Thank you Esther, Gary, and Dipak for your information and thoughts about growing pearl millet for grain in northern latitudes.

We did actually broach this topic of northern extent of pearl millet cultivation in March 2022, but without reference to grain production./1 There were specific examples from Upper Peninsula Michigan and southern Quebec that were between 45-46°   N. That's roughly the latitude of northern South Dakota. This crop was being tried in MI & PQ for specialized uses - namely intercropping in potato fields to control pests, and experiments with biofuel potential in mind.

I'm in no way qualified to pronounce on potential northern limits for pearl millet grain production, but would note that: "The genebank at ICRISAT, Patancheru, India conserves a total of 19,063 pearl millet landraces from latitudes ranging from 33.00° in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) to 34.37° in the Northern Hemisphere (NH)."

For reference, Scottsbluff, NE is at about 41° N. 

Pearl millet - that native of the Sahel - seems to be extremely well adapted to hot, semi-arid conditions at low to mid altitudes and low to mid latitudes. What that could mean in North America is a very interesting question, especially as average temperatures rise and rainfall and water availability become more of an issue. How far north could pearl millet grain be produced in the Plains and California, for example?

Expanding our scope for a moment, pearl millet probably also has great potential in parts of Mexico. One recent article notes "Pearl millet's gradual incorporation into Mexico's agricultural landscape stems from its ease of cultivation and adaptability to diverse soils and climates."/3 At this time, however, it is being discussed in terms of grain and forage for livestock.

The millets domesticated in more temperate zones, notably proso millet but also foxtail millet and Japanese barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculenta) would seem to have better long-term potential for grain production in more northerly latitudes on this continent.

Someother notes on northern extent of cultivation of millets: 
* Canada grows and exports some sorghum/4 (The US is tops in this category, as we know, and Mexico is also a big producer)
* Teff, a highland tropical millet, is successfully cultivated for grain at least as far north as 42° N (thinking here of the Teffola operation in southern Michigan)
* Finger millet, another highland tropical millet, may also have potential in the same range s teff??

All the best,

Don

Don Osborn, PhD
(East Lansing, MI, US)
North American Millets Alliance

Notes:
1. https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2022-March/000026.html
2. Upadhyaya, Hari & Reddy, K. & Sube, Singh & Laxmipathi Gowda, Cholenahalli & Ahmed, Mohammed Irshad & Ramachandran, Senthil. (2013). Latitudinal patterns of diversity in the world collection of pearl millet landraces at the ICRISAT genebank. Plant Genetic Resources. 12. 91-102. 10.1017/S1479262113000348. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271898272_Latitudinal_patterns_of_diversity_in_the_world_collection_of_pearl_millet_landraces_at_the_ICRISAT_genebank
3. "Sustainable Pearl Millet Farming Could Combat Drought," Mexico Business News, 30 Jan. 2024 https://mexicobusiness.news/agribusiness/news/sustainable-pearl-millet-farming-could-combat-drought [NB- the article states incorrectly that pearl millet came from Asia]
4. "Sorghum in Canada," OEC (accessed 17 Apr. 2024) https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/sorghum/reporter/can


On Tue, Apr 16, 2024 at 11:52 AM Dipak Santra via Collab <collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:

Gary:

 

Thank you for sharing this important information.

 

I do have the same experience with pearl millet and sorghum for grain in Scottsbluff based on a couple of years of testing.

 

In my opinion, pearl millet for grain is not possible in the region north of 45 degrees using current genetics.

 

Thanks

 

Dipak

 

 

cid:image001.png@01D32179.68535ED0

Dipak Santra, Ph.D.

Professor (Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist)

President, International Broomcorn Millet Association

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Panhandle Research & Extension Center

4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361

(308) 632-1244 (work) / (308) 765-2324 (cell)

 

 

From: Collab <collab-bounces@lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Gary Wietgrefe via Collab <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Reply-To: Gary Wietgrefe <gww374@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 7:57 AM
To: "collab@lists.millets2023.space" <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Subject: Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 27, Issue 8

 

Caution: Non-NU Email

 

As an agronomist, my concern is pearl millet will not mature as it is brought north. I grew small plot samples of pearl millet (Millex 32) in Sioux Falls, SD and it did not mature. I did track sugar levels trends in leaf and stalk which indicates what sugars are available for starch conversion.

At 58 days after planting: no sucrose, no fructose, no glucose, and no maltose detected.

At 102 days after planting: 2.28% sucrose, 3.11% fructose, 1.63% glucose, and no maltose.

At 132 days after planting: 0.362% sucrose, 5.64% fructose, 4.96% glucose, and no maltose.

See my US patent 8,641,910 B2, Table 9, pp. 38-39, (PDF) Systems and processes for producing biofuels from biomass (researchgate.net).

My experience comparing a corn, forage soybean, pearl millet, with seven forage sorghum and sudangrass crosses indicated sucrose will peak at some point as fructose and glucose levels rise as the plant readies itself for starch conversion as seed.

 

Thousands of acres of pearl millet are planted annually in South Dakota, but always as multi-cut forage (assuming late rains) or grazing. Never for seed.

 

I believe pearl millet is similar to grain sorghum in that grain varieties available will reach a north latitude at which seed will not fully mature (Kansas? Oklahoma?). In central South Dakota, the most northern grain sorghum (milo) production for the shortest season grain hybrids are confirmed by my 40 years of experience. Most years, Sorghum Partners 251 grain sorghum (an original Funks variety likely developed in the early 1960s) fully matured at 44 degrees N., but seldom if ever matured at 45 degrees N. Likewise, pearl millet will have a maximum north latitude range. As pearl moves west from Mississippi drainage to Central Plains, increased solar radiation will allow maturities to move north by perhaps 200 miles.

 

On the other hand, I have found no northern limit to proso which is not hybridized but matures based on night-length. That is why in central Alberta proso can be planted around June 1, and harvested the end of September because their total hours of day far exceeds night during the growing season. It is the same reason U. of Nebraska developed proso varieties were the highest yielding varieties in my joint testing with Mongolian State University of Agriculture in tests against varieties coming out of western Russia (Siberia). See (PDF) Ancient Proso Millet and the Twentieth Century Survival of Mongolia (researchgate.net). Foxtail millets will also mature at those same northern latitudes.....Gary Wietgrefe

 

 

On Tue, Apr 16, 2024 at 6:01 AM <collab-request@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:

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   1. Re: Collab Digest, Vol 27, Issue 7 (Esther Shekinah)


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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:04:36 +0000
From: Esther Shekinah <eshekinah@michaelfields.org>
To: "collab@lists.millets2023.space" <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Subject: Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 27, Issue 7
Message-ID:
        <PH0PR11MB48693015C734678336C8ECBBA6092@PH0PR11MB4869.namprd11.prod.outlook.com>


Hello,

Getting Pearl Millet seeds is a challenge. I obtained the seeds from ARS Tifton Georgia (Tifton 102 and Tift Long Headed Bulk) for a trial at  our organic research farm in Wisconsin. While the first year (2022) growth was good, cooler temperatures were registered with grain filling period (was planted near the end of June) leading to problems with grain filling. The earheads were also smaller due to closer spacing. In 2023 however, after germination, the weeds took over rapidly as I planted them at 30" rows to be able to use the cultivator we have, even though it wasn't the optimal spacing.

I would be happy to join a working group on Pearl Millet, but the current NAMA call on the first Friday of the month coincides with a standing call I have. 

There's some work on millets going on in Iowa State University as well, but I do not think it is specific to Pearl Millet.

Thanks,
Esther

Esther S Durairaj Ph.D
Program Director (WiWiC)/ Research Agronomist
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
www.michaelfields.org
Cell: 614-441-2125
?


-----Original Message-----
From: Collab <collab-bounces@lists.millets2023.space> On Behalf Of collab-request@lists.millets2023.space
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2024 1:34 AM
To: collab@lists.millets2023.space
Subject: Collab Digest, Vol 27, Issue 7

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Seeking Pearl Millet Seed (Dipak Santra)
   2. Re:  SAVE THE DATE ? 18 April 2024 | 10:00-11:30 (CET) OCOP
      Webinar on the Development of Millets in India (Taguchi, Makiko (NSP))


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2024 20:41:07 +0000
From: Dipak Santra <dsantra2@unl.edu>
To: Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org>,
        "collab@lists.millets2023.space" <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Cc: Steve DeWitt <wcfarms2010@icloud.com>
Subject: Re: [Collab] Seeking Pearl Millet Seed
Message-ID:
        <CY4PR08MB33502A2977B37BD9C274B87A9A0A2@CY4PR08MB3350.namprd08.prod.outlook.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Dr. Ramaswamy Perumal at K-State University, Hays, KS is working to develop pearl millet grain type varieties for human consumption. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only public breeding program doing this.

Thanks

Dipak

Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> ________________________________
From: Collab <collab-bounces@lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2024 5:49:20 PM
To: collab@lists.millets2023.space <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Cc: Steve DeWitt <wcfarms2010@icloud.com>
Subject: Re: [Collab] Seeking Pearl Millet Seed

Caution: Non-NU Email

Thank you, Steve, for the question, and Joni, for the follow up.

Since there are several people on this list with an interest of one sort or another in pearl millet as a grain crop in the US for human consumption, as well as others who are not here, I've been thinking about ways to facilitate communication among people in this group.

A first question, however, is whether there is any existing  group of people of any specialization in North America, concerned with growing grain pearl millet for human food?

If not, would there be interest in an online meeting on grain pearl millet in North America, to include interested researchers, farmers, processors, and culinary experts?

I'm bcc'ing Melanie Harrison of the USDA station in Griffin, Georgia, which deals with pearl millet (among some of the other millets) for her info and possible input regarding (1) seed, and (2) a possible interest group.

DO, EL, MI, US
NAMA


On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 12:36?PM Joni Kindwall-Moore <joni@snacktivistfoods.com<mailto:joni@snacktivistfoods.com>> wrote:
Steve, do you know Clint Jessen in WY? He grows it, want me to connect you?



Joni Kindwall-Moore BSN-RN, BA
Founder, Innovator, Mother, Nurse, Activist [https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0940/4372/files/Untitled_design_19_copy.png?v=1677799330]
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On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 9:22 AM Steve DeWitt via Collab <collab@lists.millets2023.space<mailto:collab@lists.millets2023.space>> wrote:
I have been searching for a source of grain type Pearl Millet seed for planting in Oklahoma this Spring. There are plenty of forage hybrids available, but I?ve had no luck finding a shorter statured grain variety. 10 to 50 pounds is sufficient.
Any referrals or contacts are greatly appreciated.
Steve DeWitt
Willow Creek Farms
wcfarms2010@icloud.com<mailto:wcfarms2010@icloud.com>

Sent from my iPhone


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Author, Gary W. Wietgrefe,

Destination North Pole--5,000 km by bicycle is an exciting, endearing, humorous, dangerous and sometimes quirky travel adventure. Hardcover, paperback and e-books are available on Amazon or other on-line retailers. My other books tie education, school system, parenting, technology, and business with 21st century culture and learning.



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