How to Grow - Bajra

 

 

 

Preparation of Soil

• Medium to heavy soils and light textured soils of low inherent fertility, good drainage and black soils. Crop does not tolerate soil acidity.
• The crop needs very fine tilth. It is essential to do summer ploughing by mould-board plough and after onset of monsoon the field should be harrowed twice or thrice followed by planking the field so that a fine tilth may be obtained.

Sowing

• June-July (onset of monsoon) or February to June or a summer crop after Rabi as it is short duration when compared to either jowar or maize.
• Seed Rate: 1.5 kg/acre The organo-mercurial compounds like Cerasan or Agrosan should be used @ 2.5 to 3.0 g/ha of seed to control downy mildew or green ear, smut and ergot disease.
• Row to row – 30cm solid row or may be broadcasted in level seed beds .: 45 cm x 15 cm .Thinning within 2 weeks should be compulsory. Earthing up also increases the crop growth

Fertilizer Application

• Apply four tons FYM/acre during the last plough. 20 kg N, 15 kg P2 O5 and 12 kg K2O/ acre as basal dose and 15 Kg N/acre  as top dressing at 20 – 30 days  after sowing

Irrigation

• Depending upon the nature of the soil, irrigation should be given whenever necessary.
• Bajra can withstand to drainage to some extent. In ill drained soils provision of drainage channel of one meter width for every 10 meters length of field. It can withstand drought also and lesser number of irrigations required for fodder crops.

Crop Management

• Weed Control SprayingofAtrazine@1kgai/hain 200 ltr. of water within 3 days after sowing as per emergence and on need basis. 2,4-D @ 1 kg ai/ha, 15-20 days after sowing should be sprayed.
• Downy mildew or green ear disease is prevalent in bajra growing tracts of Andhra Pradesh. Spraying of Mancozeb or Zineb @ 3g/L of water once or twice depending of the intensity of disease. Sugary diseases and ergot diseases can be controlled by spraying ziram or zineb + copper oxychloride (0.025%) two times with a gap of week days at the time of flowering.
• The damage by grass hoppers in the initial stages and by blister beetles at the time of flowering can be controlled by dusting carbaryl 4%. Early planting should be taken up to avoid infestation by shootfly. Increase the seed rate and uproot infested seedlings. Application of carbofuran or phorate @ 1kg a.i/ha.

Harvesting, Storage and Drying

• Harvesting for 2-3 times. Proper drying and staking before threshing with rollers or bullocks is advised.
• For easy separation of grain, the ear head should be dried well before threshing. Threshing may be done eitherby beating the ear heads with sticks or by trampling the ear heads under bullock’s feet. The separated grains must be cleaned, dried in sun to bring about 12-34 percent moisture.