Record Details

Physical Environment of Sorghum- and Millet-growing Areas in South Asia

OAR@ICRISAT

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/5154/
 
Title Physical Environment of Sorghum- and Millet-growing Areas in South Asia
 
Creator Sivakumar, M V K
Huda, A K S
Virmani, S M
 
Subject Millets
Sorghum
 
Description In the semi-arid areas of Asia, rainfed farming of sorghum and millet constitutes the main
pattern of land use. About 57% of the world's millet and 38% of the sorghum come from Asia;
South Asia contributes 60% of the total Asian production of both crops, with India alone
producing 96% of the millet and 98% of the sorghum. However, a major constraint to increasing
production is drought, resulting from low and variable rainfall and soils with low water-holding
capacity. The wide range of variation in other climatic parameters as well—temperature;
radiation, and evapotranspiration—in the sorghum- and millet-growing areas is illustrated and
discussed. The broad soil regions in semi-arid Asia are described, and measures suggested for
improving and stabilizing yields by matching the crop growth cycle with the growing period. The
variability in the phenology, growth, and yield of sorghum is illustrated with examples from a
3-year multilocation sorghum-modeling experiment. It is proposed that data banks be set up to
collect—via an interagency network—the information on climate, soils, and crops needed to
assess the impact of the physical environment on sorghum and millet production in the
semi-arid tropics.
 
Date 1984
 
Type Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/5154/1/0138.pdf
Sivakumar, M V K and Huda, A K S and Virmani, S M (1984) Physical Environment of Sorghum- and Millet-growing Areas in South Asia. In: Agrometeorology of Sorghum and Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics: Proceedings of the International Symposium, 15-20 November, 1982, Patancheru. A P lndla.