Pennisetum glaucum
(Pearl millet, Bulrush millet)
[= Pennisetum americanum, Pennisetum
typhoides] babala, manna [Afrikaans]; leotsa [Pedi];
nyalothi [Sotho]; inyouti [Ndebele]; mhuga, mhungu [Shangaan]; unyaluthi,
unyawoti, unyawothi [Zulu] Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Poales
> Family: Poaceae
Domesticated in Africa about 4000 years ago. Within
southern Africa it is the staple cereal in northern Namibia, the Okavango region
of Botswana, and southern Angola. One of the main attractions of this species is
that it can be cultivated in hot, drought prone areas with unreliable rainfall
and hence is the crop of choice is regions experiencing such conditions.
Pearl millet is a tall grass, 1-5 m high, with
bulrush-like seed heads. It is native to Africa and was domesticated in this
continent about 4000 years ago. By 3000 years ago it was not only being
cultivated in Africa but also in India. Main growing regions in Africa include:
West Africa (in the Sahel region, extending from Senegal to Sudan), and East
Africa through to Malawi, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Within
southern Africa it is the staple cereal in northern Namibia, the Okavango region
of Botswana, and southern Angola. One of the main attractions of this species is
that it can be cultivated in hot, drought prone areas with unreliable rainfall
and hence is the crop of choice is regions experiencing such conditions. Under
rain-fed (i.e. no irrigation) conditions , yields range widely from 250 to 3000
kg per hectare. It is a crop mainly associated with subsistence agriculture and
so is rarely grown commercially for sale in shops.
Crops are vulnerable to attack by seed-eating birds
because the heads or ears take a few weeks to ripen. Harvesting entails cutting
off the mature head, drying it and storing it until it is needed.
Uses
- Flour. Flour is produced in a two-step
process: first the grain is pounded with water to produce a sticky mass that
is then dried; this ground up material is then pounded a second time to
produce flour of a fine enough consistency. Such flour is used in making
porridge or as an ingredient in a wide range of traditional dishes.
- Malt for beer. Malting entails allowing grain
to sprout, which causes the conversion of starches to sugars. Grains are
soaked in cold water for 24 hours and then left to sprout until
plumules are about 25 mm long. The sprouted grain is dried in the sun,
ground into a coarse flour, which is then mixed with water and left to
ferment. This alcohol-containing liquid then undergoes further processing to
produce beer.
Publications
-
van Wyk, B.-E. & Gericke, N. 2000. People's
Plants. A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa. Briza Publications,
Pretoria.
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