Growth and Development of the Pearl Millet Plant. Research Bulletin no. 6

Abstract

Pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) is one of the most important food crops in the drier semi-arid tropics. The bulletin describes its three major growth phases: the vegetative phase, from emergence to panicle initiation of the main stem; the panicle development phase, from panicle initiation to flowering in the main stem; and the grain-filling phase, from flowering to physiological maturity. Each phase has been subdivided to make a total of nine morpho-logically distinct and recognizable growth stages. Descriptions and characteristics to identify each of these stages are supported with 21 illustrations, some of them in color. The bulletin also describes the growth and development of the major plant parts: root, tiller, leaf, stem, panicle, and grain. The data given are derived from several years of research on the physiology of the crop, and the publication should thus serve not only as a source of basic information on the growth and development of pearl millet, but as a reference for comparing millet with other cereal crops based on a standard system for recording the developmental stages of the crop