Finger millet (Eleusine coracana G.
Finger millet is also called ragi or mandua in India. In eminent vedic literature, ragi is
mentioned as ragika. It is important minor millet in India and used as staple food in many
Southern states and hilly regions of India. It is grown for grains as well as for fodder but, never
cultivated extensively as fodder/forage crop. Fresh green plant or dry stover is highly palatable
by cattle.
It is known as nutri grain due to its low fat (1.29%) high protein (9.2%) and minerals
(2.24%) Ash-3.90%, Calcium-0.33% (and also contain P and Fe) and vitamins like A and B,
besides it contains 76.32% CHO. It has greater nutritional value due its methionine containing
amino acid which is not found in rice, maize and sorghum.
The germinated grains are malted and fed to lactating mother, pregnant women and as
weaning food for children. It is also recommended for diabetic patients.
Uses
□ A common food for people in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu is known as
'Mudde or Ragi Sankati. Ragi dosa, ragi roti, ragi balls, biscuits, puddlings, pan cakes, crispys,
bread and even as popped grains are common preparations made in Southern states.
□ It also used to make fermented beer in Africa. Besides vitamin A&B phosphorus is also
present in smaller quantities.
□ The grain is nutritionally rich and the richest in 'calcium'. The green straw is suitable for
making silage, which gives sweet smell and consumed by cattle with out wastage. Husk from
finger millet is used in underground storage, as packaging material in pillows and cushions.
□ Ragi straw is a good fodder, plus it is used in preparing beds for animals.
Finger millet is known for its highly adaptability to varying elevations, drought tolerance
and high seasonal flexibility and therefore, included in most dryland cropping systems. Finger
millet has been a source of sustainability in rural areas, due to its multifaceted benefits in terms
of stabilized income and nutritional importance.
Origin
According to Decandole (1886), Finger millet probably originated in India. It might have
originated from Eleusine Indica, a grass that occurs in many parts of North India. It is supposed
to have spread from India to Abyssinia and rest of Africa.
Vavilov (1951) - considers Eleusine coracana to be of African origin ie. Ethiopian highlands as
origin and introduced to India 3000 years back. African Eleusine- Eleusine Africana (2n-36) has
more resemblance with cultivated Eleusine Eleusine coracona (tetrapoild 2n=36) than Indian
local grass Eleusine indica (2n=18).
The high yielding varieties of ragi were evolved by crossing cultivated Indian race Eleusine
coracona and African race Eleusine africana (called Indaf varieties). India is the leader in the
area of finger millet improvement.
Area and distribution: It is grown in 25 counties in Africa and Asia including major production
in Uganda, India, Nepal and China.
It is a tropical crop grown in warmer months in hilly areas even in the subtropics. About the
three-fourth of global production takes place in Southern India and Lake Victoria.
Distribution: Finger millet contributes nearly 40% of total small millet produce of India.
Ragi is a widely cultivated crop of the tropical and subtropical sparse regions of the world, being
grown in Africa, Madagascar, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China and Japan besides large area
in India.
In India, it is cultivated in an area of 1.2 m ha with a production of 1.98 million tonnes giving an
average productivity of 1661 kg per ha.
Majority area in Karnataka state which accounts for 57% area (6.7 lakh ha) with 66%
contribution in production.
Other important states are Maharashtra (1.29 lakh ha), Uttarakhand (1.18 lakh hectare),
TN (82,000 hectare) and Odisha (54,000 hectare). Smaller ragi area is found in Himachal
Pradesh, J &K, Gujarat, Bihar, parts of UP. When compared to other minor millets, finger millet
has high yielding potential due to its high fertilizer responsive, higher tillering and
photosynthetic ability.
Climatic requirement: It is a crop of tropical and subtropical climate and can be grown
successfully from sea level to an altitude of 2500 mts on hill slopes as well as in plains.
□ Most extensive ragi growing areas are within 45°N of the equator.
□ Ragi cultivation in India extends from 8 to 35ºN latitude and from sea level to as high as 3000
metres elevation. It grows well in altitudes of 1000- 2000m above the mean sea level.
□ It is grown in areas having annual average rainfall between 500-1000 mm.
□ Finger millet has wide climatic adaptability and can grown any season in tropics and warmer
season in temperate climates with varying temperature range.
□ Finger millets prefers warmers climate with an ideal temperature for germination is 24°C and
optimum temperature for growth is 26-29°C. Crop yield reduces with temperature below 20°C.
Crop possesses good drought tolerance but, is highly sensitive to frost
□ Photo period required is 11.5 hours. If day length is reduced, flowering gets postponed.
□ In hilly region duration gets extended due to poor photo period. In regions of higher rainfall, it
can be raised on well-drained soils as a transplanted crop. It can be grown under rainfed as well
as irrigated conditions,
Soil requirement: It is grown on wide range of soils with varying fertility. It prefers
porous and well-drained soils. It has ability to tolerate salinity among cereals. Alluvial and
loamy soils are suitable for this crop. Deep vertisols and rocky soils are not suitable for this crop
owing to poor drainage and low fertility with pH range of 5.5.-7.5.
Botanical description: Finger millet is tuffed annual plant of family Poaceae, growing
to height of 30-150 cm and maturing in 75-160 days.
□ Leaves are narrow, grass like and capable of producing many tillers and nodal branches.
Leaves are narrow, grass like and capable of producing many tillers and nodal branches.
□ Inflorescence is a panicle with 4-19 finger-like spikes that resembles a fist when mature, hence
it is named as finger millet.
□ It is self-pollinated crop and hybridization is tool to develop varieties.
□ No commercial hydrids have been developed due to lack of male sterile line.
□ The grain is oblong to round and oval, reddish in colour with the grains surface finely
corrugated.
Season: Ragi is not a season bound crop and hence, can be cultivated throughout the
year, if moisture is available.
□ Kharif crop is sown during May or June.
□ If the rains are not received in time, the sowing time is postponed upto the end of August.
□ However, should be done early in rainfed areas to avoid moisture stress at critical stage of
flowering.
□ In areas, where irrigation facilities are inadequate, the sowing should be done soon after onset
of monsoon.
□ In higher hills of northern India, the optimum time of sowing for finger millet is the first
fortnight of June.
□ The rainfed early crop is sown in April or early May.
□ Rabi crop is sown during September and October.
□ The rainfed rabi crop in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Rabi crop is sown Pradesh is
sown in September and October. The irrigated of finger millet is sown in more than one season
in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Irrigated crop planting during June-July and
summer irrigated crop by planting Dec-Jan.
Systems of cultivation
Finger millet can be cultivated in different systems depending on convient, season and rainfall.
1. Transplanted upland crop: The nursery is raised and 2-3 seedlings are transplanted after 20-
25 days in main field. It can be practices both under irrigated or rainfed conditions.
1. Drill sown crop: Seeds are drilled along with fertilizers by seed-cum-fertilizer drills and later
thinned after emergence.
2. Plough sole method: Seed are sown inside the furrow created by plough by using drag tubes
attached to plough.
3. Broadcasting: It is primitive method followed in the parts of UP. The crop yield is less due to
competition and difficulty to control the weeds.
Nursery preparation: To get seedlings for one hectare area, 38 m x 12 m x 10 cm of
length,width and height respectively is required. All beds should be prepared in well pulverized
land by applying 15 kg FYM/bed. Seed treatment with fungicide 2g/kg before sowing (Thiram).
Apply 500 gm of ammonium sulphate + 1 kg superphosphate + 500 gm murate of potash to each
bed. Mix them well. Broadcast 5 kg seeds by equally distributing to all the plots. Irrigate
regularly. Seedlings will be ready after 25 days.
Varieties: Selection of variety is very important for higher yield. Varietal selection is
based on the time of sowing and for early and normal sowing usually select long duration
varieties and for delayed sowing go for short duration varieties. In summer, usually go for short
duration varieties because long duration varieties crop may with rainy season and season may
extended.
Indaf-5, 7, 8, 9, MR-1,2,3, L-5, GPU-28,26, 45, 48, 66, KMR 301 KMR 204.
Population and spacing: Maintaining population of 4.16 lakh/ ha (30 x 8 cm) is ideal for
high yielding. However, lower population up to 3.33 lakh/ha (30 x 10 cm) will also not affect
yield due to compensation by more tillers.
Broadcasting method requires 25 kg/ha seed, for plough sole method requires about 10-
12 kg/ha and transplanting of seedlings require 5 kg/ha of seeds.
Field preparation: One disc plough followed by 2-3 cultivators and harrowing to
remove the weeds and stubbles and later levelling to bring the soil to the fine tilth. Fine seed bed
is required as seed size is small and clody condition leads to poor germination finally leads to
less plant population.
Nutrient management: Finger millet is responsive to nitrogen application and high
yielding. Improved varieties remove large quantity of nutrients. At the same time, under low
fertility condition. or with no fertilizers crop doesn't fail altogether. Incorporate 5 t/ha of FYM
three weeks in advance.
Recommended dose of fertilizer nutrients :
□ 100:50:50 kg NPK/ha (irrigated)
□ 60:40: 25 kg NPK/ha (Rainfed)
(50% N and full P& K as basal dose and remaining N at 30 & 50 DAS)
Application of ZnSO, 12.5 kg/ha is useful in increasing the yield and Azospirilum @ 375
g/ ha is helpful in fixing atmospheric nitrogen and which enhances the yield.
Weed management: It is essential to control weeds in the initial stages, inter-cultivation
and weeding by hand before 30 DAS. Thinning should be done while inter-cultivation. Chemical
weed control by butachlor @ 1.5 kg/ha or fluchloralalin @ 2 1/ha or pendimethalin 2.5 1/ha.
There should be sufficient moisture at the time application. For post-emergent application 2-4-D
@ 0.5 kg/ha.
Water management: Ragi is the most efficient user of water. Its water use effiency is
higher than most other cereals. The water requirement of ragi varies form 30-35 cm. Tillering
and flowering are critical stages. Ridges and furrows method or basin method are best for ragi
irrigation. Rabi and summer crop is grown completely under irrigated condition. But major area
is under rainfed during khari season.
Cropping systems
Double cropping Inter-cropping
□ Finger millet-Groundnut □ Finger millet+Pigean pea (8:2)
□ Finger millet-Sugarcane □ Finger millet+Soybean
□ Finger millet-Tobacco □ Finger millet+Field bean
□ Finger millet-Potato-maize
□ Finger millet-Chickpea
□ Finger millet-Mustard
□ Finger millet-Linseed
□ Finger millet-Barley
Plant protection from Diseases
Blast: It is the major disease in Ragi which affects to leaves (called leaf blast), peduncle
(called neck blast) or earhead blast. Pinkish yellow lesions develop on leaves which may
coalesce to look like burn on leaves. Growth and yield are severely affected. The earhead when
peduncle infected and in earhead few finger may affect and leads chaffy ear. Use resistant like
GPU series. Seed treatment with carbondizim@2g/kg seed. When susceptible varieties are used,
give one spray of bavistine@2g/lit during flowering stage.
Stem borer: Symptoms are similar to those found in sorghum and it can be controlled by
using Diazinon granules @ 20 kg/ha.
Bihary hairy caterpillar and grasshoppers: They feed on leaf tissue except veins and
midrib. They may seriously reduce the yield, if infestation is heavy. They can be controlled by
dusting 2% methyl parathion @ 25-30 kg/ha.
Ear head caterpillar: Caterpillars may eat away developing ear head and may reduce
the yield. It can be controlled by dusting carboryl @20 kg/ha.
Harvesting and threshing: Crop matures in 120-135 days depending on varieties.
Harvesting done in two methods, in first method only matured ear heads are cut as and when and
in second method entire plant cut at the bottom and allow to dry in field for 3-5 days. After
bundles are made transport to the threshing yard, later threshing is done beating with sticks if it is
small quantity or trampling by stone roller with the help of bullocks or by mechanically.
Yield
□ Irrigated crop 30-40 q/ha and 9-10 t/ha fodder
□ Rainfed crop 15-20 q/ha and 3-4 t/ha fodder