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Chapter 18 - Small Millets
- Edited by Dominic Fuccillo, University of Arkansas, Linda Sears, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Paul Stapleton, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome
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- Book:
- Biodiversity in Trust
- Published online:
- 22 September 2009
- Print publication:
- 28 August 1997, pp 259-272
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Summary
Small millets are small-grained cereals mainly grown in arid, semi-arid or montane zones as rain-fed crops under marginal and submarginal conditions of soil fertility and moisture. Small millets are important to global agriculture and are major cereal crops, grown in fairly large areas of South Asia, China, the former USSR and Africa. They are also found in areas of the United States and Europe on a limited scale. Although precise estimates on their area and production are not available, these crops may occupy between 18 and 20 million ha, producing 15-18 million tonnes of grain. The region-wise distribution of area is 6.3 million ha in South Asia, 5 million ha in China, 4 million ha in USSR and 3 million ha in Africa.
Finger millet is the principal small millet species grown in South Asia, followed by kodo millet, foxtail millet, little millet, proso millet and barnyard millet, in that order. Foxtail millet and proso millet are important in China and the latter is grown extensively in southwestern USSR. In Africa, finger millet, teff and fonio have local importance (Riley 1988).
The average global productivity of small millets is almost 1 t/ha. There has been a trend in the last two decades to replace these crops with major cereals like maize and wheat, which has been a factor in the reduction of area under these crops. Presently, small millets are cultivated in areas where they produce a more dependable harvest than any other crop.
Chapter 20 - Sorghum
- Edited by Dominic Fuccillo, University of Arkansas, Linda Sears, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Paul Stapleton, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome
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- Book:
- Biodiversity in Trust
- Published online:
- 22 September 2009
- Print publication:
- 28 August 1997, pp 292-308
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Summary
Cultivated sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, is the fifth most important cereal in the world after rice, wheat, maize and barley. The countries with the greatest areas of sorghum production are India (12.9 million ha), Sudan (5.7 million ha), Nigeria and the USA (4.0 million ha each) and Niger (2.35 million ha). Other major producers include Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela in the Americas; Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Tanzania, Chad, Cameroon, Somalia and Mozambique in Africa; China, Pakistan and Yemen in Asia. In terms of production, the major sorghum-growing countries of the world are the USA (17.5 million t), India (12.4 million t), China (5.1 million t), Mexico (4.4 million t), Nigeria (4.0 million t) and Sudan (3.3 million t). In many other countries, production is much lower but sorghum is a significant part of the agricultural production and a very important food crop for millions of poor farmers. This is particularly true for rain-fed areas of Asia and Africa. In many areas, the stalks and foliage (used as fodder, fuel, thatching and fencing material) are valued as much as the grain.
BOTANY AND DISTRIBUTION
Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (2n=20) is synonomous with Holcus bicolor L., Andropogon sorghum (L.) Brot. and Sorghum vulgare Pers. Sorghum has been called great millet, guinea corn, milo, sorgo (English); sorgho (French); sorgo (Spanish, Portuguese); jowar, cholam, jonna (India); kaoliang (China) and durra (Sudan).
Sorghum bicolor is considered an extremely variable crop-weed complex. It comprises wild, weedy and cultivated annual forms which are fully interfertile.