Finger Millet

11/4/2016
2FingerMillet|LostCropsofAfrica:VolumeI:Grains|TheNationalAcademiesPress
Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains
Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains (1996)
Chapter: 2 Finger Millet
Scenes of starvation have drawn the world's attention to Africa's

Buy Paperback | $34.95 agricultural and environmental crisis. Some observers question whether
this continent can ever hope to feed its growing population. Yet there is an
Visit NAP.edu/10766 to get more information about this book, to buy it in print, or to download it as a free PDF.
overlooked food resource in sub-Saharan Africa that has vast potential:
native food plants.
MyNAP members save 10%
online.
Login or Register to save!
2
FingerDownload
MilletFree PDF
When experts were asked to nominate African food plants for inclusion in a
new book, a list of 30 species grew quickly to hundreds. All in all, Africa has
more than 2,000 native grains and fruits--"lost" species due for rediscovery
and exploitation.
This volume focuses on native cereals, including
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is hardly "lost." Indeed, it is one of the few
African rice, reserved until recently as a luxury food for religious
special species that currently support the world's
food supplies. This
rituals.
African native probably originated in the highlands
ofneglected
Ugandainternationally
and Ethiopia,
Finger millet,
although it is a staple for
millions.
where farmers have been growing it for thousands of years. In parts of
Fonio (acha), probably the oldest African cereal and sometimes
eastern and southern Africa as well as in India,
became
calledit"hungry
rice."a staple upon
millet, a widely
grain that
which millions depend. And its annual worldPearl
production
is used
at least
4.5 still holds great untapped
potential.
million tons of grain, of which Africa produces
perhaps
2 million
tons. the twenty-rst century the
Sorghum,
with prospects
for making
"century of sorghum."
many ways
ideal but only
now enjoying budding commercial
For all its importance, however, finger milletTef,
isingrossly
neglected
both
production.
scientifically and internationally. Compared to the research lavished on
Other cultivated and wild grains.
wheat, rice, and maize, for instance, it receives almost none. Most of the
This readable and engaging book dispels myths, often based on Western
world has never heard of it, and even many
countries
thatvalue,
grow
it have
leftof these African grains.
bias, about
the nutritional
avor,
and yield
it to languish in the limbo of a "poor person's crop," a "famine food," or,
even worse, a "birdseed.''1
https://www.nap.edu/read/2305/chapter/5#43
Designed as a tool for economic development, the volume is organized

with increasing levels of detail to meet the needs of both lay and
professional readers. The authors present the available information on
where and how each grain is grown, harvested, and processed, and they list
its benets and limitations as a food source.
1/34
11/4/2016
Further, in recent years this neglected crop has started an ominous slide
that
could propel
it to oblivion even in Africa. In fact, it has declined so
Lost Crops of Africa:
Volume
I: Grains
rapidly in southern Africa, Burundi, Rwanda, and Zaire, for instance, that
some people predict that in a few years it will be hard to findeven where
until recently it was the predominant cereal.
those have
areas
it clings
to attention to Africa's
Scenes ofIn
starvation
drawn
the world's
agricultural
and
environmental
crisis.
Some observers question whether
existence Buy
only Paperback
in plots that|are
grown for
use on
feast
days and
other
$34.95
occasions demanding prestige fare.
native food plants.
The world's attitude towards finger millet must be reversed. Of all major
online.
cereals,
crop is to
one
of the most nutritious.
Indeed, some varieties
Loginthis
or Register
save!
more
than
2,000 native
and fruits--"lost"
species due for rediscovery
appear to have high levels of methionine,
an
amino
acid grains
lacking
in the diets
and exploitation.
of hundreds
of millions
the poor who live on starchy foods such as
Download
Free of
PDF
This volume
focuses
nativepeople
cereals, including
cassava and plantain. Outsiders have long
marveled
atonhow
in
Uganda and southern Sudan could develop such
strapping physiques and
rituals.
work as hard as they do on just one meal a day.
Finger millet seems to be
Finger millet, neglected internationally although it is a staple for
the main reason.
millions.
This crop has many other advantages as well.
Its"hungry
grain rice."
tastes better than
called
Pearl millet, a widely used grain that still holds great untapped
most; Africans who know it usually prefer finger millet over all others. The
potential.
plant is also productive and thrives in a variety
of with prospects for making the twenty-rst century the
Sorghum,
Tef, in many ways ideal but only now enjoying budding commercial
1
production.
This is its main use in the United States,
for example.
bias, about the nutritional value, avor, and yield of these African grains.
environments and conditions. Moreover,

seedslevels
can ofbedetail
stored
for
withits
increasing
to meet
theyears
needs of both lay and
professional
readers.
The
authors
present
the available information on
without insect damage, which makes them lifesavers for famine-prone
areas.
2/34
11/4/2016
Given all these qualities, it is perhaps hard to understand why finger millet
is being
rejected.
But the reason is simple. People are giving it up in favor
Volume
I: Grains
of maize, sorghum, and especially cassava because producing finger millet
takes a lot of work.2
The truth Buy

is that
finger millet,
as produced
at present,
demands
agricultural
and environmental
crisis.a Some observers question whether
Paperback
| $34.95
this continent
can ever hope
feed its to
growing population. Yet there is an
dedication to drudgery that, given a choice,
few people
are to
willing
invest. Part of the terrible toil is in weeding
theplants.
fields, part in handling the
native food
harvest,
and part in processing the grain.
online.
and exploitation.
PROSPECTS
Download Free PDF
Even though finger millet is declining in

the
heartland
30 years
ago
This
volume
focuses onwhere
native cereals,
including
it was the major crop of the land, all is not lost. Indeed, if immediate
attention is given, the impediments causingrituals.
the decline will probably be
Finger
millet,
neglected
although it is a staple for
eliminated. In fact, there are already signs that
the
slide
may internationally
be bottoming
millions.
out. Prices paid for finger millet have risen dramatically
in some
places,
Fonio (acha), probably
the oldest
African cereal and sometimes
called
"hungry
rice."
and the crop is enjoying something of a resurgenceand a highly profitable
one at that. In Kenya, for instance, the grainpotential.
currently sells at more than
Sorghum, with too,

prospects
making the twenty-rst century the
twice the price of sorghum and maize.3 In Zimbabwe,
thefor
government
offers an attractive producer price, which has
to ideal
slowbutthe
Tef, tended
in many ways
onlydecline.
production.
And Uganda's most recent statistics indicate that finger millet still occupies
50 percent of its cereal area.
Africa
If this crop is given proper attention,
within Africa.

itwhere
has the
following
and how
each grainpossibilities
is grown, harvested, and processed, and they list
3/34
11/4/2016
Humid Areas
Excellent prospects. Certain varieties are adapted to heat, humidity, and

tropical conditions. (Finger millet was once the principal staple for people
in southern Sudan and northern Uganda,
for instance.) Given research,
recognition,
and
sympathetic
policies, production
could expand
agricultural and environmental
crisis. Some observers question whether
Buy
Paperback
| $34.95
dramatically.

native food plants.

2 online.
were askedthis
to nominate
African food plants for inclusion in a
At least one reviewer speculatesWhen
thatexperts
abandoning
nutritious
grain millet for the less nutritious

ones is "likely one of the
and exploitation.
causes of increasing famine in many
areas."
Download Free PDF
What is more, the government-controlled

price
(630until
shillings
per
African rice,
reserved
recently as
a luxury food for religious
rituals.
quintal, or $0.29 per kilo in 1991) is only
half the open-market
price (1,200-1,400 shillings per quintal,
or $0.60 per kilo).
millions.
called "hungry rice."
potential.
Sorghum, with prospects for making the twenty-rst century the
production.
4/34
11/4/2016
Buy Paperback | $34.95

online.
Download Free PDF

agricultural and environmental crisis. Some observers question whether
native food plants.
and exploitation.

rituals.
millions.
Pearl millet,with
a widely
used
grain that still holds great untapped
Finger millet seedheads look like "hands"
the
grain
potential.
contained in the "digits," hence the name.
Some of the hands
are curled into "fists." The crop is especially
appreciated by
the peoples in eastern and northern Uganda. To them, it has
production.
a high social value. They traditionally
hold
celebrations
for
Other
cultivated
and wild grains.
the new harvest, and they serve

fingerand
millet
bread
This readable
engaging
book to
dispels myths, often based on Western
bias, about
theto
nutritional
value,
visitors and neighbors whom they
want
impress.
Inavor,
the and yield of these African grains.
Uganda region, however, the people
millet
in
Designedprefer
as a tool finger
for economic
development,
the volume is organized
increasing
levels
of detail
meet the needs of both lay and
the form of hot porridge servedwith
with
either
sugar
or to
banana
juice.
5/34
11/4/2016

online.
Download Free PDF

native food plants.
and exploitation.

rituals.
millions.
Finger millet is grown throughoutpotential.
eastern and southern
Africa, but especially in the subhumid
uplands
of Uganda,
"century
of sorghum."
Tef, in and
many Zimbabwe.
ways ideal but only
Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zaire, Zambia,
The
production.
crop originated somewhere in the area
that today is Uganda.
Dry Areas
Designed as
a tool for economic
Fair prospects. Finger millet is not as drought
tolerant
as pearldevelopment,
millet or the volume is organized
even sorghum, but it could play a muchprofessional
greater readers.
role inThe
savanna
areas the
that
authors present
available information on
where
and
how
each
grain
is
grown,
harvested,
and processed, and they list
get at least moderate rainfall.
6/34
11/4/2016
Upland Areas
Excellent prospects. Certain finger millet landraces are fully adapted to

highland conditions. In Africa the crop is usually grown at altitudes
between 1,000 and 2,000 m and in Nepal
it is grown at altitudes up to at
least 2,400Buy
m. Paperback | $34.95 agricultural and environmental crisis. Some observers question whether
native food plants.
Other
online. Regions
Finger millet is certainly not being
abandoned
Asia.
Indeed,
India's
more than in
2,000
native
grains and
fruits--"lost" species due for rediscovery
and exploitation. 4
national yields
have increased 50 percent since 1955. Moreover,
Download Free PDF

rituals.
in Nepal, the finger millet area is expanding millions.
at the rate of 8 percent per
Fonioimprove
(acha), probably
oldest
year.5 Any international efforts to promote and
thethe
plant
appear
to be as beneficial to Asia as to Africa.
potential.
Sorghum, with
making the twenty-rst century the
This high-methionine grain might also be beneficial
forprospects
use infor
weaning
foods and in many other cereal products in Tef,
parts
of the
in many
waysworld
ideal but(Latin
only now enjoying budding commercial
production.
America and North America, for instance) where it is now largely ignored.
USES
This is a versatile grain that can probably

be used
in for
dozens
ofdevelopment,
types of the volume is organized
Designed
as a tool
economic
with increasing
levels of detail
to meet
needs of both lay and
foods, including many that are quite unlike
its traditional
ones.
Its the
several
major uses include the following:
7/34
11/4/2016
Porridge. The small grainswhich are usually brown but occasionally

whiteare
commonly boiled into a thick porridge.
Lost Crops of Africa: Volume
I: Grains
Bread. Some finger millet is ground into flour and used for bread and
various other baked products. All are relished for their flavor and
aroma.
overlooked
food resource
in sub-Saharan
Africa that has vast potential:
sprouted
seeds)
is produced
as a food
native food plants.
Malt. Malted finger millet (the

MyNAP
members
in a few
places.save
It is 10%
nutritious, easily digested, and is recommended
online.
particularly for infants and the elderly.
Africa
is used to make beer. Its
and exploitation.
Beverages. Much finger millet in

Download
Freereadily
PDF convert starch to sugar. Indeed, finger millet
amylase
enzymes
has much more of this "saccharifying" power than does sorghum or
reserved
until recently
as a luxury food for religious
maize; only barley, the world's premierAfrican
beer rice,
grain,
surpasses
it. In
rituals.
Ethiopia, finger millet is also used to make

arake, a powerful distilled
millions.
liquor.

"hungry rice."
Fodder. Finger millet straw makes goodcalled
fodderbetter
than that from
pearl millet, wheat, or sorghum. It contains
up to 61 percent total
potential.
digestible nutrients.
Popped Products. Finger millet can be popped.
production. It is widely enjoyed in
this tasty form in India (see page 298). Other cultivated and wild grains.
Most of the increase occurred between 1955 and 1975 and

resulted from genetic improvement
of India's traditional
readers.
The authors
present the available information on
landraces. Subsequent increasesprofessional
were due
to crosses
between
those and new strains introduced from Africa.
8/34
11/4/2016
In Nepal
the crop has a special niche: during monsoon rains, it
I: Grains
continues growing well, even when the soil is almost

waterlogged and where the nutrients have been leached out by
the daily downpours.

native food plants.

online.
NUTRITIONAL
PROMISE
When
experts were asked to nominate African food plants for inclusion in a
Main Components
Edible portion
(g)Free PDF
Download
Moisture (g)
Food energy (Kc)
Protein (g)
Carbohydrates (g)
Fats (g)
Fiber (g)
Ash (g)
Vitamin A (RE)
Thiamin (mg)
Riboflavin (mg)
Niacin (mg)
Vitamin C (mg)
Calcium (mg)
Chloride (mg)
Copper (mg)
Iodine (g)
95
12
334
7.3
74
1.3
3.2
2.6
6
0.24
0.11
1.0
1
358
84
0.5
10
more thanAmino
2,000 native
grains and fruits--"lost"
Essential
Acids
and exploitation.
Cystine
1.7
Isoleucine
4.0
LeucineAfrican rice, reserved until recently as
7.8a luxury food for religious
Lysine rituals.
2.5
Methionine
5.0
millions.
Fonio (acha), probably the oldest African
Phenylalanine
4.1 cereal and sometimes
Threonine
Pearl millet, a widely used grain that3.1
still holds great untapped
potential.
Tryptophan
1.3
Tyrosine
4.1
Valine Tef, in many ways ideal but only now6.4
enjoying budding commercial
production.

9/34
11/4/2016
Iron (mg)
9.9
(mg)
140
Lost Crops of Africa: Magnesium

Volume I: Grains
Manganese (mg)
1.9
Molybdenum (g)
2
Phosphorus (mg)
250 Scenes of starvation have drawn the world's
attention to Africa's
Potassium
314
Buy(mg)
Paperback | $34.95
Sodium (mg)
49
overlooked food resource in sub-Saharan Africa
that has vast potential:

native
food
plants.
Zinc
(mg)
1.5

online.
No
single set of numbers can adequately
convey
the
nutritional
When experts
were
asked
to nominate African food plants for inclusion in a
Login
or
Register
to
save!
newmillet.The
book, a list of 30
species grew
to hundreds. All in all, Africa has
promise of a grain as variable as finger
numbers
inquickly
these
pages should be taken withcaution. and
Theexploitation.
dozen or someasurements
Download
Free PDF
that have
been reportedgenerally
agree on most ofthe different
nutrients. However, proteincontents ranging from 6 to 14 percent
rice, reserved
until recently as a luxury food for religious
have been claimed. The levels offat (1-1.4 African
percent)
and foodenergy
rituals.
(323-350 Kc) that are normally givenare fairly
consistentand are
millions.samples they seem to be
about the same as in maize. However,in some
(acha), probably the oldest African cereal and sometimes
much higher. The situation regardingironFonio
is somewhat
similar.Most
analyses give the figure as about 5 mg per100
g. But
there
Pearl millet,
a widely
usedhavebeen
potential.
two reports of iron exceeding 17 mg.

production.
COMPARATIVE QUALITY
10/34
11/4/2016

online.
Download Free PDF

native food plants.
and exploitation.

rituals.
millions.
Figures reported for the essential amino acids are generally
consistent, but 3 percent methionine isPearl
commonly
referred
tothat
in still holds great untapped
millet, a widely
used grain
potential.
the literature. Possibly, this was based on
degerminated flour.
Even that figure is outstanding for a cereal
grain.
"century
of sorghum."
production.
In this chart, we have compared whole-grain
finger millet with the
standard figures for maize. These are perhaps not fair

comparisons, but they do accurately
reflect the differences
between the forms in which each food is normally eaten.

11/34
11/4/2016
NUTRITION
The grain's protein content (7.4 percent) is comparable to that of rice (7.5
percent). However, it shows considerable variation, and at least one Indian
cultivar contains as much as 14 percentScenes
protein.
of starvation have drawn the world's attention to Africa's

thishigh
continent
can ever hope
to feed
its growing
The main protein fraction (eleusinin) has
biological
value,
with
good population. Yet there is an
amounts of tryptophan, cystine, methionine,
and
total aromatic amino
native food
plants.
6 All of these are crucial to human health and growth and are
acids.
online.
Login or
to save!For this reason
deficient
in Register
most cereals.
finger
milletgrew
is an
newalone,
book, a list
of 30 species
quickly to hundreds. All in all, Africa has
more
than
2,000
native
grains
and
fruits--"lost"
important preventative against malnutrition. The methionine levelranging
and exploitation.
around 5 percent
ofFree
proteinis
of special benefit, notably for those who
Download
PDF
depend on plant foods for their protein.
Finger millet is also a rich source of minerals.

Some samples contain 0.33
rituals.
Fingercereals.
millet, neglected
internationally although it is a staple for
percent calcium, 5-30 times more than in most
The phosphorus
millions.
and iron content can also be high.

potential.
In Asia, finger millet is planted in rows and managed
much like other
cereals. But in Africa it is usually handled differently.
Unlike maize,
production.
Other cultivated
and wild grains.
sorghum, or pearl milletall of which are planted
at individual
stands in a
AGRONOMY
rough seedbedfinger millet is traditionally

planted
in Africa
bydispels myths, often based on Western
This readable
and engaging
book
bias, a
about
thefine
nutritional
value, avor,
and yield of these African grains.
broadcasting its tiny seeds. This demands
very
seedbed
and means
that the farmers must work hard and long,
both
prepare
thedevelopment,
land and the
to volume is organized
Designed
as ato
tool
for economic
weed the young plants.
Two crops a year are possible with

early-maturing
types.
12/34
11/4/2016
HARVESTING AND HANDLING
In most of Africa the crop is harvested by hand. Individual heads are cut off
with a knife, leaving a few centimeters of stalk attached. These are piled in
heaps for a few days, which fosters a fermentation
whose
heatthe
and
Scenes of starvation
have drawn
world's attention to Africa's
hydrolysisBuy
makes
the seeds|easier
to thresh.
Paperback
$34.95
weevils
cannot
native food
plants.squeeze inside. In fact,
Finger millet seeds are so small that

its unthreshed
heads resist storage pests so well they can be stored for 10
online.
years
or more
without
insect damage. (It
saida list
that
if species
kept dry
seed
Login
or Register
to save!
newisbook,
of 30
grew the
quickly
more
than
2,000
native
grains
and
fruits--"lost"
may remain in good condition for up to 50 years!)
Download Free PDF
and exploitation.
Yields are variable but (compared to those

of other
grains
in cereals,
the area)
are
This volume
focuses
on native
including
generally good. In Uganda, for example, a threshed yield of 1,800 kg per
hectare is regarded as average. In India, on reasonable
rituals.
millions.
6
Fonio (acha),
probably the oldest
"Total aromatic acids" is the combination
of phenylalanine
and
tyrosine.
potential.
production.
dryland sites, yields may run to about 1,000 Other
kg per
hectare,
and
on
cultivated
and wild
grains.
irrigated sites a normal average is more than 2,000 kg per hectare. Yields
of 5,000-6,000 kg per hectare have been
under ideal
irrigated
bias,obtained
about the nutritional
value, avor,
conditions. Similar yields have been obtained in Nepal even under rainfed
conditions.7

LIMITATIONS
13/34
11/4/2016
As has been noted, the small size of the seeds is a serious drawback. It
makes
the crop
difficult to handle at all stages.
Volume
I: Grains
Weeding is a particular problem. In Africa the dominant weed, a wild

relative of the crop, looks so much like finger millet in its early stages that
only skilled observers and close scrutiny
can tell them apart. The problem
this continentseed.
can ever
to feed
growing population. Yet there is an
is compounded by the practice of broadcasting
Tohope
weed
theitsresulting
jumbled stands, people must inspect every
plant, even going through on
native food plants.
hands and knees.
online.
Finger millet is subject to bird

(see Appendix A).
Download Free PDF
predatorsnotably
to the notorious quelea
and exploitation.
By and large, the plant suffers little from diseases and insects, but a
African rice, whole
reserved fields.
until recently as a luxury food for religious
ferocious fungal disease called "blast" can devastate
rituals.
Finger millet is almost entirely self-pollinating and crosses between
millions.
different strains can be made only with difficulty.
Until
recently,
genetic
Fonio (acha),
probably
the oldest
improvement was limited to pedigree-based selection. However, in Uganda
a few plants with male sterility have now been
discovered. These should
potential.
withlines
prospects
the twenty-rst century the
ease the way to breeding methods in which Sorghum,
different
canfor
bemaking
crossed
without trouble.
production.
and wildto
grains.
Because the seeds are so small, it takes skill Other
and cultivated
much effort
convert
finger millet into flourparticularly by This

hand.
Even
hammer
mills
have
readable
and
engaging book
dispels
myths, often based on Western
bias,
about
the
nutritional
value,
avor,
and
yield of these African grains.
difficulty. They must be fitted with very fine screens and run at high speed.
Recently, however, a special mill for millet
hasasbeen
(see
next page).
Designed
a tool devised
for economic
development,
NEXT STEPS
14/34
11/4/2016
If finger millet is ever to be rescued, now is the time. The key is to find
ways
to present
its plight and promise to the public and politicians and to
Volume
I: Grains
develop its markets. A few motivated individuals could do much here.
Among helpful actions might be a pan-African finger millet conference,
where researchers and others could compare
methods
used
tothe
grow
it,attention to Africa's
have
drawn
world's
agricultural
prepare it,Buy
andPaperback
sell it in the|various
Thisand environmental crisis. Some observers question whether
$34.95nations.
membersfrom
save 10%
7 MyNAP
Information
K.W.
online.
Riley.
Download Free PDF
native food plants.
and exploitation.

rituals.
millions.
Milling
Mechanical milling is of course well known;
for wheat,
rice,
and
Pearl millet,
a widely used
grain
that still holds great untapped
potential.
maize, it is a major industry. But for finger
millet, this primary
step in the commercial processing of a food
grain is essentially
unknown. Machinery for rubbing the bran
(embryo)
Tef, in
many ways off
idealfinger
but only now enjoying budding commercial
production.
millet has never been available, perhaps through a lack of interest
Processing Finger Millet
but mainly because the grain is exceptionally difficult to mill by

machine. Finger millet, therefore, is
usually eaten as a whole-grain
flour, and the presence of oil in the embryo means that its shelf
life is short and its commercial usewith
limited.
increasing levels of detail to meet the needs of both lay and

15/34
11/4/2016
Finger millet seed is a challenge to mill because it is very small and

becauseI: its
seed coat is bound tightly to the edible part
Grains
(endosperm) inside. Moreover, the grain is so soft and friable that
conventional milling equipment cannot remove the outside
without crushing the inside. However,
have
Scenesfarmers
of starvation
havelong
drawnknown
the world's attention to Africa's
agricultural
environmental
crisis. Some
that moistening
finger|millet
(for about
30 and
minutes)
toughens
theobservers question whether
Buy Paperback
$34.95
bran and reduces its grip enough that
it can
beresource
mechanically
overlooked
food
in sub-Saharan Africa that has vast potential:
native
food
plants.
separated
without
crushing
the
rest.
online.
A machine
for doing
this has now been
developed in India. This
Login
or Register
to save!
2,000mixer,
native grains
and fruits--"lost" species due for rediscovery
so-called "mini millet mill" consistsmore
of athan
water
a plate
and exploitation.
grinder,
and various
sifter attachments. It is a versatile device in
Download
Free PDF
This volume focuses
native cereals,
which debranning and sizing the endosperm
(intooneither
flourincluding
or
semolina) take place in a single operation.
It yields fairly white
products. It can also be used to processrituals.
wheat, maize, sorghum,
and pearl millet and will even remove the outer husk from finger
millions.
millet seeds if the clearance between the
grinder
platesthe
is oldest African cereal and sometimes
Fonio
(acha), probably
reduced.
potential.
This machine, and others like it, could initiate
new
era for
fingerthe twenty-rst century the
Sorghum, a
with
prospects
for making
"century
sorghum."
millet as a processed grain of commerce.
The of
flour
would then
have a good shelf life and could be trucked
to the cities and sold in
production.
Other cultivated
and wild grains.
stores as are wheat, rice, and maize. Commercial
horizons
would
open up that have never before been

This contemplated.*
readable and engaging book dispels myths, often based on Western
Malting

Finger millet could be the key to providing
nutritious
professionalcheap
readers. and
The authors
where
and
how
each
grain
is
grown,
foods for solving, at last, the malnutrition that each year killsharvested, and processed, and they list
16/34
11/4/2016
millions of babies throughout the warmer parts of the world.
As is described elsewhere (notably in appendixes C and D), the

process of germinating finger millet activates enzymes that break
down the complex structures of starches into sugars and other
simple carbohydrates that are easyagricultural
to digest.
enzymes
andThe
environmental
crisis. Some observers question whether
plants. Central Food
contactnative
N.G.food
Malleshi,
*Formembers
more information,
MyNAP
save 10%
Technological Research Institute
(CFTRI),
V.V.asked
Mohalla
PO, African food plants for inclusion in a
online.
When
experts were
to nominate
LoginMysore
or Register
save!
570to013,
India.
Download Free PDF
and exploitation.

rituals.
are of course there to benefit the seedsmillions.
in which they occurto
probably
the oldest
mobilize food for the growing seedling; Fonio
but (acha),
long ago
people
found
that they could use them also to break up
starches
from
other
Pearl
millet, a widely
used
potential.became the first step
sources. This process (usually called malting)
in making beer and liquor out of starchy"century
foodsofsuch
as potatoes,
sorghum."
maize, rice, or sorghum (see page 168). Tef, in many ways ideal but only now enjoying budding commercial
production.
What has been overlooked to a large extent is that malting can be

This readable
engaging book
myths, often based on Western
used for more than just brewing. Indeed,
it isand
probably
the dispels
key to
making cheap, digestible, liquid foods with little effort and no
as a tool promising
for economic development,
extra cooking fuel. These foods areDesigned
particularly
for
children facing the life-threateningprofessional
dietary readers.
switchThe
from
mother's
authors
where
and
how
each
grain
is
grown,
harvested, and processed, and they list
milk to solid foods.
17/34
11/4/2016
Adding a tiny amount of malted grain turns a bowl of hot starchy

porridge
into a watery liquid. The resulting food matches the
I: Grains
viscosity of a bottled baby food, such as those sold in American
supermarkets. A child who is too small or too weak to get down
solids can then get a full mealandScenes
get itofout
of the
food
starvation
have
drawnits
and environmental crisis. Some observers question whether
mother
is preparing
the rest ofagricultural
the family.
Buy
Paperbackfor
| $34.95
The germinated grain acts as a
catalyst
to liquefy any of the
native food plants.

world's major starchy foods: wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, millet,
online.
potatoes,
cassava
(manioc), yams, and
the rest. Moreover, it does
Login
or Register
to save!
more than
2,000 it
native
more than turn those staples into liquid
form:
predigests
the
and exploitation.
starches,
making
the
food easy for a body to absorb, and (by
Download
Free
PDF
Thisblandest
volume focuses
on native
cereals, including
releasing sugars) it renders even the
staples
palatable.
The malted grain is readily available, cheap,
and safe to eat. It
should develop healthy bodies and fullyrituals.
functioning brains in the
millions of children whose health and happiness is now
millions.
jeopardized by malnutrition.
Of all the world's cereal grains, finger millet
is second only to
potential.
barley in its ability to hydrolyze starches
(''malting
power").
itthe twenty-rst century the
Sorghum,
with prospects
for And
making
of sorghum."
has the inestimable value of growing in "century
the latitudes
where
malnutrition is rife. (Barley is strictly a temperate-zone
resource.)
production.
But for all its potential to benefit the malnourished, not much
attention has been paid to maltingbias,
internationally.
Only
inavor,
India
about the nutritional
value,
and Nepal have malt-based children's foods been intensively
studied. In both countries, food scientists
have
created
with increasing
levels
of detail maltedto meet the needs of both lay and
professional
readers.
The
authors
grain products that can overcome malnutrition. And in almost
every product, malted finger milletitswas
theand
prime
ingredient.
benets
limitations
as a food source.
18/34
11/4/2016
The fact that malting is a cheap and widely understood process

that canI: be
easily accomplished in the home or village and
Grains
requires no fuel or special equipment is a major benefit. This
means that top-quality weaning foods can be made by the poor,
who cannot afford to buy commercial
baby-food
concoctions.
Scenes
of starvation have
drawn the world's attention to Africa's

native food plants.

online.
Login
or
Register
to
save!
a list of 30
species grew quickly
meeting would provide the opportunitynew
tobook,
exchange
experiences
andtotohundreds. All in all, Africa has
begin the process of preparing papers,and

pamphlets,
recipes, and perhaps a
exploitation.
Download
Free
PDF be the establishment of a "finger millet action
monograph.
Another
might
program" to share seeds and research results in the future. There might
African
rice, reserved
until
even be established a pan-African finger millet
"SWAT"
team
torecently
provide
rituals.
advice and stimulus to the countries where Finger
finger
millet is now declining
millet, neglected internationally although it is a staple for
millions.
toward economic extinction.

Rescuing this crop may be easier than now seems probable. Lifestyles and
eating habits may have changed, but in much
of Africa people still
potential.
appreciate finger millet. Subsistence farmers like finger millet also. Every
seed sown can return between 200 and 500Tef,
seeds
(other
grain
in many
ways ideal
but crops
only now enjoying budding commercial
production.
seldom go above 100 even under ideal conditions). And this crop has many
uses. To those whose very lives and livelihoods depend on what they grow,
its flexibility is vital.8
as aatool
for economic
development,
Beyond Africa, finger millet should alsoDesigned
be given
higher
research
priority.
It is a good way to help the rural poor in
parts of Asia. Much of the
where and
how each
grain is grown,
harvested,
and processed, and they list
spectacular rise of wheat occurred in areas
where
irrigation
could
be used.
19/34
11/4/2016
Overcoming finger millet's yield constraints would, more importantly,

benefit
rainfed
agriculture.
Volume
I: Grains
Research Needs

thisplant,
continent
can ever
hopeistolittle
feed itsknown
growing population.
Yet there is an
Research is needed on all aspects of this
which
now
to
scientists in general. ICRISAT is conducting
research on it, but more effort
native food plants.
is needed. Research operations might include those discussed below.

online.
Trials in New Areas

Download Free PDF
and exploitation.
Entrepreneurs in the United States as well

as in Australia and other
countries that specialize in cereal breeding could probably do much to
benefit this crop. It is already grown in a small
way in the United States. It
rituals.
FingerNonetheless,
millet, neglected internationally
grows well, but so far is used only for birdseed.
it might although it is a staple for
millions.
support a small specialty grain industry for local and national food uses.
And enlisting the country's outstanding cereal-science
capabilities could
perhaps transform this crop's potential worldwide.
Farming Methods
potential.
production.
greatest
immediate
needs lie
Other
cultivated
and wild grains.
As far as Africa is concerned, finger millet's

not so much in plant breeding as in farming practices. Reducing the
current drudgery involved with its production
bring
theavor,
biggest
and
bias, about would
the nutritional
value,
and yield
of these African grains.
quickest benefits.
Surprisingly, techniques for making

finger
milletreaders.
production
less
professional
The authors
20/34
11/4/2016
For crops like these, perhaps we need a whole new measure of

I: Grains one that takes into account not just the yield in the
performance,
field but the all-around value to people's welfare.

rapidly
and widely. For instance,
native food plants.
laborious can probably be employed

planting the seed in rows would dramatically slash the need for weeding.
online.
experts were asked to nominate African food plants for inclusion in a
OneLogin
or two
hoeings (or perhaps a layerWhen
of mulch)
would eliminate most of
or Register to save!
the weeds with little further effort. To make
this
practical,
however,
a species due for rediscovery
more than
2,000
native grains
and fruits--"lost"
and
exploitation.
device is needed that can deliver small seed with precision. It would have
Download Free PDF
to be easy to make and simple to use. Such
devices
doonindeed
existincluding
(see
This volume
focuses
native cereals,
Appendix A) but have not yet been introduced to finger millet farmers.
Examples of other types of farming
following:
Minimum tillage seeding.
Wide rows for water capture.
Control of birds.

rituals.
practices
worth
are the although it is a staple for
Finger
millet,exploring
neglected internationally
millions.
potential.
production.
Intercropping or undersowing with legumes. (The foliage from

leguminous shrubs or ground cover
helpful
by yield of these African grains.
bias,may
aboutbe
theespecially
nutritional value,
avor, and
supplying nitrogen to the crop.)
Sowing or transplanting with
often planted with maize.)

other
crops. (In Nepal, for instance, it is
21/34
11/4/2016
Weeding using animal power and other labor-saving techniques.
Developing ox-drawn implements for planting, cultivating,

harvesting, and threshing finger millet.

food resource
sub-Saharan
eastern overlooked
Africa finger
milletinhas
been Africa that has vast potential:
native food plants.
Erosion
BuyControl
Paperback | $34.95
In some parts of southern and

MyNAP members
10% severe soil erosion. In these areas, farmers
abandoned
because save
it "causes"
online.
When
were asked
to nominate
African
typically clear forest from a hillside, burn
it,experts
and sow
finger
millet in
the food plants for inclusion in a
ashes. The tiny plants hold soil poorly, and
it easily washes away. For such
and exploitation.
sites there is a need for alternative methods
of erosion control. One
Download Free PDF
example might be vetiver (see Appendix
A). Another is mulching with
stubble from the previous crop.
rituals.
On the other hand, other parts of Africa actually
employ finger millet for
erosion control. In fact, when broadcastormillions.
even line sownacross the
slope it is good for reducing erosion. Data from Zambia, for example, show
that the plant prevents erosion more effectively
thana legumes
do. Farmers
Pearl millet,
widely used grain
that still holds great untapped
in Nepal also report that finger millet "holdspotential.
the soil."
production.
Plant Breeding
In its genetic development as a crop, finger millet is about where wheat

engaging book dispels myths, often based on Western
was in the 1890s. Many landrace types This
are readable
knownand
but
have not been
systematically evaluated, codified, or analyzed, Thus it is likely that the
best-yielding, best-tasting, and best-handling
types have not been isolated
or created out of the massive gene pool.
Since the
1890s,
average
yields
of
professional
readers.
The authors
present
the available
information on
where
and
how
each
grain
is
grown,
harvested,
and
processed,
and they list
wheat have risen from about 500 kg per
22/34
11/4/2016
Ragi

Finger millet crossed the Indian Ocean
more than 1,000 years ago
nativeimportant
food plants. in South Asia. In
and since
then has
extremely
MyNAP
members
savebecome
10%
India, where it is generally called "ragi,"

this native African grain is
online.
Login
or Register
to save!
book, a list of 30 species grew quickly to hundreds. All in all, Africa has
now grown
on more
than 2 millionnew
hectares.
and exploitation.
In its new
home,
scientists
and farmers have created numerous
Download
Free
PDF
volume
focuses
native cereals, including
ragi races. There are, for instance, This
plants
that
areon
purple;
seedheads that are short, long, "open," "curved,"
or "fisty"; seeds
rituals. and there is also a
that range from almost black to orange-red;
popular type whose seeds are pure white.
Some ragi varieties are
millions.
dwarfs (less than 50 cm), some tiller profusely,
some
arethe
slow
toAfrican cereal and sometimes
Fonio (acha),
probably
oldest
called "hungry
rice."others
mature and are grown mainly under irrigation,
while
mature quickly and lend themselves to dryland
potential. production.

"century of
sorghum."
Ragi is considered one of India's best dryland
crops,
and most of it
is produced without supplemental water.
The plant is both
production.
Other cultivated
wild grains.
adaptable and resilient: it survives on lateritic
soils,and
it withstands
some salinity, and it has few serious

diseases
orengaging
pests. book
Ragidispels
also myths, often based on Western
This
readable and
bias,
about the for
nutritional
avor, and yield of these African grains.
yields well at elevations above those
suitable
mostvalue,
other
tropical cereals. In the Himalaya foothills,
for
example,
it isdevelopment, the volume is organized
Designed as
a tool
for economic
levels
of detail to meet the needs of both lay and
cultivated up to slightly over 2,000with
m increasing
above sea
level.

23/34
11/4/2016
Despite its importance in the Himalayas, about 75 percent of the

ragi area
lies in South India, particularly in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
I: Grains
and Andhra Pradesh. In parts of this vast region farmers can get
two crops a year; in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh three are not
unknown. Wherever the rains at sowing
are have
uncertain,
Scenes oftime
starvation
drawn the the
world's attention to Africa's
agricultural
and environmental
crisis.are
farmers
often
transplant
ragi like rice.
In fact,
the two crops
Buy
Paperback
| $34.95
commonly grown in a "relay'' that is
good for
For
instance, Africa
in that has vast potential:
overlooked
foodboth.
resource
in sub-Saharan
nativeragi
food plants.
May a farmer
may
start
seeds in the nursery; in
MyNAP
members
save
10%out by sowing
June, he (or she) transplants the seedlings
to were
the asked
fieldtoand
replants
online.
When experts
nominate
Login
or
Register
to
save!
new book,
list of crop
30 species
grew quickly to hundreds. All in all, Africa has
the nursery with rice seeds; in August,
thearagi
is harvested
and the rice seedlings are put out into
the just vacated fields. This
and exploitation.
Download
Free PDF
process
is efficient,
highly productive, and a good insurance
against the vagaries of the weather.

Ragi yields as much as 5,000 kg of grainrituals.
per hectare. Because the
seed can be stored for decades (some say 50 years), it is highly
millions.
valued as a reserve against famines.
millet, a widely used grain that still holds great untapped
However, ragi is much more than just a Pearl
famine
food. In certain
potential.
regions it is an everyday staple. It is, forSorghum,
instance,
principal
with a
prospects
for making the twenty-rst century the
"century
of sorghum."
cereal of the farming classes in Karnataka,
Tamil
Nadu, and
Andhra Pradesh, as well as in the Himalaya
hill tracts (including
production.
Other cultivated
and wildfrom
grains.
those of Nepal). The grain is mainly processed
into flour,
which is made a variety of cakes, puddings,

and dispels
othermyths, often based on Western
This readableporridges,
and engaging book
24/34
11/4/2016

online.
Download Free PDF

native food plants.
and exploitation.

rituals.
millions.
Indian farmer holding ragi (ICRISAT). called "hungry rice."
potential.
tasty foods. Some, however, is malted and turned into beer as well
as into easily digested foods for infants "century
and invalids.
of sorghum."
As in its African homeland, ragi enjoys aproduction.
reputation for being both
nutritious and sustaining, and Indian studies lend scientific

support to this view. Certain grain types, particularly the white
ones, can match the most nutritious local cereals, at least in
protein content.
25/34
11/4/2016

Volume
I: Grains
hectare
to more
than 4,000 kg per hectare; finger millet's could rise
similarly and much more quickly.
Various finger millet landraces possessScenes

genes
blasthave
resistance,
robust
of for
starvation
drawn the world's
attention to Africa's
agricultural
andnumber
environmental
growth, early
large panicle
size, high
finger
andcrisis.
branching,
Buyvigor,
Paperback
| $34.95
and high-density grain. Similarly, thereoverlooked
are water-efficient
types with high
food resource in sub-Saharan Africa that has vast potential:
native
food
plants. be outstanding new
carbon
dioxide
fixation
that
could
MyNAP
members
saveand
10%low leaf area
crops
for semiarid conditions. Long-glume
types with high seed weight are
online.
Login orpromising
Register tofor
save!
new
book,All
a list
30 species
grew
quicklyare
especially
increasing seed
size.
ofofthese,
and
more,
genetic raw materials that could transform this crop.
Download Free PDF
and exploitation.
This volume
focuses on native
including
The grain is already nutritious, but it might
be improved
evencereals,
more.
As
noted, types containing up to 14 percent protein
are known. Also, it is a
rituals. amino acids, is the most
high-methionine protein and, of all the essential
difficult to find in grain-based foods. Thus these
finger millets could be a
millions.
"super cereal" in nutritional terms.
Pearl millet,
a widely
White-seeded forms that make good unleavened
bread
andused
bakery
potential.
products are also known, and they too are undeveloped.
Today's
crop the
in twenty-rst century the
Sorghum, with prospects
for making
"century
of sorghum."
Africa is overwhelmingly the coarse, rusty-red
form
that is mainly useful
for porridge and brewing beer.
production.
Hybrids between Indian and African varieties seem promising as well.

These high-yielding "Indaf" types are popular
India.
Similar
hybridization
bias, aboutin
the
nutritional
value, avor,
and selection for improved Indaf varieties for African conditions is now

Hybridization, however,with
is difficult
andofmutation
breeding
increasing levels
detail to meet
the needs of both lay and
approach worth exploring.
started.9
being
is another
26/34
11/4/2016
Some of finger millet's relatives have interesting traits that might be

transferable.
Volume I: Among
Grains wild Eleusine species are perennials that might lend
some of their enduring characteristics to finger millet. Others have genes
for tolerance of heat, cold, drought, and waterlogging, as well as resistance
to salinity and an ability to mobilize phosphorus
and utilize
nitrogen
have drawn
10 Paperback | $34.95
efficiently.Buy

practical
needs are
native foodplant-breeding
plants.
Less dramatic but more immediately

the fine-tuning
of today's varieties. The most important objectives are
online.
Login orto
Register
save!
new
book, a listfungus),
of 30 species
grew quickly
resistance
blast,11tohelminthosporium
(another
striga
(parasitic
witchweed), lodging, stressful soil and moisture
conditions, and grain that
and exploitation.
Download
Free PDF and ground. Other objectives might include
can be more
easily dehulled
volume focuses on native cereals, including
fast seedling growth to compete betterThis
with
weeds, shade-tolerant types
African rice, reserved
until recently as in
for relay and intercropping, and types with anthocyanin
pigmentation
rituals.
the leaves (possibly obtainable through
10

millions.
This work is beginning at the SADCC/ICRISAT
Center at
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (see Research Contacts).
potential.
Tef, in collected
many ways ideal
only now
These wild relatives are currently being
by but
IPGRI,
butenjoying budding commercial
production.
several that could be part of the primary
or secondary gene pool
are not yet represented by even a single collection.
11
Designedtypes
as a toolhave
for economic
development, the volume is organized
Recently, a number of blast-resistant
been selected
increasing levels of detail to meet the needs of both lay and
at ICRISAT and are undergoingwith
yield
tests in different sites.

27/34
11/4/2016

Volume
I: Grainswhich could be spotted easily in the fields and would
induced
mutation),
make weeding a much easier task.12
Post Production Research

Reducing the labor to dehull and to grind
grain food
is obviously
a vital need.
overlooked
resource in sub-Saharan
Africa that has vast potential:
native
food
plants.
LessMyNAP
urgentmembers
needs include:
(1)
improvement
of
malting
quality
(important
save 10%
bothonline.
for brewing and for making high-methionine
weaning
foods); African
and (2)
When experts were
asked to nominate
food plants for inclusion in a
Login
or
Register
to
save!
new book, a list
of 30 species
quickly(see
new methods of processing, such as parboiling,
milling,
and grew
puffing
Appendix B).
and exploitation.
Download Free PDF

SPECIES INFORMATION
Botanical Name
Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertner
Common Names
Afikaans (and Dutch): vogel gierst
Arabic: tailabon
Bantu: bule

rituals.
millions.
potential.
production.

English: finger millet, African millet; koracan
French: petit mil, eleusine cultive,

coracan,
koracan
where and
how each grain is grown, harvested, and processed, and they list
28/34
11/4/2016
German: Fingerhirse

Swahili: wimbi, ulezi
Ethiopia: dagussa (Amharic/Sodo), tokuso (Amharic), barankiya (Oromo)

India: ragiBuy Paperback | $34.95 agricultural and environmental crisis. Some observers question whether
Kenya:
wimbi
(kiswahili),
mugimbi
(Kikuyu)
native food plants.
online.
and exploitation.
Malawi:
lipoko,
usanje, khakwe, mulimbi, lupodo, malesi, mawe
Loginmawere,
or Register
to save!
Nepal: koddo
Download Free PDF
The Sudan: tailabon (Arabic), ceyut (Bari)

rituals.
Tanzania: mwimbi, mbege
millions.
Uganda: bulo
millet, bule
a widely used grain that still holds great untapped
Zambia: kambale, lupoko, mawele, majolothi,Pearl
amale,
potential.
Zimbabwe: rapoko, zviyo, njera, rukweza, mazhovole, uphoko, poho
production.
Description
Finger millet is a tufted annual growing 40-130 cm tall, taking between 2.5
as a tool
for economic
development,
and 6 months to mature. It has narrow,Designed
grass like
leaves
and many
tillersthe volume is organized
and branches. The head consists of a group of digitately arranged spikes.
It is a tetraploid.

29/34
11/4/2016
12
Information from A. Shakoor.

I: Grains
Distribution

native food plants.

13 There is
online.
Finger
millet derives from the wild diploid
africana.
WhenEleusine
experts were
asked to nominate
Login
or
Register
to
save!
new book,
list of 30 speciesitgrew
archaeological evidence that before maize
wasaintroduced
wasquickly
a staple
crop of the southern Africa region. Today

it is found throughout eastern
and exploitation.
Download
and southern
AfricaFree
andPDF
is the principal cereal grain in Uganda, where it is
planted on more than 0.4 million hectares (especially in northern and
rice, reserved
until
recently
western regions), as well as in northeastern African
Zambia.
It is also
an
important
rituals.
backup "famine food" as far south as Mozambique.
millions.
Fonio (acha),in
probably
the oldest
African
Finger millet does not appear to have been adopted
ancient
Egypt,
andcereal
it and sometimes
is said to have reached Europe only about the
beginning of the Christian
potential.
era. However, it arrived in India much earlier,
probably more than 3,000
years ago, and now it is an important staple food in some places,
particularly in the hill country in the north and
south.
Tef, inthe
many
ways ideal but only now enjoying budding commercial
production.
Cultivated Varieties
Designed
as a tool
for economic
development, the
Numerous cultivars have been recognized
in India
and
Africa, consisting
of volume is organized
highland and lowland forms, dryland and irrigation types, grain and beer

30/34
11/4/2016
types, and early- and late-maturing cultivars. By and large, there are
highland
races
and lowland raceseach adapted to its own climate.
Volume
I: Grains
Environmental Requirements
Daylength

native food plants.
Finger millet is a short-day plant, a 12-hour photoperiod being

online.
optimumfor the best-known types. It has
been successfully grown in the
United States as far north as Davis, California
considerable
problems
more than(with
2,000 native
and
exploitation.
of photoperiod sensitivity), and it is widely grown in the Himalayas (30N
Download Free PDF
latitude); however, it is mainly produced
within
20S
latitude.
This
volume 20N
focuses and
on native
cereals,
including
Daylength-neutral types probably exist.
rituals.
millions.
It requires a moderate rainfall (500-1,000 mm),
distributed
during the
calledwell
"hungry
rice."
Pearl
millet, a widely
used
grain that is
still holds great untapped
growing season with an absence of prolonged
droughts.
Dry
weather
potential.
required for drying the grain at harvest. In drier
areas
unreliable
Sorghum,
with with
prospects
for making the twenty-rst century the
sorghum."
rainfall, sorghum and pearl millet are better"century
suited.of In
wetter climates, rice
or maize is preferable.
production.
Rainfall
Altitude
Most of the world's finger millet is grown at intermediate elevations,

between 500 and 2,400 m. Its actual altitude
limitslevels
areofunknown.
with increasing
detail to meet the needs of both lay and
Low Temperature

31/34
11/4/2016
The crop tolerates a cooler climate than other millets. For an African
native,
this crop
is surprisingly well adapted to the temperate zones.
Volume
I: Grains
13
This wild ancestor has at least one genome derived from

Eleusine indica (Hilu, 1988).

online.
Login or
Register to save!
High
Temperature

native food plants.
and exploitation.
Finger millet
thrivesFree
under
Download
PDFhot conditions. It can grow where temperatures
This grows
volume focuses
on native the
cereals,
including
are as high as 35C.14 In Uganda, the crop
best where
average
maximum temperature exceeds 27C and the
average
minimum
doesasnot
African
rice, reserved
until recently
rituals.
millions.
The crop is grown on a variety of soils. It is frequently
produced on
potential.
Sorghum,
with
prospects for making
the twenty-rst century the
reddish-brown lateritic soils with good drainage
but
reasonable
water"century of sorghum."
16 It seems to have
holding capacity. It can tolerate some waterlogging.
Tef, in many ways
ideal but only now enjoying budding commercial
production.
more ability to utilize rock phosphate than other cereals do.17
fall below 18C.15
Soil Type
32/34
11/4/2016

online.
Download Free PDF

native food plants.
and exploitation.
rituals.
millions.
potential.
production.
14
Information from J.A. Ayuk-Takem.
15
Thomas, 1970.
16
This readable
and engaging
book dispels myths, often based on Western
In recent trials of nine cereal species
subjected
to waterlogging
from seedling to heading, finger millet was the most resistant,
Designed as much
a tool forbetter
economic
development,
except for rice. It resisted waterlogging
than
maize.the volume is organized
(Kono et al., 1988.)

33/34
11/4/2016
17
In pot experiments, the rock phosphate mobilizing capacity

increased in the order maize: pearl millet: finger millet. (Flack et
al., 1987.)
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

500 Fifth St., NW | Washington, DC 20001
2016 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
34/34

Finger Millet

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Finger Millet

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

11/4/2016

Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains

Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains (1996)

Chapter: 2 Finger Millet

Scenes of starvation have drawn the world's attention to Africa's

even worse, a "birdseed.''1

Designed as a tool for economic development, the volume is organized

MyNAP members save 10%

native food plants.

environments and conditions. Moreover,

Scenes of starvation have drawn the world's attention to Africa's

The truth Buy

Login or Register to save!

Download Free PDF

Even though finger millet is declining in

Sorghum, with too,

Designed as a tool for economic development, the volume is organized

Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains

Excellent prospects. Certain varieties are adapted to heat, humidity, and

overlooked food resource in sub-Saharan Africa that has vast potential:

MyNAP members save 10%

grain millet for the less nutritious

This volume focuses on native cereals, including

What is more, the government-controlled

Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains

Buy Paperback | $34.95

MyNAP members save 10%

Scenes of starvation have drawn the world's attention to Africa's

African rice, reserved until recently as a luxury food for religious

the new harvest, and they serve

Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains

Buy Paperback | $34.95

MyNAP members save 10%

Scenes of starvation have drawn the world's attention to Africa's

African rice, reserved until recently as a luxury food for religious

Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains

Excellent prospects. Certain finger millet landraces are fully adapted to

MyNAP members save 10%

Login or Register to save!

Finger millet is certainly not being

This volume focuses on native cereals, including

African rice, reserved until recently as a luxury food for religious

This is a versatile grain that can probably

Porridge. The small grainswhich are usually brown but occasionally

Buy Paperback | $34.95

Malt. Malted finger millet (the

Beverages. Much finger millet in

Ethiopia, finger millet is also used to make

Fonio (acha), probably the oldest African cereal and sometimes

Most of the increase occurred between 1955 and 1975 and

continues growing well, even when the soil is almost

Buy Paperback | $34.95

agricultural and environmental crisis. Some observers question whether

MyNAP members save 10%

Other cultivated and wild grains.

Designed as a tool for economic development, the volume is organized

its benets and limitations as a food source.

Lost Crops of Africa: Magnesium

that has vast potential:

MyNAP members save 10%

Sorghum, with prospects for making the twenty-rst century the

Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains

Buy Paperback | $34.95

MyNAP members save 10%