Morphology and Phenophases of Finger Millet
Introduction
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), commonly referred to as Ragi, is one of the most important minor cereal
crops cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in Asia and Africa. It is valued for its high
nutritional content, drought tolerance, and ability to grow in marginal soils. The crop serves as a staple food in
many regions and is also used for fodder and industrial purposes
Vernacular Names
English: African Millet, Finger Millet
Hindi: Ragi, Mandika, Marawah, Mandua
Kannadam: Ragi
Malayalam: Muthari, Ragi
Tamil: Keppai, Ragi, Kelvaragu
Telugu: Ragi, Chodi
Classification of Ragi
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Graminae
Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus: Eleusine
Species: Coracana
Morphology of Ragi Plant
Root
Ragi possesses a fibrous root system.
The roots are shallow, branched, and root at the lower nodes.
Upon germination, the radical pierces out to form the seminal root.
Lateral roots subsequently form from the seminal root.
As seedlings grow, fibrous roots arise from the basal nodes.
When seedlings are pulled, most roots tear off, but fresh roots develop very soon.
Stem
The stem is slender, erect, compressed, glabrous (smooth), and sometimes branching.
It is compressed and elliptic in shape and green in color.
The plant is a robust, free-tillering, tufted annual grass that grows up to 170 cm tall.
The stem is hollow at the internodes and solid at the nodes.
The lower internodes are short, while the terminal node carrying the inflorescence is the longest.
Root system Stem
Leaf
The plant features a packing of a large number of leaves on short, slender culms.
Leaves are arranged alternately on either side of the compressed elliptical culm and are green in color.
Leaves are distichous, simple, and entire.
The leaf sheath envelops the stem more or less completely, exposing very little of the internodes.
The leaf sheath is flattened, overlapping, and split along the entire length.
The leaf blade has a prominent midrib, a ligule, and a fringe of hairs.
The blade is linear, tapers to an acute point, is folded and striated, and often has ciliated margins.
The ligule is 1 to 2 mm long and fimbriate.
Well-grown leaves often have a tendency to snap and bend down about their upper middle; these are
called "bent leaves."
The internodes of the culm are not of equal length.
Nodes at the base are often crowded (2 to 4 nodes congested together), referred to as "congested nodes."
Panicle
The inflorescence (panicle) is borne at the end of the vegetative shoot on a long peduncle.
It is branched, typically having one or a few branches below a main cluster of 4–19 branches.
The panicle consists of 3 to 20 spikes arranged in a bird’s foot style, resembling fingers on a hand
(hence the name "Finger Millet"), often with an odd one lower down called the thumb.
The rachis of the spikes isflat.
Branches are slender to robust, linear to oblong, and up to 24 cm long.
Each branch carries 60–80 spikelets.
There are four distinct panicle shapes:
1. Top-curved: Curved fingers are longer, retaining the central hollow.
2. In-curved: Fingers are short and curve in, practically closing the central hollow to give an
obovate shape.
3. Open: Fingers are longest and gape out, presenting a funnel-shaped appearance.
4. Fisty: Spikelets curve intensely, giving a roundish, fist-like appearance.
Leaves Panicle
Spikelets
Different shapes of panicle
Spikelets are carried on small rachillae at the ends of the panicle branches.
They are often curved, crowded, and 2 to 4 flowered.
They are ovoid-ellipsoid in shape and up to 10 mm in size.
They are sessile and arranged in 2 rows alternately attached to one side of the rachis.
Approximately 70 spikelets are arranged alternately on the rachis, each containing 4 to 7 seeds.
Each spikelet is 3 to 7 flowered and enclosed by the lemma and palea.
The lower glume is ovate, obtuse, and keeled with a lateral nerve close to the keel.
The upper glume is similar but slightly longer.
The lower 2 glumes are 1–4 mm long with 5–7 veined keels and are barren.
They enclose bisexual flowers, though terminal ones are sometimes sterile or male.
There are two opposite rows of flowers and two lodicules each.
Flowering lemmas are broadly ovate, acute, three-nerved, and 2–5 mm long.
The palea is slightly shorter than the lemma and is two-keeled with keel wings.
There are two broad and trunky lodicules.
Stamens are three; the ovary is superior with two distinct free styles ending in plumose stigmas.
Despite varying finger lengths across the four earhead types, the number of spikelets per finger is
consistent (average 67 to 73).
In each spikelet, florets open from bottom to top, with one floret opening per day.
An earhead takes seven to eight days to complete flowering.
Grain
The grain is globose and smooth.
The pericarp is thin, hyaline, and loose.
The naked grain is roughly spherical.
Grain color varies: brown, reddish-brown, black, orange-red, purple, or white.
The base of the grain is slightly flattened with a small depression called the hilum.
A slight flattening on the grain marks the position of the embryo.
Seed coats develop from the two integuments of the ovule, which are free from each other except at the
base.
In initial stages, the inner layer cells are twice as large as the outer layer cells.
Grains
The outer layer eventually forms a number of projections (likely due to cell shrinkage), showing
concentric configurations on the mature grain.
Phenophases of Finger Millet
1. Vegetative Growth
Germination (0–5 Days After Sowing)
o Seed absorbs moisture (imbibition) to activate enzymes.
o The radicle (root) and plumule (shoot) emerge from the seed.
o The seedling breaks through the soil surface.
Seedling Establishment (5–15 Days)
o Transition from seed-stored energy to active photosynthesis.
o Development of the first 2–4 true leaves.
o Expansion of the primary fibrous root system for nutrient uptake.
Tillering Stage (15–30 Days)
o Production of side shoots (tillers) from the basal nodes of the main stem.
o Significant increase in leaf area and vegetative biomass.
o The total number of productive stems is determined during this window.
Stem Elongation / Vegetative Growth (30–50 Days)
o Rapid vertical growth due to internode stretching.
o Plant accumulates dry matter and nutrients in preparation for reproduction.
o The "flag leaf" (last leaf) begins to develop.
2. Reproductive stage
Booting Stage (50–60 Days) (S1)
o Inflorescence (the fingers) develops and grows inside the flag leaf sheath.
o The upper leaf sheath becomes visibly swollen.
o A critical period where water and nutrient availability are essential.
Flowering Stage (60–70 Days) (S2)
o Emergence of the finger-like spikes from the leaf sheath.
o Opening of flowers and the occurrence of self-pollination.
o Fertilization occurs, marking the start of grain formation.
Grain Filling Stage (70–90 Days) (S3)
o Movement of nutrients and sugars from leaves/stems into the developing seeds.
o Grains progress from the "milk stage" (liquid) to the "dough stage" (firm starch).
o Visible change in grain color from green to light brown.
Maturity Stage (90–120 Days) (S4)
o Grains reach maximum dry weight and become hard.
o Moisture content in the grain decreases significantly.
o The plant's leaves and stalks turn yellow/brown (senescence), indicating the crop is ready for
harvest
S1 – Booting Stage
S2 – Flowering stage
S3 – Grain filling stage
S4 – Maturity Stage
References:
1. TNAU Notes
2. Agrimoon Notes
3. Research gate
4. Google
5. Scribd