Cultivation of Kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.)

 Cultivation of Kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.)

Kodo is one of the ancient grain crops of the world it is originated in southern Africa and domesticated to India it is also known as a  rice grass/cow grass/ditch millet. Kodo is also mentioned in ancient Indian literature 

At present in India, it is cultivated in an area of about 0.20 m-hac with a production of 0.084 mt and it is grown mostly in states like; Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

Kodo is quite distinct from other millets due to purple pigmentation in leaves. The crop has a characteristic violet look Kodo millet is a highly drought-resistant crop. It is the coarsest of all food grains. The grain is covered with a horny seed coat which should be removed before cooking. Immature and moulded grains are supposed to be poisonous. Kodo grain is easily preserved and proves as a good famine reserve. 

Nutritional Value of Kodo Millet ;

The grain is recommended as a substitute for the rice to patients suffering from diabetes disease. The grain contains 8.3 per cent protein, 1.4 per cent fat, 65.6 per cent carbohydrates and 2.9 per cent ash. Straw is very poor in quality and harmful to horses.

Nutrient Value of Kodo Millet compared to Rice and Wheat ( Per 100 gms)

Nutrient	Kodo	Rice	Wheat
Carbohydrate (gms)	65.9	78.2	71.2
Protein(gms)	8.3	6.8	11.8
Fat (gms)	1.4	0.5	1.5
Energy(Kcal)	309	345	346
Crude Fiber(gms)	9	0.2	1.2
Minral Matter(gms)	2.6	0.6	1.5
Ca (mg)	27	10	41
P(mg)	188	160	306
Fe (mg)	0.5	0.7	5.3

Micro- Nutrient Value of Kodo Compared to Rice and Wheat (mg/100gms)

Climatic Requirements

Kodo makes rapid growth in a warm and dry climate. It is highly drought tolerant and, therefore, can be grown in areas where rainfall is scantly and erratic. It grows well in areas receiving only 40 to 50-centimeter annual rainfall

Soil 

Kodo is grown from gravelly and stony upland poor soils to loam soils. In spite of adverse conditions, the crop can struggle on even poor soils and may yield some quantity of grain and straw. But it thrives the best loam to loam soils. Soil should be well-drained.

Varieties

Not many high yielding varieties of Kodo are yet available. However, the description of some of the important varieties is given below:

• Madhya Pradesh – RK – 65 – 18,JK 439, RBK 155, JK 13, JK 65 and JK 48, JK 137, RK 390- 25, JK 106, GPUK 3

• Tamil Nadu  – KMV 20 (Bamban), CO 3, TNAU 86, GPUK 3

• Gujarat – GK 1 and GK 2, GPUK 3

• Chattisgarh – RBK 155 and JK 43 9, Indira Kodo – 1, Indira Kodo – 48, GPUK 3

• Karnataka – GPUK 3, RBK 155

• VL-124, VL-149, mostly developed for the hill states of the country.

Rotations and Mixed Cropping

Kodo can be grown as a pure crop or mixed with red gram (arhar), sesamum and hemp. Sometimes kodo is mixed with sorghum and black gram. It is generally grown in rotation with mustard, linseed and gram, barley etc. The common rotations are given below:

Kodo– linseed 

Kodo–gram

Kodo-mustard/taramira

 Kodo-barley

Field Preparation

Before the onset of monsoon the field should be ploughed to get good tilth and enable it to retain moisture. With the onset of monsoon field should be harrowed or ploughed with local plough two to three times followed by planking. Field should be levelled.

Seed and Sowing

Sowing time for Kodo is between June 15 to July 15 in northern India. In the south, it is mostly grown as a rainfed crop from September to December.

Spacing; It is beneficial to sow Kodo in lines 3-4 centimeters deep. The line-to-line distance should be 40-45 centimeters and plant to plant distance 8-10 centimeters.

Seed Rate;10 to 15 kg seed is sufficient for sowing one hectare. It may be sown by broadcast method but it is not a good practice.

Seed Treatment; Treat the seed with agrosenG.N. or Thiram @ 2.5 gms per kg of seed

Manures and Fertilisers

Addition of organic manures is always beneficial since it helps to improve the water retention capacity of soil in addition to providing essential nutrients to the crop plants. The crop should be manured with 5 to 10 tonnes of farmyard manure per hectare. Apply 40 kg nitrogen, 20 kg P,0, and 20 kg K2O per hectare in the form of chemical fertilizers. All the fertilizers may be applied at the time of sowing in furrows.

Water Management

Kodo sowed in Kharif season generally does not require any irrigation. It is mostly grown as a rainfed crop. If irrigation facilities exist, apply one or two irrigations at the time when the rains stop for a long spell. Drain Out the excess rainwater from the field during heavy and continuous rains.

Weed Control

It is essential to control weeds in the initial stages of plant growth. The field should remain weed-free up to 35-40 days of sowing. Generally, two weedings at an interval of 15 days are sufficient. Weeding may be done with hand hoe or wheel hoe in line sown crop.

Diseases

ERGOT

This disease is caused by a fungus. The consumption of disease affected grains is injurious to human as well as cattle. The disease first appears in the form of honey-like liquid which later on turns dark brown and sticky. In case such disease occurs, do not grow Kodo in the same field for the next few years. Use healthy seeds for sowing to avoid the incidence of this disease.

SMUT

It is also caused by a fungus. The affected ears are full of black masses covered with a thin yellow membrane. This is a seed-borne disease and can be controlled by treating the seed with hot water at 55°C for 7-12 minutes or with Agrosan G.N. or Ceresan at the rate of 2.5 to 3 g per kg of seed.0r seed treatment with Chlorothalonil or Mancozeb @ 2g/kg. The variety GPUK 3 is tolerant to head smut

RUST

It is also caused by it fungus. Brown pustules are seen on leaves. This disease hinders photosynthesis and causes considerable loss in yield. This may be controlled to some extent by spraying 0.2% solution of Dithane M-45.

Insect Pests

White ants and stem borers are major insect pests of Kodo crop. White ants may be controlled by applying 20-25 kg Aldrin or Heptochlor dust in the soil before sowing. Thimet granules at the rate of 15 kg per hectare may control the stem borers.

Harvesting and Threshing

The crop becomes ready for harvest in the month of September or October in northern India. The plants are cut close to the ground, bundled and stacked for a week and then threshed by trampling under the feet of bullocks.

Yield

The average yield ranges from 8-16 quintals of grain and 15-40 quintals of fodder. Grains should be stored after drying them properly. Moisture in grain should not be more than 10-12 per cent.