Seeding can begin once the critical soil temperature is reached. This normally occurs between mid- September and mid-October. Soil temperature can be tested using a standard thermometer. Millet does not tolerate frost, so wait until the risk of frost is over.
Sowing depth:
Sow into moisture at 3 to 4 cm deep. Sow deeper if the surface is dry, but remember the deeper you go, the colder the soil and the longer it will take for the plants to emerge. Establishment levels vary depending on the type of seeding system and are shown in Table 1. Press wheels set at 2 to 4 kg/cm width will ensure good seed to soil contact without compacting the soil.
Row spacing:
Millet has grown successfully on narrow spacings in low rainfall areas (similar to winter cereals), however 0.5 and 1 m row spacings reduce the risk of moisture stress and allow stock to move between rows without trampling. In more favourable higher moisture situations, row spacings of 20 to 30 cm should be used.
Seeding rate:
Sow at 8 to 10 kg/ha for Japanese and Siberian millets grown for forage, or 4 to 5 kg/ha for forage pennisetums. Plant density, row spacing and distance between plants are not as critical to success as they are in other grain crops.
At low plant densities or uneven distribution, millet will tiller to compensate. Excessive plant densities can lead to moisture stress during critical growth periods. Low seeding rates can be used in marginal dryland areas.
Higher seeding rates should be used with less accurate equipment (combines, airseeders), or in areas with more stored soil moisture and/or in-crop rainfall.
Fertiliser requirements:
Millet has similar nutrient requirements to wheat. Adequate levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important. A forage crop with a biomass of 2.5 t/ha will need about 30 kg/ha N, 8 kg/ha P and 30 kg/ha K.
To prevent micro-nutrient deficiencies, trace elements should be applied three to five weeks after emergence as a foliar treatment based on plant tissue test results. Do not place more than 5 kg/ha N with the seed if sowing on 1 m row spacing.
Up to 25 kg/ha can be placed with the seed on 18 cm row spacing. Ideally, the remaining N should be topdressed at or prior to sowing (prior to a rain from late August onwards to get the N down into the soil where its availability will be greatest) or banded at seeding.
Banded N should be isolated from the seed to prevent toxicity (particularly at 1 m row spacing). When press wheels are used on medium to heavy-textured soils, banding 5 cm below and to the side of the seed into moisture should be adequate, however may need to be increased to 10 cm on lighter soils or if press wheels are not used.
Depending on the amount applied at seeding and the potential of the forage crop, additional nitrogen may be topdressed if there is summer rain or subsoil moisture. Sulphate of ammonia or ammonium nitrate is preferred in these conditions to reduce losses from volatilisation.
Weed control:
Good weed control is essential because the crop will not compete well in the early stages of growth (less than 15 cm high). Grazing management is the main option for post-emergent weeds. Herbicide options registered in WA are limited, particularly for grass weeds, so they should be controlled at or before sowing.
Glyphosate can be used as knockdown herbicide and 2,4-D amine after emergence. Always check product labels for details as stage of growth is critical for some herbicides. Do not apply 2,4-D amine to panicum or Panorama.
Pest control:
Chlorpyrifos is registered for control of a range of insect pests in millets. It can be used for armyworm, cutworm heliothis (budworm), locusts and grasshoppers.
Disease control:
Millet is susceptible to smut although this is generally considered to be of minor importance. Spores germinate and affect young seedlings, which leads to contamination at harvest. Thiram (Thiraflo®, Thiram® etc.) is used in the eastern States to treat seed before sowing but is not registered in WA. Do not keep seed from infected crops.
Grazing management:
The best yields and quality will be achieved with rotational grazing. Millet should be grazed early while feed value is high. As the crop grows taller and begins to form seed, it becomes rank and feed value declines. Temperate millets can be grazed once the crop reaches 25 cm high.
Do not graze lower than 10 cm as regrowth will be slow. Forage pennisetums can be grazed once the crop reaches 30 cm, and should not be grazed any lower than 15 cm.
Information Sourced From;
