for Bajra sowing time is middle to last week of July month. Open small
rills not deeper than 1 cm on the bed by passing the fingers over it.
Sow 3.75 kg of seeds in 7.5 cents (0.5 kg / cent) and use increased seed rate upto
12.5 kg per ha in shootfly endemic area and transplant only healthy seedlings.
Cover the seeds by smoothening out the rills with hand. Sprinkle 500 kg of FYM or
compost evenly and cover the seeds completely with hands.
IRRIGATION
Provide one inlet to each unit of 6 plots to allow water in the channels.
Allow water to enter the channel and rise up in it. Turn off the water when the raised bed is
wet.
Irrigate as per the following schedule:
LIGHT SOIL HEAVY SOIL
1st: Immediately after sowing Immediately after sowing
2nd: on third day after sowing On 3rd day after sowing
3rd: on seventh day after sowing On 9th day after sowing
4th: on 12th day after sowing On 16th day after sowing
5th: on 17th day after sowing
FERTILIZER APPLICATION
Apply NPK fertilizers as per soil test recommendations as far as possible.
If soil test recommendation is not available follow the blanket recommendation
of 70:35:35 kg N, P2O5, K2O/ ha for all varieties.
For hybrids, apply 80 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 and 40 kg K2O per ha. Apply the
recommended N in three splits as 25:50:25 per cent at 15 and 30 DAS and full
dose of phosphorus and potassium basally.
Combined application of azospirillum
and phosphobacteria or azophos along
with 75 per cent of the recommended
level of N and P is recommended for
rainfed conditions.
METHOD OF APPLICATION
Fertilizers should be applied in split doses. At the time of sowing, full
phosphorus and potash and half of nitrogen should be added as basal
application. 1/4 th nitrogen should be added after 30 and 60 days (after
sowing)
For transplanted crop, open a furrow more than 5 cm deep on the
side of the ridge (1/3 distance from the bottom), place the fertilizer and
cover.
For the direct sown crop, mark the lines more than 5 cm deep 45 cm
apart in the beds.
Place the fertilizer below 5 cm depth and cover upto 2 cm from the top
before sowing.
In the case of intercropping with pulses, mark lines more than 5 cm deep
30 cm apart in the beds.
Apply fertilizer only in the rows in which cumbu is to be sown and cover
upto 2 cm.
APPLICATION OF MICRONUTRIENT MIXTURE
Apply 12.5 kg/ha of micronutrient mixture formulated by the
Department of Agriculture.
Mix the mixture with enough sand to make 50 kg and apply on the
surface just before planting/after sowing and cover the seeds.
Broadcast the mixture on the surface to seed line.
If micronutrient mixture is not available apply 25 kg of zinc
sulphate per ha.
Mix the chemical with enough sand to make 50 kg and apply as
above.
WEED MANAGEMENT
Transplanted crop
Spray Atrazine 0.25 kg/ha on 3 DAT followed by one hand weeding on 30 - 35 DAT.
If herbicide is not used hand weeding twice on 15 DAT and 30 - 35 DAT.
Direct Sown crop
Apply the Atrazine 0.25 kg/ha on 3 DAS as spray on the soil surface using Back-
pack/Knapsack/Rocker sprayer fitted with flat type nozzle using 500 litres of
water/ha.
Apply herbicide when there is sufficient moisture in the soil.
Hand weed on 30 - 35 days after sowing if pre-emergence herbicide is applied.
If pre-emergence herbicide is not applied hand weed twice on 15 and 30 days after
sowing.
PESTS & DISEASES
Grasshoppers and stem bores are major pests in bajra
cultivation. These can be controlled by dusting the crop with BHC
5 % (or) 2 sprayings with 2 liters of Eldrin 20 .
Main disease in Bajra farming is “Downy mildew” ,to control
this disease, treat the seeds with fungicide like M-45 @ 2.0kg/ha
(or) Dithane Z-78 in 900 -1000 liters of water.
HARVESTING
The crop is ready for harvesting when the grain become hardy &
contain moisture.
Two methods can be followed in harvesting bajra crop: Cutting
earhead or cutting of entire plants by sticks.
stalk the cut plants for 4 to 5 days in sun for drying grains.
Grains can be separated by beating the earheads.
THRESHING, CLEANING, DRYING,
STORING
Dry the earheads
Thresh in a mechanical thresher or spread it & drag a stone roller over
it.
Dry the seeds below 10 per cent and mix 100 kg of grains with 1kg of activated kaolin to reduce
the rice weevil and rice moth incidence.
Spray Malathion 50EC 10 ml/ lit @ 3 lit of spray fluid/100 m2 over the bags during storage
godowns.
For grain purpose the grain should be dried well below 10% moisture and stored in gunny bags.
YIELD:
Rain fed crop yields about 12 to 16 quintals/ha
and irrigated crop yields about 25 to 35 quintals/ha.
CLASSES OF SEED
COMMERCIAL-HYBRID VARITIES
Commercial-hybrid varieties of Bajra in India:-
ICM4-155,VBH-4,NBH-149,MH-306,NH-338,MP-204,MP-205
CHANDIGARH: A new bajra (pearl millet) hybrid variety HHB 272, developed at Chaudhary Charan Singh
Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, has been identified for release in Haryana, Rajasthan
and Gujarat.
According to HAU vice-chancellor K S Khokhar, the new bajra hybrid is high yielding and resistant to
major diseases. He said that at the annual group meet of the All India Coordinated Pearl Millet Improvement
Project, held at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, the hybrid had been identified for A1 zone
of the country comprising dry areas of Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat in view of its characteristic features.
He said HHB 272 had grain and dry fodder yield potentials of 44.8 and 101.0 quintals per hectare,
respectively. Besides, it was highly resistant against downy mildew and other diseases. Khokhar said the
hybrid out-yielded the national check bajra hybrid HHB 67 (improved) by 30.3%. Enumerating other
characteristics of the new bajra hybrid, S S Siwach, HAU director of research, said its ear heads were
compact that carried grey coloured globular grains. Besides, its tillering capacity was also very high and its
plants matured in 68-72 days.
source: TIMES OF INDIA 2015
HEALTH BENEFITS
Bajra is very good source of energy.
Bajra promotes heart health.
Bajra helps in reducing weight.
Bajra helps in digestion disorders.
Bajra may help in preventing cancer.
Bajra controls blood sugar levels and hence good for diabetic.
REFERENCES
Millet. Consultative Group on International Agricultural.
ResearchFuller,D.Q. (2003). African crops in prehistoric South
Asia: a critical review. in Neumann,K., Butler,A., Kahlheber,S.
(ed.) Food, Fuel and Fields. Progress in Africa Archaeobotany.
Africa Praehistorica 15 series. Cologne: Heinrich-Barth-Institut,
239-271.
SUBMITTED BY:
BERLLA JAMES
ID:16MSSDCI003
THANKYOU
