Modern Crop Management Practices for Pearl Millet Cultivation in Asia

Pearl millet, as a rainfed crop of Asia, is subjected to varying levels of moisture stress that upon receiving low external inputs of fertilizers, pesticides including herbicides has low productivity than its potential. Scope lies in pushing up the yields through the adoption of new emerging agronomic practices holistically on a system basis. Conservation agriculture (zero tillage + residues retention + crop rotations) in pearl millet cultivation areas on cropping system mode has enormous potential to do away with conventional tillage. Rainwater harvest during excess rainfall events, its effective storage in sub (surface) structures (surface structures lining, anti-evaporates use), and use for protective irrigation by pressurized irrigation methods (drip/sprinkler) at critical stages could completely offset the moisture stress-induced pearl millet yield penalties. Scope lies for saline groundwater-based drip irrigation adoption in pearl millet and a selection of cultivars and amendments comes in handy in such situations. Integrated crop nutrition (liquid bio-fertilizers, manures, fertilizers) especially manuring, and effective weed management through herbicides (Tembotrione, atrazine) could boost crop water supplies besides augmenting the nutrient supplies to the crop. Foliar nutrition is desired under severe water stress. Use of bio-fortified stress-tolerant hybrids ds in moderate precipitation (>400 mm) and irrigated areas and high yielding open pollinated varieties in water-stressed regions (<400 mm) and their timely sowing leading to optimum plant stand maintenance (gap filling by seed or transplanting) are pre-requisites for taking advantage from above production technologies. Combine harvesting and organic pearl millet production could boost profits by reducing the costs and premium produce price realizations respectively.