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In addition to be used for seed, millet is also used as a grazing forage crop. Instead of letting the plant reach maturity it can be grazed by stock and is commonly used for sheep and cattle. Millet is a C4 plant which means it has good water efficiency and utilizes high temperature and is therefore a summer crop. A C4 plant uses a different enzyme in photosynthesis to C3 plants and this is why it improves water efficiency. It produces a 4 carbon rather than 3 carbon hence the name C4 (and C3). Carbon dioxide is fixed twice in C4 plants where as only once in C3 plants. In southern Australia millet is used as a summer quality pasture, utilizing warm temperatures and summer storms. Millet is frost sensitive and is sown after the frost period, once soil temperature has stabilised at 14°C or more. It is sown at a shallow depth. Millet grows rapidly and can be grazed 5–7 weeks after sowing, when it is 20–30 cm high. The highest feed value is from the young green leaf and shoots. The plant can quickly come to head, so it must be managed accordingly because as the plant matures the value and palatability of feed reduces. The Japanese millets (Echinochloa esculenta) are considered the best for grazing and in particular Shirohie, a new variety of Japanese millet, is the best suited variety for grazing. This is due to a number of factors: Shirohie gives better regrowth and is later to mature compared to other Japanese millets It is cheap – cost of seed is $2–$3 per kg and sowing rates are around 10 kg per hectare for dryland production. It is quick to establish It can be grazed early It is suitable for both sheep and cattle Shirohie millet should not be overgrazed, and there is a risk of photosensitisation, so it is important to observe stock grazing millet regularly for symptoms which include enlarged ears (floppy), seeking shade, looking agitated or uncomfortable, constant head movement. Animals should be removed if any signs of photosensitisation occur. When introducing animals to new forage do so slowly and over a few days not when they are hungry to avoid digestive problems ([14] Compared to forage sorghum, which is grown as an alternative grazing forage, animals gain weight faster on millet and it has better hay or silage potential, although it produces less dry matter. Lambs do better on millet compared to sorghum (.[14] Millet does not contain prussic acid which can be in sorghum. Prussic acid poisons animals by inhibiting oxygen utilisation by the cells and is transported in the blood around the body- ultimately the animal will die from asphyxia ([15]). There is no need for additional feed supplements such as sulphur or salt blocks with millet. The rapid growth of millet as a grazing crop allows flexibility in its use. Farmers can wait until sufficient late spring / summer moisture is present and then make use of it. It is ideally suited to irrigation where livestock finishing is required. [14] [15] [16] Nutrition Inspecting a pearl millet spike at a farm in Zimbabwe Millets, like sorghum, are predominantly starchy. The protein content is comparable to that of wheat and maize. Pearl and little millet are higher in fat, while finger millet contains the lowest fat. Barnyard millet has the lowest carbohydrate content and energy value. Millets are also relatively rich in iron and phosphorus. The bran layers of millets are good sources of B-complex vitamins. However, millets also feature high fiber content and poor digestibility of nutrients, which severely limit their value in nutrition and influence their consumer acceptability.[3] Finger millet has the highest calcium content among all the foodgrains, but it is not highly assimilable. The protein content in millet is very close to that of wheat; both provide about 11% protein by weight, on a dry matter basis. Millets are rich in B vitamins (especially niacin, B6 and folic acid), calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Millets contain no gluten, so they are not suitable for raised bread. When combined with wheat (or xanthan gum for those who have celiac disease) they can be used for raised bread. Alone, they are suited for flatbread. As none of the millets are closely related to wheat, they are appropriate foods for those with celiac disease or other forms of allergies/intolerance of wheat. However, millets are also a mild thyroid peroxidase inhibitor and probably should not be consumed in great quantities by those with thyroid disease. Comparison with other major staple foods The following table shows the nutrient content of millet compared to major staple foods in a raw form. Raw forms, however, are not edible and cannot be fully digested. These must be prepared and cooked as appropriate for human consumption. In processed and cooked form, the relative nutritional and antinutritional contents of each of these grains is remarkably different from that of raw forms reported in this table. The nutrition value in cooked form depends on the cooking method. Nutrient profile comparison of millet with other food staples Synopsis[17] ~ composition: Cassava[18] Wheat[19] Rice[20] Sweetcorn[21] Potato[22] Sorghum Millet[23] Proso Millet[24] Component (per 100g portion, raw grain) Amount Amount Amount Amount Amount Amount Amount water (g) 60 13.1 12 76 82 9.2 8.7 energy (kJ) 667 1368 1527 360 288 1418 1582 protein (g) 1.4 12.6 7 3 1.7 11.3 11 fat (g) 0.3 1.5 1 1 0.1 3.3 4.2 carbohydrates (g) 38 71.2 79 19 16 75 73 fiber (g) 1.8 12.2 1 3 2.4 6.3 8.5 sugars (g) 1.7 0.4 >0.1 3 1.2 1.9 iron (mg) 0.27 3.2 0.8 0.5 0.5 4.4 3 manganese (mg) 0.4 3.9 1.1 0.2 0.1 <0.1 1.6 calcium (mg) 16 29 28 2 9 28 8 magnesium (mg) 21 126 25 37 21 <120 114 phosphorus (mg) 27 288 115 89 62 287 285 potassium (mg) 271 363 115 270 407 350 195 zinc (mg) 0.3 2.6 1.1 0.5 0.3 <1 1.7 pantothenic acid (mg) 0.1 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.3 <0.9 0.8 vitB6 (mg) 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 <0.3 0.4 folate (µg) 27 38 8 42 18 <25 85 thiamin (mg) 0.1 0.38 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.4 riboflavin (mg) <0.1 0.1 >0.1 0.1 >0.1 0.1 0.3 niacin (mg) 0.9 5.5 1.6 1.8 1.1 2.9 4.7 Nutrient Content of Various Millets with comparison to Rice and Wheat (Source: Millet Network of India, http://www.milletindia.org ) Crop / Nutrient Protein(g) Fiber(g) Minerals(g) Iron(mg) Calcium(mg) Pearl millet 10.6 1.3 2.3 16.9 38 Finger millet 7.3 3.6 2.7 3.9 344 Foxtail millet 12.3 8 3.3 2.8 31 Proso millet 12.5 2.2 1.9 0.8 14 Kodo millet 8.3 9 2.6 0.5 27 Little millet 7.7 7.6 1.5 9.3 17 Barnyard millet 11.2 10.1 4.4 15.2 11 Rice 6.8 0.2 0.6 0.7 10 Wheat 11.8 1.2 1.5 5.3 |
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