A Review of Nutrient Management Studies Involving Finger Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Asia and Africa
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is a staple food crop grown by subsistence farmers in the semi-arid tropics of South Asia and Africa. It remains highly valued by traditional farmers as it is nutritious, drought tolerant, short duration, and requires low inputs. Its continued propagatio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-06-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/5/3/262 |
| _version_ | 1818666944991068160 |
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| author | Malinda S. Thilakarathna Manish N. Raizada |
| author_facet | Malinda S. Thilakarathna Manish N. Raizada |
| author_sort | Malinda S. Thilakarathna |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is a staple food crop grown by subsistence farmers in the semi-arid tropics of South Asia and Africa. It remains highly valued by traditional farmers as it is nutritious, drought tolerant, short duration, and requires low inputs. Its continued propagation may help vulnerable farmers mitigate climate change. Unfortunately, the land area cultivated with this crop has decreased, displaced by maize and rice. Reversing this trend will involve achieving higher yields, including through improvements in crop nutrition. The objective of this paper is to comprehensively review the literature concerning yield responses of finger millet to inorganic fertilizers (macronutrients and micronutrients), farmyard manure (FYM), green manures, organic by-products, and biofertilizers. The review also describes the impact of these inputs on soils, as well as the impact of diverse cropping systems and finger millet varieties, on nutrient responses. The review critically evaluates the benefits and challenges associated with integrated nutrient management, appreciating that most finger millet farmers are economically poor and primarily use farmyard manure. We conclude by identifying research gaps related to nutrient management in finger millet, and provide recommendations to increase the yield and sustainability of this crop as a guide for subsistence farmers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T06:12:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-22940329affc45db9ea0399bb711f11e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T06:12:35Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-22940329affc45db9ea0399bb711f11e2022-12-21T22:00:35ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952015-06-015326229010.3390/agronomy5030262agronomy5030262A Review of Nutrient Management Studies Involving Finger Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Asia and AfricaMalinda S. Thilakarathna0Manish N. Raizada1Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaDepartment of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaFinger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is a staple food crop grown by subsistence farmers in the semi-arid tropics of South Asia and Africa. It remains highly valued by traditional farmers as it is nutritious, drought tolerant, short duration, and requires low inputs. Its continued propagation may help vulnerable farmers mitigate climate change. Unfortunately, the land area cultivated with this crop has decreased, displaced by maize and rice. Reversing this trend will involve achieving higher yields, including through improvements in crop nutrition. The objective of this paper is to comprehensively review the literature concerning yield responses of finger millet to inorganic fertilizers (macronutrients and micronutrients), farmyard manure (FYM), green manures, organic by-products, and biofertilizers. The review also describes the impact of these inputs on soils, as well as the impact of diverse cropping systems and finger millet varieties, on nutrient responses. The review critically evaluates the benefits and challenges associated with integrated nutrient management, appreciating that most finger millet farmers are economically poor and primarily use farmyard manure. We conclude by identifying research gaps related to nutrient management in finger millet, and provide recommendations to increase the yield and sustainability of this crop as a guide for subsistence farmers.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/5/3/262finger milletnutrient managementnitrogenphosphoruspotassiummicronutrientsfarmyard manurebiofertilizersorganic fertilizerintegrated nutrient management |
| spellingShingle | Malinda S. Thilakarathna Manish N. Raizada A Review of Nutrient Management Studies Involving Finger Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Asia and Africa Agronomy finger millet nutrient management nitrogen phosphorus potassium micronutrients farmyard manure biofertilizers organic fertilizer integrated nutrient management |
| title | A Review of Nutrient Management Studies Involving Finger Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Asia and Africa |
| title_full | A Review of Nutrient Management Studies Involving Finger Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Asia and Africa |
| title_fullStr | A Review of Nutrient Management Studies Involving Finger Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Asia and Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Review of Nutrient Management Studies Involving Finger Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Asia and Africa |
| title_short | A Review of Nutrient Management Studies Involving Finger Millet in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Asia and Africa |
| title_sort | review of nutrient management studies involving finger millet in the semi arid tropics of asia and africa |
| topic | finger millet nutrient management nitrogen phosphorus potassium micronutrients farmyard manure biofertilizers organic fertilizer integrated nutrient management |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/5/3/262 |
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