A review of nutrient management studies involving finger millet in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa Annex 7

Abstract

We thank Vijay Bhosekhar (University of Guelph, Canada) for providing an initial framework for this review, and Kirit Patel (Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, Canada) for inspiring our interest in finger millet. We thank Travis Goron (University of Guelph) for his helpful comments, Jaclyn Clark (University of Guelph) for editorial assistance, and our Nepalese partner organization, LI-BIRD, especially Kamal Khadka, for generously providing photos of finger millet cropping systems. This research was supported by a grant to MNR from the CIFSRF program, jointly funded by the International Food Development Centre (IDRC, Ottawa) and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is a staple food crop grown by subsistence farmers in the semi-arid tropics of South Asia and Africa. It remains highly valued by traditional farmers as it is nutritious, drought tolerant, short duration, and requires low inputs. Its continued propagation may help vulnerable farmers mitigate climate change. Unfortunately, the land area cultivated with this crop has decreased, displaced by maize and rice. Reversing this trend will involve achieving higher yields, including through improvements in crop nutrition. The objective of this paper is to comprehensively review the literature concerning yield responses of finger millet to inorganic fertilizers (macronutrients and micronutrients), farmyard manure (FYM), green manures, organic by-products, and biofertilizers. The review also describes the impact of these inputs on soils, as well as the impact of diverse cropping systems and finger millet varieties, on nutrient responses. The review critically evaluates the benefits and challenges associated with integrated nutrient management, appreciating that most finger millet farmers are economically poor and primarily use farmyard manure. We conclude by identifying research gaps related to nutrient management in finger millet, and provide recommendations to increase the yield and sustainability of this crop as a guide for subsistence farmers