Season

Ragi is not a season bound crop and hence can be cultivated throughout the year, if moisture is available.

Kharif crop is sown during May or June. If the rains are not received in time, the sowing time is postponed up to the end of August. However, sowing should be done early in rainfed areas to avoid moisture stress at critical stage of flowering. In areas, where irrigation facilities are inadequate, the sowing should be done soon after onset of monsoon. In higher hills of northern India, the optimum time of sowing for finger millet is the first fortnight of June. The rainfed early crop is sown in April or early May.

Rabi crop is sown during September and October. The rainfed rabi crop in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is sown in September and October. The irrigated crop of finger millet is sown in more than one season in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Irrigated crop planting during June – July and summer irrigated crop by planting Dec – Jan.

Ragi sowing time and harvesting time in different states

State Sowing Harvesting
Early Kharif
Kharif
Late Kharif
Rabi
Summer
Early Kharif
Kharif
Late Kharif
Rabi
Summer
Karnataka
Apr - May
Jun - Jul
Aug - Sep
Oc t- Dec
Jan - Mar
Round the year
TamilNadu
Chithiraipattam (Apr - May) 
Adipattam (Jun - Jul)
-
Purattasipattam (Sep - Oct)
Marghazipattam (Dec - Jan)
Sep - Oct
Nov - Dec
-
May - Jun
May - Aug

 

Kerala :

It is usually grown during the following seasons.

Main season: June - September
Late season: July - October
Summer: Dec - Jan to March - April

Top of page

Varieties

Recommended varieties of ragi for different states

State Varieties
TamilNadu CO RA (14) *, CO 1**, CO 2**, CO 3, CO 4, CO 5, CO 6, CO 7**,   CO 8**, CO 9**, Co 10**, CO 11**, CO 12**, CO 13**, K 1, K 2,  K 5, K 6, K 7, TRY 1, Paiyur 1**, Paiyur (RA) 2*, GPU 28, GPU 48*, Indaf 5,  Indaf 7, Indaf 9, PR-202
Karnataka

Indaf 5, Indaf 9, L 5, GPU 48*, GPU-45*, MR 6*, GPU-28*, GPU-26, MR-1, MR-2, HR-911, BM9-1, Cauveri, Hamsas, Annapurna, Hagari 1, Hagari 2, Shakti Hullubele, Hasta (Indaf 7) and PR-202 (Godavari)
Kerala PR-202, K-2, Co-2**, Co-7**, Co-8**, Co-9**, Co-10**

* Blast resistant;   ** Drought tolerant

Top of page

Variety specific information for different states

Top of page

Varieties in TamilNadu

S.No

Variety

Duration

Season

Year of Release

Yield

Special Attributes

Irrigated

Rainfed

1

CO 13
(CO 7 x TAH 107)

95 to 100 days (Small duration variety)

Marghazipattam (Dec–Jan)
Chithiraipattam (April-May)

Adipattam (June - July)
Puratasipattam (Sept - Oct)

1988 - Scientist at the Department of Millets, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

Grain:
3600 kg/ha (I),
2300 kg/ha (R)
Straw: 10000 kg/ha (I), 7500kg/ha (R)

  1. All season crop
  2. Cultivated in Cuddalore, Villupuram, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Erode, Coimbatore districts of Tamilnadu
  3. Drought tolerant

2

CO 11 (Pure line selection from MS 2584)

90 to 95 days (Small duration variety)

Marghazipattam (Dec–Jan)
Chithiraipattam (April-May)

Adipattam (June - July)
Puratasipattam (Sept - Oct)

1978

Grain: 3250 kg/ha (R),
4750 kg/ha (I)
Straw: 8750 kg/ha (I), 6250 kg/ha (R)
  1. Drought tolerant

3

CO 10 - Marua ragi
(Pure line selection)

85 days (Small duration variety)

Feb - March

1973

Grain: 3500 kg/ha
  1. Drought tolerant

4

CO 9
(White ragi)

100 days (Small duration variety)

Marghazipattam (Dec – Jan)
Chithiraipattam (April - May)

----

1970 - Scientist at the Department of Millets, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

Grain:
4500 kg/ha
  1. Drought tolerant
  2. Suitable to all districts except Kanyakumari & Nilgiris of Tamilnadu

5

CO 7 (Pure line selection)

100 days (Small duration variety)

Marghazipattam (Dec–Jan)
Chithiraipattam (April-May)

Adipattam (June - July)
Puratasipattam (Sept - Oct)

1953

Grain: 2750 kg/ha (R)
4500 kg/ha (I)
Straw: 7500 kg/ha (I),
5000 kg/ha (R)

  1. Suitable for irrigated and rainfed.
  2. Drought tolerant

6

TRY 1
(Selection from HR 574)

100 days (Small duration variety)

Marghazipattam (Dec – Jan)

----

1989 - Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Trichy

Grain: 4011 kg /ha
Straw: 6800 kg/ha
  1. Saline tolerant high yielding variety
  2. Suitable to all districts except Kanyakumari & Nilgiris of Tamilnadu

7

CO RA (14) -
Malawi 1305 x CO 13

105 to 110 days (Medium duration variety)

Marghazipattam (Dec – Jan)
Chithiraipattam (April - May)

Adipattam (June - July)
Puratasipattam (Sep- Oct)

2004 - Scientist at the Department of Millets, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

Grain:
2892 kg /ha (I), 2794 kg /ha (R)
Straw:
8113 kg/ha (I),
8503 kg/ha (R)
  1. Easy thresh ability, synchronized maturity and non-lodging growth habit, Neck and finger blast disease resistant variety.
  2. Cultivated in all districts except Kanyakumari & Nilgiris of Tamilnadu

8

CO 12 (Selection PR 722 of              Reddapuran)

110-120 days
(Medium duration variety)

June –July and Dec - Jan

1985

Grain: 4750 kg/ha (I),
3250 kg/ha (R)
Straw: 8750 kg/ha (I), 6250 kg/ha (R)
  1. Resisitant to blast
  2. Drought tolerant

9

Paiyur 1
(Pureline)

115 to 120 days (Medium duration variety)

----

Adipattam (June - July)
Puratasipattam (Sep- Oct)

1985- Regional Research Station, Paiyur

Grain: 3125 kg/ha
Straw: 5250 kg/ha
  1. Cultivated in all districts except Kanyakumari & Nilgiris of Tamilnadu
  2. Drought tolerant

10

Paiyur (RA) 2 –
Hybrid derivative of VL 145 / Selection 10

115 days (Medium duration variety)

----

Adipattam (June - July)
Puratasipattam (Sept - Oct)

2008 - Regional Research Station, Paiyur

Grain: 3150 kg/ha
  1. Resistant to leaf blast & moderately resistant to neck and finger blast
  2. Suitable to Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem and Namakkal districts of Tamilnadu

Top of page

Varieties in Karnataka

S.No

Cultivar

Duration

Season

Year of Released

Yield

Ecology

1

GPU 28 (Krishna)
- Indaf 5 x (Derived from Indaf 9 x IE 1012)

Medium duration (110 to 115 days)

Both Irrigated (Summer) & Rainfed condition (Kharif)

1998 - AICRP on small millets, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore

40-45 q/ha (Irrigated)
30-35 q/ha (Rainfed)
  1. High yielding, resistant to neck blast, finger blast
  2. Cultivation in entire Karnataka and Tamilnadu

2

GPU 26 (Somana)

Short duration variety
(90 to 100 days)

Both Irrigated (summer) & Rainfed condition (Kharif)

2000- AICRP on small millets,  UAS, GKVK, Bangalore

Grain: 3000-3500kg/ha
  1. It is an alternative to Indaf-9 variety
  2. Suitable for late sown (up to the end of August) under rainfed conditions and during Summer under irrigated conditions.
  3. Cultivation in entire Karnataka

3

GPU 45

104 to 109 days (Medium duration variety)

Rainfed (Kharif)

2001 – UAS, Bangalore

 
  1. Recommended for cultivation in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Maharashtra state

4

GPU 48

Short duration variety (About 100 days)

Irrigated crop

UAS, Bangalore

37 q/ha
  1. Tolerant to blast and suitable for catch cropping (time and space) under irrigated conditions
  2. Cultivation in entire Karnataka and some places of Tamilnadu

5

L 5 (Malawi x Indaf 9)

Long duration variety (115 to 120 days)

Rainfed crop (Kharif)

2000 - ARS, Naganahalli, Mysore, Karnataka

3604 Kg/ha
  1. Substitute for Indaf-1 and Indaf-8 varieties
  2. Highly tolerant to finger & neck blast.
  3. Suitable for Karnataka area.

6

MR 6

Long duration variety (120 days)

Irrigated and Rainfed crops

UAS, Bangalore

45-50 q/ha (Irrigated)
30-35 q/ha (Rainfed)
  1. Highly tolerant to neck and finger blast

7

Indaf 5
(Cauvery x IE929)

Medium duration variety (105 to 110 days)

Irrigation:Karthigai & Marghazhi pattam (Oct-Dec.)
Rainfed: Adipattam (June - July)

1977 - UAS BangaloreKarnataka

Grain: 4000 kg/ha
(I),
2500 kg /ha (R)
Straw: 7500 kg/ha (I),
5200 kg/ha (R)
  1. High yielding, susceptible to Neck Blast, Finger Blast
  2. Cultivation in Tamil Nadu (Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore, Erode) and Karnataka state

8

Indaf 7

110 days (Medium duration variety)

Sep - Feb

1980

Grain: 4500 kg/ha (R), 5000kg/ha (I)

 

9

Indaf 9
(K1 x IE980)

90 to 105 days

Jul – Aug, Jan - Feb

1988

Grain: 4500kg/ha (R), 6000 kg/ha (I)
  1. High yielding
  2. Susceptible to neck blast, finger blast

10

MR-1
(V)

(120-125 days)

Kharif

1998 - RRS, VC Farm, UAS, Mandya

3500-4000 kg/ha
  1. Recommended for cultivation in entire rainfed Kharif ragi growing areas of South Karnataka

11

HR 911

110-115 days

Kharif & Summer

1986- PC Unit, Bangalore

3000-3500 kg/ha
  1. It can be grown in rainfed and irrigated conditions

12

Chillika

120-125 days

Late Kharif

2001 - OUAT, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa

Grain: 2600-2700kg/ha
  1. Moderately resistant to blast.  
  2. Resistatnt to stem borer

13

PR 202 (Sarada x EC 158)

100 – 105 days (Medium duration variety)

Jul - Aug

1976 (released in Andhra Pradesh)

Grain: 5000kg/ha
  1. Suitable to Karnataka

Top of page

Varieties in Kerala

S.No

Variety

Duration in Days

Season

Year of Release

Yield

Special Attributes

1

PR 202 (Sarada x EC 158)

100 – 105 days (Medium duration variety)

Rainfed - Kharif

1976 (released in Andhra Pradesh)

Irrigated - 3000-3500kg/ha
Rainfed – 2000-2500kg/ha

  • Medium compact, incurved ear head
  • Orange brown bold grains

 

2

K2

135 days

Rainfed –Kharif    Irrigated – Rabi

1955

1362 Kg/acre
  • Suited for rainfed and irrigated condition
  • Drought tolerant

 

3

CO 2
(EC 3517 multi ragi)

110 days

Rainfed –Kharif    Irrigated – Rabi

1942

Grain: 929 kg/ac
Straw: 5450 kg/ac

Suited for rainfed and irrigated. Drought tolerant

4

CO 7
(Pure line selection)

110 days

Rainfed –Kharif    Irrigated – Rabi

1953

Grain: 2750 kg/ha (R)
4500 kg/ha (I)
Straw: 7500 kg/ha (I),
5000 kg/ha (R)

  • Suitable for irrigated and rainfed.
  • Drought tolerant

5

CO 8
(Selection from natural cross of selupet taluk of Nellore dt, Andhra)

85 days
(Short duration variety)

June –July and Dec – Jan

1963

Grain: 2500 kg/ha
Straw: 5682 kg/ha

Suitable for irrigated and rainfed. Drought tolerant

6

CO 9
(White ragi)

100 days (Small duration variety)

Rainfed –Kharif
Irrigated – Rabi

1970 - Scientist at the Department of Millets, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

Grain:
4500 kg/ha
  • Suited for rainfed and irrigated
  • Drought tolerant

 

7

CO 10 - Marua ragi
(Pure line selection)

85 days (Small duration variety)

Rainfed –Kharif
Irrigated – Rabi

1973

Grain: 3500 kg/ha
  • Drought tolerant


Top of page

GALLERY