Nutrient Management Techniques for Increasing Productivity of Poor Man’s Food Crop– Small Millets

Abstract

The small millets are a good source of nutrition and are richer in their nutritive content in comparison to rice and wheat. To make up for the nutrient deficiencies commonly found in millets Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) can be made available to the acidic soils where this crop is grown mostly in Uttarakhand. Phosphorous is given as a basal dose at the time of sowing. Source of K available to the crop is in the form of Muriate of Potash (MOP), and other micronutrients especially iron and zinc should also be applied to the soils in which small millets grow. Other ways of nutrient management in millets is by intercropping of grain legumes, growing a green manure crop and incorporating it into the fields and use of farmyard manure (FYM).