For farmers, bajra crop of choice: Short maturity, low water, fertiliser need, Pg3

Key Highlights:

• Bajra (pearl millet) is increasingly preferred by farmers in Rajasthan, southern Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
• The crop's popularity is due to its short maturity period of 85-90 days and low water and fertilizer requirements.
• It facilitates a double-cropping system, allowing farmers to plant mustard or wheat during the subsequent Rabi season.
• Bajra cultivation also provides substantial kadbi (dry fodder), enhancing overall farm income.
• Its resilience makes it particularly suitable for regions experiencing El Niño-influenced deficient monsoons.

Detailed Insights:

• Farmers typically sow bajra from late May through June, often coinciding with pre-monsoon showers.
• The crop requires a maximum of three irrigations, significantly less than other major crops like cotton, wheat, or mustard.
• Fertilizer needs are minimal, typically 20 kg of Di-ammonium Phosphate and one bag (45 kg) of Urea per acre.
• There is a substantial commercial market for hybrid bajra seeds, estimated at 18,000 tonnes, valued around Rs 720 crore.
• Key players in the hybrid seed market include Corteva Agriscience and Crystal Crop Protection Ltd.
• High-yielding hybrid varieties have transformed bajra from a subsistence crop to a commercially viable option, also used in poultry feed.
• The production cost for bajra is approximately Rs 19,000-20,000 per acre, yielding a net profit of Rs 12,000-13,000 per acre from grain alone.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Kharif Season: The monsoon cropping season in India, typically from June to October, relying on summer rains.
• Rabi Season: The winter cropping season in India, typically from October to March, with crops sown after the monsoon.
• El Niño: A climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, often leading to deficient monsoons in India.
• Hybrid Seeds: Seeds produced by cross-pollinating two different parent plants to combine desirable traits like higher yields or disease resistance.
• Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP): A widely used phosphorus fertilizer that also supplies nitrogen, crucial for early plant growth.
• Urea: A common nitrogenous fertilizer, essential for plant protein synthesis and overall vegetative growth.