| Common Name | Latin Name | Plant Family |
|---|---|---|
|
Finger Millet |
Eleusine coracana |
Gramineae |
None known
Cultivation & Habitat
Seed – sow early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts[162, 200].
The seed can also be sown in mid to late spring in situ[200], though if the summer is cool it might not ripen its seed[K].
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[200]. Tolerates moderately moist conditions[57]. Finger millet is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation of 29 to 429cm, an annual temperature range of 11.1 to 27.4¡C and a pH in the range of 5.0 to 8.2[269]. Typically a tropical crop, one of the best suited for dry farming, generally grown rainfed. It thrives under a medium rainfall, on porous soils that do not get waterlogged. With rainfall of 53-75 cm, it is cultivated rainfed; with less, it is irrigated[269]. Finger millet is very adaptable and thrives at higher elevations than most other tropical cereals[269]. Cultivated on soils ranging from rich loams to poor shallow upland soils. In India, grown on black cotton soils, but thrives on red lateritic loams. Ragi stands salinity better than most cereals[269].
Finger millet is much cultivated in tropical countries for its edible seed[1, 2, 162]. Over 20 varieties of ragi are cultivated in India[183, 269]. The numerous races under cultivation are primarily divided into purple and green types; those with straight or open spikes, encurved or closed spikes, or branched spikes; length of earheads (5-10 cm long); colour of seeds (deep brown to shade of orange-red to almost white or black); dwarf in habit (45 cm tall) to up to 1.3 m tall; poor tillering to profuse tillering; early or late maturing; suitable for growing under irrigation to growing in dry areas. Many named cultivars are involved in breeding trials in India. Most improvement is sought in increasing yields, resistance to lodging, even maturity and loose panicle[269].
The plant requires a good summer if it is to do well in Britain[K], though in warmer climes it is heavy yielding, even on poor soils[57, 171].
Plants are seldom troubled by insect pests[61, 171]. The seed stores well[171].
Plants are mainly self-fertile[269].
S.E. Asia. It probably arose through cultivation from E. indica.
Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.
*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.