Soil conservation through small millets cultivation on upland in rainfed region of Chhattisgarh

Abstract

Small millets include finger millet, kodo millet, little millet, barnyard millet, proso millet and foxtail millet which are dominated in rainfed region. These crops are grown under limited agricultural inputs on marginal and degraded lands where other cereals cannot perform well. Finger millet, kodo millet and little millet are very common in southern Chhattisgarh which is a staple food for most of the tribes next to rice, where rainfall varied from 1000-1500 mm during rainy season. Further, small millets fit better in these conditions due to its lesser water requirements. Its fast growing ability, weed suppressive nature, lower water requirement envisage them for conservation of natural resource. Finger millet, commonly known as Mandia or ragi, is the main food grain especially in dry areas of India. The grains contain higher nutrients contents, converted into flour for making cakes and puddings to provide a diet that is associated with hard work. The wider adaptability of the crop can be attributed to its C4 nature.