Editing Millet (section)

=== 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>