Indication

A tropical climate forage recommended for medium to high fertility soils. It can be used in crop rotation (green manure and cover crop) and in animal feed, through direct grazing, silage, or hay. It is recommended for cattle breeding, rearing, and fattening, dairy production, and also for horses.

Scientific name

Pennisetum glaucum

Soil recommendations

Medium to high fertility

Utilization

Grazing, haymaking, green manure, and cover crop

Forage production

8 to 10 t/ha/year of dry matter (DM)

Protein content in dry matter (DM)

15%

Plant height

1.50m to 2.50m

"In vitro" digestibility

51 to 55%

Drought tolerance

High

Pasture spittlebug

Tolerant

Cold tolerance

Low

Vegetative cycle

Annual

Use and Management

Pearl millet is an annual forage crop suited for tropical climates, recommended for medium to high fertility soils. It can be used in crop rotation (as green manure and cover crop) and for feeding beef cattle, dairy cattle, and horses through direct grazing, silage, or hay. It can be established in association with pastures that have later establishment, such as humidicola and dictyoneura. In such cases, seeding rates of 3 to 4 kg/ha of pearl millet seeds are common. For individual planting, the recommendation is 15 to 20 kg/ha of seeds. Forage production can reach 8 to 10 t/ha of dry matter, or 40 to 50 t/ha of green matter. Grazing should commence when the crop reaches around 50 cm in height, with removal at 20 cm.

Origin

The pearl millet plant, Pennisetum glaucum, emerged between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago south of the Sahara Desert, from where it was taken to India around 2000 B.C., giving rise to distinct genotypes from the original African ones. Currently, it is one of the most cultivated crops in countries of the Sahelian and Sudanian regions of Africa.

Morphological Characteristics

It is an annual summer grass, tufted, with erect growth, and it shows excellent tiller production and vigorous regrowth after cutting or grazing. The stem height can exceed 3 m, reaching 1.5 m between 50 and 55 days after emergence. It has leaves with parallel veins and an inflorescence in the form of a long and contracted panicle. The ideal thermal and water requirements for the pearl millet plant are average nighttime temperatures (15-28 °C) and a minimum of 30 mm of water for germination.

Agronomic Characteristics

Used in agriculture as green manure and soil cover. In livestock farming, it serves as forage for cattle and horses, mainly in Cerrado areas. It has good drought resistance.

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