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Echinochloa utilis Ohwi-Yabuno |
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Graminae E. crus-galli var. frumentacea (Roxb.) Wight. Japanese millet, Shirohie millet (Australia). A tall, robust annual 60 to 120 cm high. The inflorescence is a panicle made up of from five to 15 sessile erect branches. The spikelets are brownish to purple in colour, being crowded on one side of the rachis. The spikelet is subtended by two glumes within which are two florets. The lower floret is staminate while the upper one is perfect. Cultivated widely in the tropics and subtropics. Summer. It is grown generally within a rainfall range of 5001 000 mm for grazing and fodder, with a summer dominance. It is fairly drought tolerant. It prefers sandy loams to clay loams. Germination may be difficult in self-mulching heavy clays. It germinates readily from scattered seed but is usually planted.Land preparation for establishment A fully prepared seed-bed is required for a good crop. A rough ploughing may be sufficient for quick ground cover in a developing area. The seed is usually drilled into a prepared seed-bed. It can be broadcast and harrowed in. Plant at a depth of 2-2.5 cm, harrow and roll. Sow spring to late summer at 9 kg/ha. 345 000 (Japanese millet), 272 000 (Shirohie millet).Seed treatment before planting If there is a seed-harvesting ant problem, treat the seed with lindane before planting. For weed control in Japanese millet, spray with NCPA at a rate not to exceed 250 g acid equivalent per hectare at tillering stage and before the heads start to form in the sheath. Excellent used for quick cover on newly cultivated land. Vigour of growth and growth rhythm. A very vigorous grower on fertile soils, reaches maturity in about six weeks. Grain crops mature in 100 days. It stands up to grazing several times in a season, but does not ratoon as well as white panicum. It can be grazed as early as three weeks from sowing. Start grazing when the crop is 30-40 cm high, preferably by strip grazing to prevent unnecessary trampling. It can be grazed up to five times in a season. It will not survive fire when dry enough to burn.Dry-matter and green-matter yields Yields of up to 35 000 kg/ha of green material can be obtained.Suitability for hay and silage It makes good hay and silage, especially when sown in association with cowpea. Sow at 6-7 kg/ha of millet seed with 11 kg/ha of cowpea. No toxicity has been recorded by Everist (1974). No official cultivars are registered, but Japanese millet and Shirohie millet are grown in Queensland. A bacterial leaf spot caused by Xanthomonas translucens has been recorded from isolated areas in the Burnett district, Queensland (Douglas, 1974). It is a fast-growing, short-term summer crop which can be used as a catch crop between seasons and is a valuable grazing and hay crop. It is an annual which seeds heavily and may be a weed in some areas but is easily cultivated out.Optimum temperature for growth There was little difference between 15/ 20°C and 20/25°C in germination.JMinimum temperature for growth Germination was depressed at 10/15°C. It is intolerant of frost. It prefers to grow in full sunlight. Its vigorous growth tends to suppress weeds but it must be sown on a fine seed-bed to ensure dense stands.Maximum germination and quality required for sale 75 percent germinable seed, 97.3 percent purity in Queensland. Bird damage is likely if the crop is in an area isolated from other grain crops. Excellent. Cultivated. A basic complete fertilizer may be needed which would be determined by soil tests. A dressing of 55-70 kg N/ha will generally improve grazing performance.Compatibility with other grasses and legumes It is usually the sole grass component in mixed swards. Used widely in association with Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) in fodder crops for hay and silage. 2n=54 (Fedorov, 1974).Seed production and harvesting It produces a heavy seed crop which can be harvested by a combine fitted with a small seed box. The grain should be dried to less than 13 percent moisture for storage, as it heats and spoils quickly if above this figure. One of the early millet species grown for both food and fodder. Little quantitative data have been recorded, but it is a common forage crop in the United States and Australia.Grass genera of the world: Information about botany, ecology etc. of the Eriochloa genus; links to photographs and drawings Douglas, 1970. For germination tests seed is pre-dried at 40°C for seven days. Japanese millet is used extensively by urban development companies to hold soil from erosion between timber clearing and home construction. The seed is cheap and germinates well in most soils. The plant grows rapidly to hold the soil and is easy to eradicate when gardens are being established. |