Researchers from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and the Chinese Center for Agricultural Resources Research (CARR) have advised farmers to grow the Chinese hybrid foxtail millet due to its superior characteristics compared to the local varieties.
The Chinese hybrid foxtail millet is drought, and disease-resistant, high yielding, and is rich in nutrients. It is a human food crop and can also be grown as livestock feed.
The millet variety adapts to various soil and climate and takes 65 days to mature, compared to the local variety, which takes 90 to 120 days.
“The Chinese hybrid foxtail millet is very popular in China for its efficiency in taking up nutrients. It grows quickest between 24-25°C and performs best in sandy loam soils or clay loam,” said Xiaoxin Li, a researcher at CARR.
It has been grown in over 10 African countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi, Mali, and Zimbabwe, with farmers saying its long seed panicle yields more seed compared to local varieties.
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The crop can do well in low-rainfall areas such as Makueni, Kitui, Machakos, Meru, Embu, and parts of Baringo and Siaya.
Lina Judy, a millet farmer in Kitui County, shares insights on how to grow millet as a source of food.
“Plough the land early during the dry spell. Plough deeply to expose pests such as millet head miners to adverse weather and predators. Remove all weeds, especially the perennials, stumps, and other obstacles,” says Judy.
Planting should be done before or during the onset of rains to ensure that the crop uses the available moisture to the maximum during the growing period.
Spacing depends on the variety, and thinning should take place two weeks after crop emergence when the crop attains 15cm in height.
For fertilizer application, one should test the soil first to know the missing nutrients. According to Judy, apply 125kg NPK per hectare during planting, top dress with 125kg CAN per hectare if the soil is poor in terms of fertility.
To keep the pests away, practice good field hygiene, use insecticides such as thuricides, and use neem or pyrethrum extracts when the caterpillars are small.
