Abstract

The Kodo millet, Varagu (Tamil) and Arika (Telugu), occupies an area of well over a million acres in the Madras Presidency. The grain of this millet is easily preserved and proves a good famine reserve. It is a poor man's food. The crop is very drought-resistant. Only well-matured grains should be husked and used as food. Husks and immature grains are poisonous. This millet is considered safer for use as the grains get old. Both as food and fodder the crop is poor. While the crop is ripening it is considered dangerous to graze animals on it. This millet is grown mostly rain-fed, though in small areas under irrigation also. Trichinopoly and South Arcot districts have over 170,000 acres each; Kurnool, Nellore and Ramnad have each over 90,000 acres. The Nilgiris, Malabar and South Kanara are the only districts in which this crop is not grown. About 21,000 acres are raised under irrigation. Of these Coimbatore, Ramnad, Madura and Kurnool have about 13 thousand acres. This millet yields on an aver- age 800 lb. of grain per acre with a range of 400 to 1200 ib. according to the tract. The yield of straw is about 1000 to 2000 lb. per acre. The straw is used as a manure in alkaline lands. This millet has been under study at the Millets Breeding Station and the following summa- rise the knowledge so far gained.

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