A Detailed Explanation of the Latest Planting Methods and Technical Key Points for Proso Millet
Proso millet has existed for a very long time. Along with rice, foxtail millet, wheat and soybeans, it was known in ancient times as one of the Five Grains, and proso millet is also called huangmi. It can be used to brew wine and make pastries, and its drought resistance is extremely strong, even more tenacious than wheat and sorghum. But nowadays we mainly grow rice and wheat, and proso millet output in our country is also very low, so it can be said to be a relatively rare variety. So today Qinnongwang will tell everyone how to grow proso millet.
1. Select good seed
After such a long period of development, proso millet also has a great many varieties, but because relatively few people grow it, the current price is also rather expensive. So if we grow proso millet, it is certainly to make money, and therefore it must have the characteristics of high yield and high quality. Most of our country's proso millet seed comes from the north, so its drought resistance and disease resistance are both very good. We can choose Jiu Shu No. 1, Long Shu No. 23, Gong Shu No. 1 and so on. These varieties are all very good in both yield and quality.
2. Land selection and land preparation
Because proso millet has relatively strong resistance, its requirements for soil are not so important. But if you want high yield, then it is best to choose fertile sandy land. At least half a month before planting, prepare the land well, so that the soil can also be sunned for a period. When preparing the land, the ground is required to be level and the clods relatively fine. This can enhance the permeability of the soil and is conducive to water storage and plant growth.
3. Sow at the right time
Proso millet is a rather unusual plant. It can be sown in all four seasons, because it not only has strong drought resistance but also no weak cold resistance. Of course, if you want both yield and quality to reach a high level, then the best sowing time is May each spring and from the end of August to the beginning of September each autumn. The temperature during this period is basically around 15 to 25 degrees, and both rainfall and sunlight are relatively abundant, which is most suitable for the growth of proso millet.
4. Sowing and raising seedlings
There are three ways to sow proso millet. If you are rather lazy and just do not want the land to lie waste, then you can adopt broadcast sowing: scatter the seeds evenly over the prepared land, then use a rake to press the seeds into the soil, and finally cover with a layer of film, or dry grass, or plant ash, all of which are fine. What we most often use is drilling, because this can ensure a reasonable density of proso millet in the field and the yield of proso millet, and at the same time it is also convenient for later field management. The third is hole sowing. We need to sow at a spacing of 35 to 40 cm between rows and about 25 to 30 cm between plants. This method belongs to intensive cultivation.
5. Field management
When the proso millet seedlings grow to three or four cm, we can thin and fill in the seedlings in the field. Generally we need to complete final planting within one week, because if it is any later, the yield will be reduced. After final planting is completed, we need to carry out the first fertilization, watering and intertillage weeding, mainly to promote the growth of the proso millet seedlings. When the proso millet seedlings grow to a certain stage, they will enter the tillering stage, which has a great influence on the yield of proso millet, so we need to carry out a second fertilization, mainly with phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. The third fertilization should wait until the proso millet heads. At this time, if nutrients are insufficient, then many flat grains or empty grains will appear, so we mainly use boron fertilizer and apply it as a foliar spray. During the first and second fertilization, intertillage weeding is needed, and at the same time as each fertilization, watering is also needed, which is conducive to the absorption of nutrients by the proso millet seedlings.