Millet, production

Major production constraints include; fungal diseases, pests and labor production constraints especially weeding in Africa.

The major disease affecting millet production is blast caused by Pyricularia grisea, which causes lesions and premature drying of young leaves.

Other diseases include heliminthosporium diseases, which cause leafspots, seedling blight, and head blight in finger millet.

Control:

• Phytosanitary measures, uprooting and burning infected plants
• Use of resistant and high yielding varieties
• Spraying with copper-based fungicides

The most important pests include grasshoppers, armyworms and ladybird. Armyworm is particularly devastating pest during early stages of crop growth. It is capable of wiping out the entire field necessitating re-sowing.

Birds can cause damage on finger millet when the crop is ready for harvesting. However, in many instances damage levels are low and do not warrant any interventions.

Finger millet production requires a lot of labor especially for controlling weeds in broadcasted millet. In areas with declining soil fertility and areas infested with prolific weeds, up to 4 weedings may be necessary in order to realize good yields. Nyende et al; 2001 and Tenywa et al 1999, have all reported and demonstrated that millet production requires plenty of labor from poor resource farmers.

Row planting has often been advocated as a means of reducing the labor constraint (Shaky et al, 1991) in finger millet growing areas.

However, labor relief accruing from row planting may not be realized in most cases since a lot of labor is required to hand sow the seed in rows in absence of simpler mechanized alternatives. The most labor intensive activities in millet production include weeding and harvesting and account for approximately 25% and 14% (respectively) of the overall labor requirement (Nyende, 2000).

In conclusion, row planting has been shown to require only 46% of the total labor force required under broadcasting (Nyende, et al, 2001). This suggests that row planting as a practice has a potential to significantly reduce labor constraint in finger millet production while improving millet yields and economic returns hence achieving food security and alleviating poverty.

Nyende, P. 2000. Effect of soil fertility and weed management on the performance of finger millet in eastern Uganda. MSc. Thesis. Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. 85pp

Nyende, P; Tenywa, J.S; Oryokot, J and Kidoido, M. 2001. Weed profiles for increased finger millet production in eastern Uganda. African Crop Science 9: 508-515

Shakya. P.B; Upreti, R.P and Vaidya, S.1991. Finger millet in Nepal. Importance, utilization and farming systems in a socio-economic context. National Agricultural Research Centre, Nepal. 156pp

Tenywa, J.S; Nyende, P; Kidoido, M; Kasenge, V; Oryokot, J and Mbowa, S. 1999. Prospects and constraints of finger millet production in eastern Uganda. African Crop Science 7: 569-583