Pearl millet is the most widely grown type of millet. Grown in India and Africa since prehistoric times, it is generally accepted that pearl millet originated in Africa and was subsequently introduced into India. The earliest archaeological records in India date to 2000 BC, so domestication in Africa must have taken place earlier. Its origin has been traced to tropical Africa. The center of diversity for the crop is in the Sahel zone of West Africa. Cultivation subsequently spread to east and southern Africa, and southern Asia. Pearl millet in the field The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Dogs and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

Pearl millet is well adapted to production systems characterized by low rainfall, low soil fertility, and high temperature. It performs well in soils with high salinity. Because of its tolerance to difficult growing conditions, it can be grown in areas where other cereal crops, such as wheat or maize, would not survive. This article is about cereals in general. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... “Corn” redirects here. ...

Today pearl millet is grown on over 260,000 km² worldwide. It accounts for approximately 50% of the total world production of millets[1].

Common names for pearl millet

• In Africa: mahangu, sanio, gero, babala, nyoloti, bullrush millet, dukkin, souna, petit mil, mexoeira (Mozambique)
• In India: bajra, bajri, sajje, cumbu (Tamil), Sajjalu(Telugu name)
• In the USA: cattail millet, burgundy millet
• In Europe: candle millet, dark millet

Diseases

Main article: List of pearl millet diseases

This article is a list of diseases of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum). ...

Uses

In its traditional growing areas in India and many African countries, pearl millet is the basic staple for households in the poorest countries and among the poorest people. The grain is consumed in the form of leavened or unleavened breads, porridges, boiled or steamed foods, and (alcoholic) beverages. In the Sahel and elsewhere in northern Africa, pearl millet is an important ingredient of couscous. The stalks are a valued building material, fuel and livestock feed. Leaven is a raising agent for bread. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Couscous with vegetables and chickpeas Couscous (IPA - Berber Seksu - Arabic: [1]) is a food of the Maghreb of Berber origin. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ...

Pearl millet used for forage production

In non-traditional growing areas in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Europe, pearl millet is grown as a cover crop, or for forage or grain. Different varieties are grown for forage or grain. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 616 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Jeffrey P. Wilson File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 616 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Jeffrey P. Wilson File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Broadly defined, a cover crop is any annual, biennial, or perennial plant grown as a monoculture (one crop type grown together) or polyculture (multiple crop types grown together), to improve any number of conditions associated with sustainable agriculture. ... Forage is the herbaceous plant material (mainly grasses and legumes) eaten by grazing animals. ...

Pearl millet is becoming essential to soybean production in the Cerrados regions in Brazil, where it is used as a cover crop to conserve soil quality and water, and to suppress weeds. In Canada, pearl millet cover or rotations are valuable to reduce soil-borne nematodes in cropping systems. Binomial name (L.) Merr. ...

As a temporary summer annual grazing or hay crop, the forage is high in protein, is highly digestible, and is free of prussic acid. Commonly used for feeding cattle, horses, goats, and other livestock, it is more frequently used in dairy and cow-calf operations. cow and ox, see Cow (disambiguation) and Ox (disambiguation). ...

Much of the grain is currently used to feed birds, particularly poultry and gamebirds for recreational hunting, such as bobwhite quail, turkey, pheasant, and dove. It is showing considerable value in poultry and egg production. When used to feed layer hens, the eggs have a higher concentration of the healthier omega-3 fatty acids. The grain is also used to feed livestock such as cattle and pigs, and is used in some specialty dog food products. For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Colinus virginianus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Bobwhite Quail or Northern Bobwhite, Colinus virginianus, is a ground-dwelling bird native to North America. ... cow and ox, see Cow (disambiguation) and Ox (disambiguation). ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ...

Because of its high protein content and rapid fermentation rate, the grain is showing promise as an economical feedstock for ethanol production. It is fully compatible in facilities that ferment corn or sorghum. Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless, slightly toxic chemical compound, and is best known as the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. ...

Pearl millet products are sold in ethnic food markets in the USA, particularly in those catering to immigrants from Africa or the Indian sub-continent where pearl millet is a familiar and traditional food. Use of this gluten-free grain in specialty food markets in the U.S. has been limited. Confusion over labelling in the market with other types of "millet" currently limits the development of novel food products from pearl millet.

Pearl millet grain

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 835 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Pearl millet that was harvested by combine, before cleaning for food use. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 835 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Pearl millet that was harvested by combine, before cleaning for food use. ...

Qualities

Pearl millet grain is comparatively high in protein and has a good amino acid balance. It is high in lysine and methionine + cystine levels. It contains twice as much methionine than sorghum, an important trait for organic poultry production. The grain is also comparatively high in fat, and linolenic acid comprises 4% of the total fatty acids.

Even when grown in highly stressed conditions, the grain is essentially free of aflatoxins and fumonisins. These carcinogenic mycotoxins are a significant problem on maize when it is grown in regions where it is not well-adapted. Government policies that encourage maize production in regions where pearl millet is a traditional food may have long-term health implications among these populations.

Pearl Millet in Namibia

In Namibia, pearl millet is known as Mahangu and is grown mainly in the north of that country, where it is the staple food. In the dry, unpredictable climate of this area it grows better than alternatives such as maize. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... “Corn” redirects here. ...

Mahangu is usually made into a porridge called "oshifima" (or "oshithima"), or fermented to make a drink called "ontaku" or "oshikundu". This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Fermentation (biochemistry). ...

Traditionally the mahangu is pounded with heavy pieces of wood in a 'pounding area'. The floor of the pounding area is covered with a cementlike coating made from the material of termite mounds. As a result, some sand and grit gets into the pounded mahangu, so products like oshifima are usually swallowed without chewing. [2] After pounding, winnowing may be used to remove the chaff. Families Mastotermitidae Kalotermitidae Termopsidae Hodotermitidae Rhinotermitidae Serritermitidae Termitidae Termites, sometimes known as white ants, are a group of social insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera. ... Wind winnowing is a method developed by ancient cultures for agricultural purposes. ...

Some industrial grain processing facilities now exist, such as those operated by Namib Mills. Namib Mills Ltd, established in 1982, is the largest grain processing company in Namibia. ...

Efforts are also being made to develop smaller scale processing using food extrusion and other methods. In a food extruder, the mahangu is milled into a paste before being forced through metal die. Products made this way include breakfast cereals, including puffed grains and porridge, pasta shapes, and "rice". It is hoped that this technology will enable farmers and villagers to add value to the crop and increase its storage life. [3] Extrusion is a manufacturing process used to create long objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile. ... Look up die in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Puffed grain is the result of a process developed by Dr. Alexander P. Anderson of New York City in 1902. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Recently more productive varieties of pearl millet have been introduced enabling farmers to increase production considerably. [4]

External links

• Pearl Millet
• Pearl Millet for Grain
• Onamutai, Namibia, Africa