Thana HaalSetaria italica (L.)

Group No 08

Introduction• One of the oldest cultivated crop• It was used in India, China and Egypt

before there were written records• Staple diet of some countries – South

India• Annual plant• C4 plant• Warm season crop

Cont’d

• Monocrop • Intercrop with cotton• The best integration in crop rotation is after

root or leguminous crops• Yield 800-900 kg/ha• Yield potentials of over three tons per hectare• less important both economically and as a

food due to poor yields and less popularity as food or feed

Cont’d

• Origin- China• Countries

ChinaIndia IndonesiaJapan

• Srilanka – Dry zone

Scientific classification

• Kingdom Plantae• Division Magnoliophyta• Class Magnoliopsida• Order poales• Family poaceae• Genus Setaria• Species Setaria italica(L)

Common names

• Thana Haal • foxtail millet• Dwarf setaria• Giant setaria• Hungarian millet• Liberty millet• Red rala

Uses

• As a food– porridge – Bread– Cooked as rice– Rotti

• making alcoholic beverages – beer in Russia

Cont’d• As a feed – high quality hay, pasture and green fodder– Grain as a feed for poultry & birds

• It can be used as a quick-growing crop in contour strips in dense populations for erosion control

• Foodstuff for individuals suffering from celiac disease

• Indigenous medicine, specially used in snake poisoning

Potentials

• Useful as an experimental crop to investigate many aspects – Lant architecture– Genome evolution– Physiology in the bioenergy grasses

Nutritional value of seed

• Protein 11%• Oil 4%• Crude fiber 6-7%• Higher content of essential amino acid• Vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin)• Ash 1.5%

Morphology

• Stem – Slim– Vertical– Leafy stems– Single stalk or a few tillers– Height of 120–200 cm

• Root– deep root system

Cont’d• Leaf – blade is wide-lanceolate– long-acuminate– brightly colored midrib– leaf edges serrate

• Inflorescence – Large– has main stalk with shortened branching

bearing spikes and bristles– 2 Flowers per spikelet, the upper bisexual

Cont’d

• Seed– Hundreds of seeds per inflorescence– Small– Diameter – around 2 mm– Has thin, papery hull which is easily

removed in threshing– Color : light yellow to brown, rusty and

black also

VarietiesGiant Setaria• Dual-purpose• Tall-growing type producing a good body of

leaf• 105 days• As a grazing crop, it should be subjected to

heavy quick grazing• Higher grain yield than dwarf setaria• The plant has no hair on the lower leaf-sheath,

distinguishing it from dwarf setaria

Cont’d

Dwarf Setaria• Only as a grain• 80 days• Less leaf than others• Dwarf setaria bears a profusion of hairs on the

lower leaf-sheath at 8-10 cm height

Recommended Varity by DOA Promising Varieties -ISC 480

Ecological requirement• Up to 2000 m(MSL)• RF : 500-700 mm– cannot tolerate waterlogging

• Temperature : 20-30 C ̊�• Drought tolerance -fairly tolerant escape some droughts because of early maturity• Light – long day – short day– day neutral

Soil

• sandy loams - clay loams• tolerates poor and dry soils• difficult to germinate on heavy clay soils

Propagation

• By seeds• Germination percentage : 75%• Ability to spread naturally• Spread from scattered seed

Land Preparation

• fine, firm seed-bed• land development an initial ploughing

Time of planting

• Maha -rainfed as well with supplementary irrigation when there are drought periods

• Maha - established with Maha rains that occur in latter part of September or first week of October for successful growth

• Yala -established with Yala rains that fall in later part of April

• By timely cultivation pest problems can be reduced

Sawing

• Usually drilled, but may be broadcast and harrowed

• Spacing 30*30 cm• 2-3cm deep• Temperature of soil between 8 to 10 °C• Except in sandy soils, rolling after planting is

desirable• Not like muddy conditions during germination• Seed requirement 5-7 kg/ha

Fertilizer recommendation

Urea Conc. SP MOPFertilizer requirement 125 50 50

Fertilizer application (Kg/ha)

Irrigation

• Normally grown under RF• During dry periods, irrigations are

required every 4-7 days depending on the severity of the drought and type of soil

Weed management

• controlled by manual methods – weeding – application pre- and post emergent

weed killers• Crops need to be maintained weed free

at least until flowering stage

Development of plant

• flowering 56-62 days• short generation time – approximately 5–8 weeks from

planting to flowering– 8–15 weeks from planting to seed

maturity

Pest & Disease problem

• Diseases– less affected by diseases– leaf and head blast– Green ear

• Pestsusceptible to bird attack in the field, and mice and rat invasions

Harvesting

• harvested before depletion of soil moisture• Seed heavy– Harvest with combines using a small seeds

box• harvested manually when grain moisture is

low and after physiological maturity is reached• Seed moisture is lowered by sun drying to a

safer level before shelling the seeds

Postharvest and storage

• Dried thoroughly before storage• Better to separate from impurities after

harvest• Drying has to be done if the crop is too moist

(optimum 14%)• Stored with husk but prior to its processing or

consumption the husk must be removed

Group members

• M.J.Watawana UWU/EAG/11/0036• J.A.K.Dhananjaya UWU/EAG/11/0039• P.M.Belpage UWU/EAG/11/0042

Thank you