Pest/Disease management
▪ Downy mildew (Sclerospora graminicola)
o As the disease spreads most in alkaline soil, reduction of alkalinity also contributes to its control.
o Preventive application of farmyard manure also reduces the occurrence of disease.
o The risk of the disease spreading can be reduced by destroying prematurely infested tillers and infested crop residues.
o As a preventive measure select varieties which are resistant to downy mildew.
▪ Smut (Tolyposporium penicillariae)
o This disease should be controlled through preventive measures such as the use of tolerant or resistant plant varieties,
o By adjust the timing of flowering of the crop so that this does not occur during the rainy season (excess humidity)
o Follow the cultural measures that contribute to crop hygiene.
▪ Rust (Puccinia penniseti) and ergot (Claviceps microcephala)
o These diseases can be best controlled by early sowing, by growing resistant varieties (applies to rust only) and by ensuring a moderate nutrient supply.
o Prematurely infested plants and infested crop residues should be destroyed.
▪ To prevent from birds’ (major pest) attacks,
o Grow cultivars with long, hard bristles, as these are attacked less severely than cultivars without awns.
o Planting pearl millet away from tree lines or woods can reduce risk of damage.
o Bird scaring methods such as nets, weeks before the harvest is effective.
▪ Stem borer (Coniesta igenfusalis)
o several natural enemies attack this pest at different stages of its cycle.
o Proper soil preparation and destruction of crop residues, or covering them with soil can help control stem-borers.
o Crop rotation breaks the pest's life cycle. Mixed cropping of millet with other species also confuses the pest and promotes natural enemies.
o In the control of cereal stem-borers the “push-pull method” can be applied.
o Neem application has been also found to be useful.
▪ Millet midge (Geiromiya penniseti)
o Appropriate rotation with non-host crops and intercropping can reduce pest damage.
o Crop residues should be destroyed after harvest.
o Fields should ideally be ploughed after harvest and shortly before sowing.