Nepalese sorghum

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Sorghum is an important staple crop for more than 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including many people in Nepal. In statistics collected from 1992 to 1994 about general millet, Nepal had an area of 0.21 million ha, with a yield rate of 1.14 (t/ha), and produced around 0.24 million tons of sorghum. The entirety of the crop is highly valued, with both the grain and the stem being utilized. The Terai region of Nepal tends to be more tropical which is ideal for the growth of sorghum. It tolerates hot climates better than maize or soybeans. For subsistence farmers, like those in Nepal, fertilizers are not necessary and the crop is frequently harvested by hand.

Contents

Background

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) comes from the Latin name "syrucum (granum)" which means "grain of Syria" however it originated in eastern Africa. Sorghum is an important species of the grass family, Poaceae, and is considered the world's fifth most important cereal crop. [1] There are many diverse and wild types of sorghum, however there are seven basic races, the most common in Asia are Durra and Sballu. [2] Sorghum is an important staple crop for more than 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including many people in Nepal. [3] Sorghum is grown on more than 48 ha area around the world. [4] Overall sorghum is a very important crop worldwide, and can be cooked in many different ways for food with a high nutritional content, among many other uses.

In statistics collected from 1992 to 1994 about general millet, Nepal had an area of 0.21 million ha, with a yield rate of 1.14 (t/ha), and produced around 0.24 million tons of sorghum. [5] The entirety of the crop is highly valued, both the grain and the stem are very useful.

Environmental factors

There are several different types of sorghum such as grain sorghum, grass sorghum, sweet sorghum and broomcorn. Grain sorghum usually requires less water than other crops such as maize, and produces higher yields in hotter areas such as Africa and Asia. Nepal's climate ranges from tropical to a more arctic climate depending on the altitude. The Terai region of Nepal is a southern part of the country and tends to be more tropical with a hot, humid climate. [6] This is prime for the growth of sorghum. Sorghum is well adapted to dryer climates and tolerates hot climates better than maize or soybeans. It is a warm season grass and has adapted to grow in a wide range of soil types often tolerating waterlogging and many poor soil types.

Sorghum grows best deep in soil with a more neutral pH level around 6 to 7. Depending on the moisture level, plants tend to be planted in rows with around a 45 to 60 cm space. If there is a 12 to 20 cm space directly between plants it allows for approximately 120, 000 plants to be planted per hectare. [7] The quality and yields of sorghum is directly related to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Problematic soils such as acidic soil are a frequent problem for farmers. Weeds reduce yields and compete with sorghum. Weeds that are commonly associated with Sorghum are striga, shattercane, and jonsongrass. [2] Other common pests and diseases in sorghum are anthacnose, and greenbug. [2] It is important to include genetic diversity to stabilize yield because it can be insurance against unexpected pests and disease outbreaks. [8]

Social factors

Nutrition

In Africa and Asia sorghum is primarily used for traditional purposes with subsistence and small-scale farming. The use was traditionally for food. In Asia and Africa sorghum is often boiled, roasted, or popped, used as flat bread or eaten as porridge. Sorghum is also grown in the southern parts of the United States however it is mostly used for animal feeds. [9]

To many people the nutritional elements of sorghum are unknown however it is a very important whole grain. The grains can be eaten in many ways such as in cold salads, or an alternative to couscous, or rice. A huge advantage is that it can be used as a gluten free substitute to regular white flour. It can be used for baking in things such as cookies, muffins, cakes, and breads. Sweet sorghum can be processed into syrups and molasses. Sorghum has also traditionally been used for alcoholic beverages and malt drinks. [10]

Sorghum is naturally high in fiber and iron, as well as protein. Sorghum also has great health affects; it is a principal source of energy, vitamins and minerals. A sorghum grain contains 11.3% protein, 3.3% fat and 56-73% starch as well, it is relatively rich in iron, zinc, phosphorus and B-complex vitamins. [11] Because it is rich in antioxidants it is believed by some that it helps lower the risk of cancer, diabetes heart disease and some neurological diseases. [12]

General care and maintenance

In the tropical regions sorghum is generally easy to care for, it can survive off rainfall and is planted on the onset of Monsoon season, which is around mid to late June. Sorghum can produce high yields where the precipitation is low and erratic. [3] For subsistence farmers, like those in Nepal, fertilizers are not necessary however doses of nitrogen fertilizers do tend to be used in larger scale operations. [3] Sorghum can and is frequently harvested by hand.

Gender

The demand for sorghum has decreased in Asia over the last number of years. [8] However, there are many attractive traits for female subsistence farmers, especially with specialty, dual-purpose seeds. The nutrition received from Sorghum is important for subsistence farmer families, as well as for regular income for female farmers and their families. Sorghum does not need very much general care and tends to produce high yields.

Economic factors

The cost efficiency of Sorghum tends to depend on the environment. Sorghum can be a significant crop for animal feed, which is important for those living in Nepal with animals. All parts of the plant, both the grain and stem can be sold and used. A huge advantage of sorghum to subsistence farmers in places in Africa and Asia, specifically in Nepal is that Sorghum is actually one of the few crops that will be able to adapt to future climate change as it contains many resilient qualities. [9] In addition, the cost of production in Asia has been said to have decreased (per ton) between the 1980s and 1990s compared to the cost in the 1970s. [8] The cost and return ratio from improved varieties in Asia is around a 1:1.4 ratio. [8] This is a good ratio for subsistence farmers.

Related Research Articles

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A cereal is a grass cultivated for its edible grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore staple foods. They include rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, and maize. Edible grains from other plant families, such as buckwheat and quinoa, are pseudocereals. Most cereals are annuals, producing one crop from each planting, though rice is sometimes grown as a perennial. Winter varieties are hardy enough to be planted in the autumn, becoming dormant in the winter, and harvested in spring or early summer; spring varieties are planted in spring and harvested in late summer. The term cereal is derived from the name of the Roman goddess of grain crops and fertility, Ceres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millet</span> Group of grasses (food grain)

Millets are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finger millet</span> Species of grass

Finger millet is an annual herbaceous plant widely grown as a cereal crop in the arid and semiarid areas in Africa and Asia. It is a tetraploid and self-pollinating species probably evolved from its wild relative Eleusine africana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subsistence agriculture</span> Farming to meet basic needs

Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements. Planting decisions occur principally with an eye toward what the family will need during the coming year, and only secondarily toward market prices. Tony Waters, a professor of sociology, defines "subsistence peasants" as "people who grow what they eat, build their own houses, and live without regularly making purchases in the marketplace".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearl millet</span> Species of cultivated grass

Pearl millet is the most widely grown type of millet. It has been grown in Africa and the Indian subcontinent since prehistoric times. The center of diversity, and suggested area of domestication, for the crop is in the Sahel zone of West Africa. Recent archaeobotanical research has confirmed the presence of domesticated pearl millet on the Sahel zone of northern Mali between 2500 and 2000 BC. 2023 was the International Year of Millets, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2021.

<i>Vigna umbellata</i> Species of flowering plant

Vigna umbellata, previously Phaseolus calcaratus, is a warm-season annual vine legume with yellow flowers and small edible beans. It is commonly called ricebean or rice bean. To date, it is little known, little researched and little exploited. It is regarded as a minor food and fodder crop and is often grown as intercrop or mixed crop with maize, sorghum or cowpea, as well as a sole crop in the uplands, on a very limited area. Like the other Asiatic Vigna species, ricebean is a fairly short-lived warm-season annual. Grown mainly as a dried pulse, it is also important as a fodder, a green manure and a vegetable. Ricebean is most widely grown as an intercrop, particularly of maize, throughout Indo-China and extending into southern China, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. In the past it was widely grown as lowland crop on residual soil water after the harvest of long-season rice, but it has been displaced to a great extent where shorter duration rice varieties are grown. Ricebean grows well on a range of soils. It establishes rapidly and has the potential to produce large amounts of nutritious animal fodder and high quality grain.

<i>Digitaria exilis</i> Species of grass

Digitaria exilis, referred to as findi or fundi in areas of Africa, such as The Gambia, with English common names white fonio, fonio millet, and hungry rice or acha rice, is a grass species. It is the most important of a diverse group of wild and domesticated Digitaria species known as fonio that are harvested in the savannas of West Africa. The grains are very small. It has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable use of the land. Despite its valuable characteristics and widespread cultivation, fonio has generally received limited research and development attention, which is also why the species is sometimes referred to as an underutilized crop.

<i>Cenchrus purpureus</i> Species of grass

Cenchrus purpureus, synonym Pennisetum purpureum, also known as Napier grass, elephant grass or Uganda grass, is a species of perennial tropical grass native to the African grasslands. It has low water and nutrient requirements, and therefore can make use of otherwise uncultivated lands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical agriculture</span>

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Sorghum bicolor, commonly called sorghum and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the grass genus Sorghum cultivated for its grain. The grain is used for food for humans; the plant is used for animal feed and ethanol production. Sorghum originated in Africa, and is now cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions.

<i>Paspalum scrobiculatum</i> Species of grass

Paspalum scrobiculatum, commonly called kodo millet or koda millet, is an annual grain that is grown primarily in Nepal and also in India, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and in West Africa from where it originated. It is grown as a minor crop in most of these areas, with the exception of the Deccan plateau in India where it is grown as a major food source. It is a very hardy crop that is drought tolerant and can survive on marginal soils where other crops may not survive, and can supply 450–900 kg of grain per hectare. Kodo millet has large potential to provide nourishing food to subsistence farmers in Africa and elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chitemene</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perennial rice</span> Varieties of rice that can grow season after season without re-seeding

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<i>Tephrosia vogelii</i> Species of legume

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farming systems in India</span>

Farming systems in India are strategically utilized, according to the locations where they are most suitable. The farming systems that significantly contribute to the agriculture of India are subsistence farming, organic farming, industrial farming. Regions throughout India differ in types of farming they use; some are based on horticulture, ley farming, agroforestry, and many more. Due to India's geographical location, certain parts experience different climates, thus affecting each region's agricultural productivity differently. India is very dependent on its monsoon cycle for large crop yields. India's agriculture has an extensive background which goes back to at least 9 thousand years. In India, in the alluvial plains of the Indus River in Pakistan, the old cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa experienced an apparent establishment of an organized farming urban culture. That society, known as the Harappan or Indus civilization, flourished until shortly after 4000 BP; it was much more comprehensive than those of Egypt or Babylonia and appeared earlier than analogous societies in northern China. Currently, the country holds the second position in agricultural production in the world. In 2007, agriculture and other industries made up more than 16% of India's GDP. Despite the steady decline in agriculture's contribution to the country's GDP, agriculture is the biggest industry in the country and plays a key role in the socio-economic growth of the country. India is the second-largest producer of wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, silk, groundnuts, and dozens more. It is also the second biggest harvester of vegetables and fruit, representing 8.6% and 10.9% of overall production, respectively. The major fruits produced by India are mangoes, papayas, sapota, and bananas. India also has the biggest number of livestock in the world, holding 281 million. In 2008, the country housed the second largest number of cattle in the world with 175 million.

Chrysopogon nigritanus, more widely known by the taxonomic synonym Vetiveria nigritana, or the common name black vetivergrass, is a perennial grass species of the family Poaceae and therefore is also a monocotyledon. More specifically, Vetiveria nigritana is a very thick and tall type of grass that is deeply rooted within the ground and is usually used to protect crops and deter soil erosion. Vetiveria nigritana is also a native species to Africa and is most commonly seen in Nigeria, Northern Africa, Eastern Africa and tropical parts of Southern Africa. In addition, the plant, like other vetiver grasses, has been used in these regions due to its extreme drought tolerance, ability to grow in infertile soil and the fact that it can live under complete submergence. In fact, Vetiveria nigritana can thrive in a very diverse range of environmental and climatic conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flax production in Nepal</span>

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Chickpeas are a major pulse legume grown in Nepal, either by themselves or as an intercrop with maize or rice. Chickpeas are an important legume to the population, as it is the primary protein source for nearly 2 million Nepalese people. In 2013, Nepal imported approximately US$10.1 million in dried shelled chickpeas, mostly from Australia and also from Canada, creating a need to increase production for its own people and to balance bilateral trade. Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, especially when compared to other legume pulses. They are high in unsaturated fatty acids and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

References

  1. ↑ Delserone, L. (2008). "Sorghum". Journal of Agricultural & Food Information. 8 (1): 9–14. doi:10.1300/J108v08n01_03. S2CID   216148117.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sorghum & Millet" . Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Morris, G (2012). "Population genomic and genome-wide association studies of agroclimatic traits in sorghum". PNAS. 110 (2): 453–458. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1215985110 . PMC   3545811 . PMID   23267105.
  4. ↑ Baligar, V (1989). "Aluminum effects on growth, grain yield and nutrient use efficiency ratios in sorghum genotypes". Plant and Soil. 116 (2): 257–264. Bibcode:1989PlSoi.116..257B. doi:10.1007/bf02214555. S2CID   24853211.
  5. ↑ "The world sorghum and millet economies: Facts, trends, and outlook". International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. 1996.
  6. ↑ "Nepal". Weather Online. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Sorghum". Plant Village. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Reddy, B (2004). "Sorghum, a crop of substance". International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropic.
  9. 1 2 "Sorghum Crop". ICRISAT. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  10. ↑ Kelley, J. Grain Sorghum Production Handbook (PDF). Little Rock, Arkansas: Cooperative Extension Service University of Arkansas. pp. 1–74. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Sorghum a Crop of Substance". CGIAR. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  12. ↑ "sorhumcheckoff". sorhumcheckoff. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
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