Potential of pearl millet as a forage crop in wheat-based double cropping system in Central Asia

Livestock is a vital resource for smallholder farmers’
livelihoods in Central Asia, but shortage of winter season
fodder is a major constraint to livestock productivity in
this region. Three pearl millet populations were
compared with a locally adapted improved maize variety
in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for their forage potential in
wheat-based cropping system as a second crop after
wheat harvest. Two medium-maturity, dual-purpose
populations (HHVBC-Tall and Raj 171) significantly
out-yielded locally adapted improved maize cultivars in
both countries that had different productivity levels.
While HHVBC-Tall had 6.56 t ha-1 of dry forage yield in
Kyrgyzstan and 13.70 t ha-1 of dry forage yield in
Tajikistan (28% higher than maize cultivars in both
countries), Raj 171 had 18% higher dry forage yield than
the locally adapted improved maize variety in
Kyrgyzstan and 10% higher dry forage yield than locally
adapted improved maize variety in Tajikistan. The
benefit-cost ratio from forage production of both pearl
millet populations was highest for HHVBC-Tall (0.89 in
Kyrgyzstan and 1.56 in Tajikistan), followed by Raj 171
(0.74 in Kyrgyzstan and 1.20 in Tajikistan), which were
much higher than those for maize varieties. These results
showed that medium-maturity pearl millet varieties have
good potential to fill in the fallow land after wheat
harvest and significantly contribute to fodder security in
Central Asia.