Finger Millet (Ragi)

• Botanical Name: Eleusine coracana
• Chromosome Number (2n): 36
• Origin: East Africa (Ethiopia–Uganda highlands) → later spread to India
• Grain Type: Caryopsis
• Nickname/Title: “Wonder grain” / “Nutri-cereal” / “Poor man’s millet”
• Pollination: Self-pollinated
• Protein Content: 7–8%
• Inflorescence: Finger-like spikes radiating from top (hence the name “Finger Millet”)
• Research Centre: All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Small Millets, Bengaluru

Nutritional Value

• Richest source of calcium (344 mg/100g) among cereals
• High in iron, fiber, phosphorus, and antioxidants
• Gluten-free → suitable for celiac patients
• Good for infants, pregnant women, and the elderly
• Used for ragi mudde, dosa, malt, porridge, bakery products, and fermented beverages

Climate Requirement

• Type: Tropical & subtropical crop
• Optimum temperature: 26–30°C
• Rainfall requirement: 350–750 mm (thrives in dry regions, drought tolerant)
• Tolerates higher altitudes (up to 2,100 m)
• Both Kharif & Rabi seasons (mainly Kharif under rainfed conditions)

Soil Requirement

• Well-drained loamy to sandy loam soils
• Thrives in slightly acidic soils (pH 4.5–7.5)
• Can grow on poor and marginal soils where other cereals fail

Major Ragi Growing States (India)

• Karnataka (largest producer, ~65% of India’s production)
• Tamil Nadu
• Uttarakhand
• Odisha
• Jharkhand
• Andhra Pradesh

Seed & Sowing

• Seed rate: 8–10 kg/ha (line sowing) | 4–5 kg/ha (transplanting)
• Row spacing: 22–25 cm (line sowing)
• Depth: 2–3 cm
• Methods: Broadcasting, line sowing, or transplanting seedlings

Varieties

• High-yielding: GPU-28, GPU-45, GPU-48
• Disease-resistant: CO-9, HR-911, VL-149
• Other varieties: Indaf-9, PR-202, KM-252

Fertilizer Requirement

• General recommendation: 50:40:25 NPK kg/ha (rainfed)
• Irrigated crop: 100:50:50 NPK kg/ha
• Apply ½ N + full P & K as basal; rest N at tillering stage
• Responds well to FYM (5–10 t/ha)

Fodder & Dual Use

• Stover is palatable & nutritious for cattle
• Grain + straw dual-purpose crop

Weed Management

• Two hand weedings at 20 & 35 DAS
• Pre-emergence: Isoproturon @ 0.5–0.75 kg/ha

Harvesting & Yield

• Harvest when ear heads turn brown & grains are hard
• Cut with sickles → dried → threshed by beating
• Grain yield: 20–25 q/ha (improved varieties up to 30 q/ha)
• Straw yield: 40–50 q/ha

Storage

• Very good storage life (keeps for years without insect attack if properly dried)
• Grain hardness + small size makes it less susceptible to storage pests