In this article we will discuss about the requirement of climate and soils for pearlmillet production.
Pearlmillet is a short day warm weather crop and is even more resistant to drought than sorghum. No other cereal grows so well in hot dry regions. It is grown in areas that have prolonged dry spells such as the Sudan and the plains of Rajasthan in India. When the onset of monsoon is late, pearlmillet is the alternate crop to sorghum in India.
Climate:
Pearlmillet can the grown as rainfed crop successfully in regions with 400-600 mm rainfall. It grows better in warm dry climates with adequate soil moisture. It can withstand atmospheric drought and soil moisture stress to a great extent. Sandy soils of Rajasthan where average annual rainfall is 150-200 mm are capable of producing good crop with moisture conservation practices.
A well distributed and light rainfall with few cloudy days is ideal for growth and development. At the time of flowering and grain formation, there should be no rain and the weather should be clear and dry. High humidity and low temperature at flowering increase the incidence of ergot disease leading to low yield.
Pearlmillet has the potential to germinate over wide range of temperature from 15° to 40°C. However, exposure to more than 40°C decreases the germination percentage and rate of emergence. A temperature of 30° to 35°C is optimum for growth and development. Pearlmillet has high rate of photosynthesis. The highest rate observed was 277 mg cm-2 s-1.
Optimum temperature range for maximum net photosynthesis is between 35° and 40°C. Low temperature during grain development increase the grain filling period and grain yield. Pearlmillet is sensitive to photoperiod. Long photoperiods over 14 hrs can double the grain yield compared to 12 hrs.
Soils:
Pearlmillet is grown on a wide range of soils such as sandy loams of Punjab and Utter Pradesh and light soils of Rajasthan and north Gujarat, heavy clays of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and the shallow black, red and light soils of Deccan and southern India.
However, sandy loam to loamy soils with free drainage and free from salinity or alkalinity are the best suited for its cultivation. It can give fairly good yield on poor soils where other crops cannot be grown successfully. The crop can perform better on alkaline soils but not on highly saline soils.