Pearl millet
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| iPearl millet | ||||||||||||||||
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 U.S. pearl millet hybrid for grain
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| Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. |
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Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke |
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.
Pearl millet is well adapted to production systems characterized by low rainfall, low soil fertility, and high temperature. 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.
Today pearl millet is grown on over 26 million hectares worldwide. It accounts for approximately 50% of the total world production of millets[1].
Other names for pearl millet:
- In the USA: cattail millet, burgundy millet
- In India: bajra, bajri, sajje, cumbu
- In Africa: mahangu, sanio, gero, babala, nyoloti, bullrush millet, dukkin, souna, petit mil, mexoeira (Mozambique)
- In Europe: candle millet, dark millet
[edit] 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.
In non-traditional growing areas in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Europe, pearl millet is grown as a forage, grain, or cover crop. Different varieties are grown for forage or grain.
As a temporary summer annual grazing or hay crop, the forage is high in protein and highly digestible and used by cattle and other livestock. It is more frequently used in dairy and cow-calf operations.
A market exists as a specialty or exotic food grain in the USA, but market confusion with other types of "millet" currently limits the development of novel food products from this grain. 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. The grain is also used to feed livestock such as cattle and pigs, and is used in some dog food products. The grain is showing promise as a feedstock for ethanol production.
Pearl millet is becoming essential to soybean production in some areas 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.
[edit] 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.
Mahangu is usually made into a kind of porridge called "oshifima" (or "oshithima"), or fermented to make a drink called "ontaku" or "oshikundu".
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, wind winnowing may be used to remove the chaff.
Some industrial grain processing facilities now exist, such as those operated by Namib Mills.
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 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]
Recently more productive varieties of pearl millet have been introduced enabling farmers to increase production considerably. [4]
