¡û First International Workshop (Bangalore, India; 29 September
- 3 October 1986)
I. Recomendations of the First International Small millet Workshop:
i> General Recommedations
1. The papers presented at the International Workshop alongwith the discussions
and the recommendations be published for wide circulation. The International
Development Research Centre is requested to fund the publication of the
proceedings of the International Workshop on Small Millets.
2. Among the small millets, finger, foxtail and proso millets appear to
have wider clientele and their importance and development aroused considerable
interest. The resonable consistency in performance, the ecological range
and the production potential of kodo and barnyard millets have been noted.
The role of teff in the Ethiopian economy with its possible extensions
elsewhere has been recognized. Little millet with limited production potential
has its areas specific adaptation. The growing demand for food and a variety
of food products calls for interest and investment in their development.
3. The need for an International Small Millets Research Institute was widely
felt. The CGIAR system may consider this proposal.
4. A Steering Committee of 5 members has been elected and charged with
the responsibilities of identifying a network for exchanging germplasm,
transferring information and look into other service facilities etc. The
members of the Steering Committee are: Dr. A. Seetharam, India; Mr. Chen
Jiaju, China; Dr. Sayfu Ketema, Ethiopia; Mr. Fighur Muza, Zimbabwe; and
Dr. K. Riley, IDRC. The Goverments of China, Ethiopia, India and Zimbabwe
are requested to kindly allow the nominated members to participate in the
International Development research Centre is requested to organize the
Steering Committee meetings.
5. The needs for obtaining definite figures of area, production and productivity
from different countries has been pointed out. This may help the planners
and the policy makers for deciding priorities. This may also attract the
attention of the international community of nations.
6. It is proposed to organize international small millets adaptation trials.
7. The need for exchanging published literature on small millets through
a nodal agency has been recognized.
8. The need for encouraging scientific visits and providing expertise where
necessary has been felt.
9. The need for providing training facilities to scientific and technical
personnel has been expressed.
ii> Genetic Resources
1. The need for updating the list of available small millets germplasm
accessions has been recognized.
2. The participating scientists felt the need for free exchange of small
millets genetic resources.
3. Each of the paticipating countries is requested to identify the gaps
in collecting small millets in their agriclimatic regions and/ or provinces
and arrange for collecting missions. It is desirable to associate breeders
in collecting expeditions.
4. Besides collecting from farmer's fields and markets, it is desirable
to collect land races of cultivated small millets species as well as wild
relatives of cultivated species.
5. Recognizing the significance of environmental diversity, it is proposed
to evaluate the germplasm in multilocational National/ International nurseries.
6. To obtain uniformity in evaluation, the participating countries are
requested to use descriptors for various small millets as published by
IBPGR, Rome.
7. Biochemical and processing characterization of small millets germplasm
appears worthwhile. Identifying sources of usefull genes from the already
available and conserved germplasm should receive top priority since utilization
of germplasm is very limited in small millet crops.
8. As the descriptor lists are likely to be voluminous and may have limited
circulation, the utilization of the germplasm could be accelerated by circulating
pocket size editions of descriptor lists with limited characters like plant
height, maturity, pest and disease resistance, grain yield etc.
iii> Breeding and Varietal Improvement
1. The small floret size in all millets has limited the artificial hybridization
and recombination breeding. The contact method and hot water emasculation
method used to some extent have their own limitations. So there is need
to overcome this problem by possibly studying induced male sterility using
gametocides and their is need to standardize these methods. Genetic male
sterile systems, and mechanisms like protogyny may also be investigated
and confirmed. We may also for out crossing systems wherever available.
2. All small millets are inbreeders. There is not much work done on the
application of various breeding procedures and assessing their relative
efficiency.
3. Mutation breeding could be one of the methods thought of in small millets
since artificial hybridization is difficult. The possible application of
this breeding procedure in different areas of varietal improvement needs
to be fully exploited.
4. Single plant selections from germplasm accessions could be one of the
simplest and effective means of obtaining superior genotypes.
5. The application of biotechnology particularly anther culture and ovule
culture techniques and exploitation of somaclonal variability in callus
cultures could be thought of as a method for evolving varieties rapidly.
6. Quality breeding in small millets is also important although it is a
very difficult area to make any headway in short period if time. Seed protein,
mineral content and malting quality are some of the area for consideration.
Screening of available germplasm for consumer, nutritional and processing
quality characters may be the first step in this direction.
7. There is need to understand more and more about the genetic control
of various yield and yield contributing characters.
8. Identification of varieties with wide adaptation, high yield stability,
and differing photo period sensitivity is important particularly in finger
millet, foxtail millet and proso millet as these crops are grown in varying
rainfall areas and temperature regimes and day lengths. Besides evolution
of varieties for different cropping systems, both relay and mixed cropping
should also be attempted.
9. As all small millets are essentially rainfed crops confining themselves
to semi-arid tropics, breeding of drought tolerant varieties is important.
the initial step in this direction will be screening of all available germplasm
and identifying the usefull lines.
10. All small millets are low input crops and grown by poor and marginal
farmers. Under such situations use of pesticides for the control of pests,
diseases and weeds is neither feasible nor practicable. Inbuilt resistance
is the best way of tackling this situation and this should receive high
priority. some of the important diseases and pests that could be considered
for resistance breeding are blast in finger millet, shootfly in proso millet
and little millet, smut in kodo millet, foxtail millet and proso millet.
11. Following identification of new practices like seeds fertilizers, weedicides,
fungicides, pesticides, testing on farmer's fields for obtaining his acceptance,
laying of large scale demonstrations for exhibiting the production as well
as economic potential and of scientists involvement in lab-to-land programmes
for mutual information transfer require attention.
12. The concern for supplying certified seed of high quality small millets
including seed treatment with pesticides and fungicides has been expressed.
The mechanisms of seed production and distribution were discussed. Seed
village concept and distribution of seeds through exchanging "new"
for "old" varieties to farmers can be explored.
iv> Production Technology and Cropping Systems
1. Intercropping: There are benefits from intercropping for small farmers,
the use of legumes may help yields. It represented a practical way of growing
a variety of crops needed for the household.
2. Line sowing: It could be an efficient improvement. In Africa, this may
require mechanization using animal draught. There is a whole technology
developed in India which needs to be transferred to Africa, including the
village maintenance services provided by blacksmith and carpenter.
3. Sowing time: In africa, time of planting is often of critical importance
for yield: working up a fine seed-bed could take too much time, especially
without animal draught power.
4. Weed control: In Nepal, transplanting is always used and it is useful
in filling gaps in the stand. This deserves a lot more emphasis, there
is evidence of useful yield benefits. Transplanting provides a way of seeding
in time into a nursery, and of a weed control by through cleaning of the
remaining (5/6th) of the area being cultivated. Wild finger millet in Africa
presents a daunting weed problem for other types of control. In Africa,
Striga can become a serious problem, especially in pure stands of finger
millet.
5. Organic manure: The use farmyard manure was mentioned by several delegates,
and this important traditional practice deserves study as the least labour
intensive method for using F.Y.M. Results in India suggest benefits from
incorporating legume residues in situ.
6. Transfer of technology: Where there are no recommended practices, these
should be developed in close consultation with the farmers, giving special
attention to what are the limiting factors in their exsiting systems. Where
recommended practices have been developed, surveys should be made to determine
which factors are being adopted, and which are not being adopted. The various
constraints preventing the adoption of the latter should be carefully evaluated
and alleviated as far as possible.
v> Diseases and pests
A. Diseases
1. Blast is the most serious disease of finger millet. It appears at different
stages of plant growth. Different biotypes of blast fungus also could be
present as in other crops and this area of racial differentiation of blast
is worth investigating.
2. Viral diseases on finger and foxtail millets have been reported from
many countries. Insects are generally associated with viral transmissions.
There is need to understand the biology of vectors and their relationship
with viruses in the transmission of viral diseases.
3. Leaf spot diseases are important in several African countries on finger
millet. Resistance breeding is the best and the most effective in preventing
yield losses.
B. Pests
1. Birds and aphids have been identified as serious pests of finger millet
in Africa. Stem borers occur on finger millet in Asia. Finger millet earhead
pests deserve attention in Africa and Asia.
2. Shootfly has been identified as the most predominant on small millets
in Asia and the USSR. Shootfly escape mechanisms by manipulating sowing
time and other cultural practices, if identified for various regions of
the production, would be very helpful.
3. The biology and dynamics of most important pests of small millets, the
occurrence of alternate and/or collateral hosts and screening of the available
germplasm in pest sick plots deserve investigations.
4. Besides inbuilt resistance and cultural control of pest populations,
critical studies on the occurrence of natural enemies, their breeding and
release in farmer' fields are required. The occurrence of pests and losses
in mixed, inter and relay cropping systems is to be investigated.
C. Pest and disease control
1. Considering the economic value and status of small millets, it can be
said that integrated disease/pest control measures are to be adopted with
emphasis on inbuilt resistance, cultural control, biological control and
chemical control in that order.
vi> Food Uses ¡¡
1. Screening of germplasm for malting and popping characteristics and breeding
varieties with improved malting and popping characteristics.
2. Development of simple milling machinery and a making it available in
millet growing areas.
3. Diversification of uses of small millets and development of health or
speciality foods from millets: diabetic foods, high fiber foods, weaning
foods, flakes, quick cooking cereals etc.
4. While breeding varieties, attention should be paid to retain the desirable
qualities of millets such as good storage quality, high mineral content
etc.
5. Analysis of varieties grown under different agroclimatic conditions
for nutrient content and polyphenols.
6. Studies on fine structure of millet grains.
7. Setting up of a permanent millet quality laboratory, if it is not possible
to establish collaboration or association with Food Technological Research
Institutes or other such institutes for analysing or testing the varieties
and taking research work on millet product formulations.
8. Improving status of millets by substituting rice and other cereals in
prestigious foods.
9. Publication of booklets on millet products and giving wide publicity
for these.
10. Consumer preference checks for different millet products and improving
their quality and consumer acceptability.
vii> Small Millets as Forage
1. Millet straw especially from small millets is highly relished by cattle.
The cost of straw in several millets compensates the cost of inputs in
cultivation. Moreover, the peasant farmers depend on this byproduct to
large extent in maintaining their milch and draught animals. In many countries
the farmers are willing to sacrifice grain but not fodder. This point has
to be kept in mind in future breeding programs.
2. Efforts are essential to identify suitable small millet varieties for
fodder purposes. Millets as green forage crops assume more importance especially
in scarce rainfall years. Selected varieties should be able to produce
large amount of green fodder in a very short time that they may be available
for growth.
3. Types suitable for multi-cuttings have to be identified which can be
grown even under irrigated conditions.
4. Suitable millet varieties have to be identified for establishing in
waste lands and eroded lands. Methods of establishing such crops also need
to be worked out.
5. The dry straw of many millets may not be nutritious. Methods to fortify
such low value fodder by use of urea, molasses etc., have to worked out
and popularized. The other possibility of improvement of the quality of
the straw would be to include a legume alongwith the millet crop itself.
II. Papers:
