Editing Millet (section)

== Agriculture ==

=== Cultivation ===

Pearl millet is one of the two major dryland crops (alongside sorghum<ref name="Masaka 2021">{{cite journal |last=Masaka |first=Johnson |last2=Chohunoita |first2=Collen |last3=Mupfiga |first3=Elvis |title=Soil moisture, dryland sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L.) growth and grain yield responses to in-field rain water harvesting tillage methods |journal=Cogent Food & Agriculture |volume=7 |issue=1 |date=1 January 2021 |issn=2331-1932 |doi=10.1080/23311932.2021.1925004 |doi-access=free |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23311932.2021.1925004?needAccess=true}}</ref>) in the semiarid, impoverished, less fertile agriculture regions of Africa and southeast Asia.<ref name="Baltensperger 2002">{{cite book |last=Baltensperger |first=David D. |chapter=Progress with Proso, Pearl and Other Millets |year=2002 |editor1=Janick, J. |editor2=Whipkey, A. |title=Trends in New Crops and New Uses |publisher=ASHS Press |location=Alexandria, Virginia |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/pdf/baltensperger.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030421033516/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/pdf/baltensperger.pdf |archive-date=2003-04-21 |url-status=live }}</ref> Millets are not only adapted to poor, dry infertile soils, but they are also more reliable under these conditions than most other grain crops.<ref name="Baltensperger 2002"/>

Millets, however, do respond to high fertility and moisture. On a per-hectare basis, millet grain production can be 2 to 4 times higher with use of irrigation and soil supplements. Improved varieties of millet with enhanced disease resistance can significantly increase farm yield. There has been cooperation between poor countries to improve millet yields. For example, 'Okashana 1', a variety developed in India from a natural-growing millet variety in [[Burkina Faso]], doubled yields. This variety was selected for trials in [[Zimbabwe]]. From there it was taken to [[Namibia]], where it was released in 1990 and enthusiastically adopted by farmers. 'Okashana 1' became the most popular variety in Namibia, the only non-[[Sahel]]ian country where pearl millet—locally known as ''mahangu''—is the dominant food staple for consumers. 'Okashana 1' was then introduced to [[Chad]]. The variety has significantly enhanced yields in [[Mauritania]] and [[Benin]].<ref>{{cite web |author=ICRISAT |title=A New Generation of Pearl Millet on the Horizon |publisher=The World Bank |url=http://www.worldbank.org/html/cgiar/newsletter/Oct96/6millet.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204142835/http://www.worldbank.org/html/cgiar/newsletter/Oct96/6millet.html |archive-date=4 December 2010 }}</ref>

=== Pests and diseases ===

Millets are subject to damage by [[List of insect pests of millets|many insect pests]], including [[corn borer]]s, [[Stemborer]]s, the caterpillars of numerous moths in the families [[Erebidae]] and [[Noctuidae]], the [[Geromyia penniseti|millet midge]], many species of flies in the [[Muscidae]], [[Hemiptera]]n bugs of many families including [[aphid]]s, and species of [[thrips]], [[beetle]]s, and [[grasshopper]]s.<ref name="Kalaisekar 2017">{{cite book |last=Kalaisekar |first=A. |title=Insect pests of millets: systematics, bionomics, and management |publisher=Elsevier |publication-place=London |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-12-804243-4 |oclc=967265246}}</ref>

Among the many diseases of millets are serious fungal infections such as [[anthracnose]], [[Blast fungus|blast]], charcoal rot, [[downy mildew]], [[ergot]], grain mould, [[Rust (fungus)|rust]], and [[Sarocladium oryzae|sheath rot]]. Bacterial diseases are generally less serious; they include [[bacterial leaf spot]], leaf stripe and [[bacterial leaf streak|leaf streak]]. Viral diseases are again generally less serious, except for a few diseases such as [[maize stripe virus]], [[maize mosaic virus]], sorghum red stripe virus, and [[maize streak virus]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Das |first1=I.K. |last2=Nagaraja |first2=A. |last3=Tonapi |first3=Vilas A. |title=Diseases of millets |journal=Indian Farming |volume=12 |pages=41–45 |date=March 2016 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361164140}}</ref>

=== Production ===

{{Infobox agricultural production
| year               = 2022
| plant              = millet
| country1           = {{IND}}
| amount1            =11.8
| country2           = {{NIG}}
| amount2            =3.7
| country3           = {{CHN}}
| amount3            =2.7
| country4           = {{NGA}}
| amount4            =1.9
| country5           = {{MLI}}
| amount5            =1.8
| country6           = {{SUD}}
| amount6            =1.7
| country7           = {{ETH}}
| amount7            =1.2
| country8           = {{SEN}}
| amount8            =1.1
| country9           = {{BFA}}
| amount9            =0.9
| country10           = {{CHA}}
| amount10            =0.7
| world              =30.9
| source             =[[FAOSTAT]]<ref name="FAOSTAT2022">{{cite web |title=FAOSTAT |url=https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL/visualize |website=www.fao.org |access-date=28 February 2024}}</ref>
}}

In 2022, global production of millet was 30.9 million [[tonnes]].  [[India]] is the top millet producer worldwide, with 11.8 million tonnes grown annually &ndash; some 38% of the world total and nearly triple its nearest rival.  Eight of the remaining nine nations in the top 10 producers are in Africa, ranging from [[Niger]] (at 3.7 million tonnes) to [[Chad]] (0.7 million tonnes); the sole exception is [[China]], number three in global production, at 2.7 million tonnes.<ref name="FAOSTAT2022"/>

<gallery mode=packed widths=130 heights=160>
File:A Woman Threshing Sorghum In Northern Ghana.png|A woman threshing [[pearl millet]] in Northern Ghana
File:Journal of Agricultural Research (1917) (14777745304).jpg|[[Proso millet]] with bacterial stripe disease
File:Milletoutput.png|Production of millet (2008) showing major producing regions of the world
</gallery>

=== Research ===

Research on millets is carried out by the [[International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics]] (ICRISAT)<ref name="icrisat-overview">{{cite web |title=ICRISAT overview |url=https://www.icrisat.org/icrisat-strategic-plan/ |website=ICRISAT |access-date=17 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803225819/https://www.icrisat.org/icrisat-strategic-plan/ |archive-date=3 August 2021}}</ref><ref name="icrisat-pearl">{{cite web |title=Pearl Millet |url=http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Pearl%20Millet/178 |website=ICRISAT |access-date=17 September 2021 |archive-date=29 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529043747/http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Pearl%2520Millet/178 }}</ref><ref name="icrisat-small">{{cite web |title=Small Millets |url=http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Small%20millets/187 |website=ICRISAT |access-date=17 September 2021 |archive-date=29 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529043858/http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Small%2520millets/187 }}</ref> and [[ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research]]<ref name="ICAR-main">{{cite web |title=Indian Institute of Millets Research |url=https://millets.res.in/ |website=millets.res.in |access-date=17 September 2021}}</ref> in [[Telangana]], India, and by the [[Agricultural Research Service|United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service]] at [[Tifton, Georgia|Tifton]], Georgia, United States.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hanna |first1=W. |last2=Wilson |first2=J. |title=Pearl Millet Hybrids for Grain |url=https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/tifton-ga/crop-genetics-and-breeding-research/docs/pearl-millet-hybrids-for-grain/ |website=USDA-ARS |access-date=30 July 2021}}</ref>