Millets : Effect of Millet Feeding in Livestock
Abhishek Sharma1, Monika Karnani2, Sheela Choudhary3 and Manju4
Department of Animal Nutrition
Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary Education and Research (PGIVER)
NH-11, Agra Road, Jamdoli, Jaipur
1MVSc Scholar, Department of Animal Nutrition, PGIVER, Jaipur
2Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Nutrition, PGIVER, Jaipur
3Professor and Head, Department of Animal Nutrition, PGIVER, Jaipur
4Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Nutrition, PGIVER, Jaipur
Introduction :-
Millets are a group of small-seeded kharif crop that are widely grown as cereal crops in many parts of the world. They are gluten-free and have been cultivated for thousands of years, primarily in Asia and Africa. Millets are known for their resilience in harsh growing conditions and their nutritional value. Millets are nutrient dense the scientific studies have shown that the millets reduce the Iron deficiency, risk of type II diabetes, BMI and obesity, calcium deficiency.
Cultivation of millets is not only important just because for their high nutritious value, but also these are hardy crops that require very little water, fertilizer, and pesticides compared to other major cereal crops like wheat and rice. They are also more resistant to pests and diseases, making them a more sustainable crop option. Millets are more resilient to drought and other extreme weather conditions, making them an important crop option in areas prone to climate change-induced droughts and water scarcity. Growing millets has economic significance as they are often grown by small-scale farmers in developing countries, providing them with a source of income and food security.
There are nine millets grown in India. The major millets are sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet covering 95 % of the total millet growing area in India and the remaining 5 % are little millet, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, kodo millet and browntop millet.
Government of India has announced year 2023 as the International Year of Millets to raise awareness about the health and nutritional benefits of millets, promote their production and consumption, and highlight their potential contribution to food security, climate change adaptation, and sustainable agriculture.Millets were officially declared Nutri Cereals in 2018 which was declared the National year of Millets. India also brought millets on the global scene by getting UNGA as an International Year of Millets.The International Year of Millets aims to reverse this trend by promoting millets as a nutritious, healthy, and sustainable food option. India is the highest producer of millets in the globe.
The International Year of Millets also aims to foster partnerships and collaborations among governments, farmers, research institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector to support the production and consumption of millets, and to share knowledge and best practices in millet-based agriculture and food systems. This article is aimed to portray the current status of millet production,consumption and various government initiatives and extension strategies to promote millets production in India.
Nutritive Value of Millets
Nutritional quality of food is a key element in maintaining human overall physical well-being because nutritional well-being is a sustainable force for health and development and maximization of human genetic potential.
Millets have substantially high amount of proteins, fibers and minerals as compared to the other foodgrains (wheat and rice).The protein content in millets like jowar (10.4) and Bajra (11.6) is comparable with wheat and more than the rice (5). It has also been reported that millet proteins are good sources of essential amino acids except lysine and threonine but are relatively high in methionine. Millets are also rich sources of phytochemicals and micronutrients .Also almost all the millets contains more fiber content than fine cereals. The mineral matter of rice and wheat is 1.2 g and 0.2 g per 100 g, respectively.
However the mineral content of jowar is 1.6 g, Bajra is 2.3 g and Ragi is 2.7 g per 100g (National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad).For example, pearl millet was found significantly rich in resistantstarch, soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, minerals, and antioxidants . It contains about 92.5% dry matter, 2.1% ash, 2.8% crude fiber, 7.8% crude fat, 13.6% crude protein, and 63.2% starch (Ali et al 2003). Also, foxtail millet protein characterization showed that its protein concentrate is a potential functional food ingredient and the essential amino acid pattern suggests possible use as a supplementary protein source to most cereals because it is rich in lysine.
Finger millet also is known to have several potential health benefits and some of the health benefits are attributed to its polyphenolcontents .It has a carbohydrate content of 81.5%, protein 9.8%, crude fiber 4.3%, and mineral 2.7% that is comparable to other cereals and millets. Its crude fiber and mineral contents are markedly higher than those of wheat (1.2% fiber, 1.5% minerals) and rice (0.2% fiber, 0.6%minerals); its protein is relatively better balanced; it contains more lysine, threonine,and valine than other millets.
Sorghum (Jowar)
Sorghum grain is primarily utilized as an energy source in animal nutrition and makes an excellent feed for ruminants, pigs, and poultry. Sorghum plants use water around 30 to 40 percent more efficiently than maize plants do.
Feeding prerequisite: It needs to be processed before feeding, or else a lot of it will be ingested whole and the grain’s waxy bran will make digestion challenging.
Benefits of Sorghum in Livestock
Sorghum is the type of grass that is cut green and used to make hay and silage or as food for grazing animals. Sorghum silage is promoted as feed by modern dairy. After harvest, the leftover stalk is frequently grazed since it stays greener for a longer period of time. One of the easiest and least expensive ways to prepare sorghum grain for cattle is to grind it.
Sorghum is a drought-tolerant plant that increases water efficiency and allows dairy animals to produce at relatively high levels. Sorghum and corn silage are comparable in terms of nutrition, including protein content and the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF).
If sorghum silage is fed in the same quantity as corn silage, the overall amount of meal intake may be reduced since sorghum silage has a 15% higher NDF concentration than corn silage and is hence more “rumen filling.”
Pearl Millet (Bajra)
Livestock can tolerate pearl millet, however its nutritional value varies depending on type, growing environment, and preservation techniques. Green bajra has a crude protein value of 6–20%. Ruminants digest raw fodder well; DMD ranges from 66 to 69%. To improve feed productivity, palatability, and digestibility, a lot of research is being done.
Hard-hulled pearl millet grain needs to be carefully milled before feeding to animals. Animals may experience internal irritation as a result of the hard hull splintering into sharp fibers due to coarse grinding.
Pearl Millet Silage’s Dairy Impact on Cattle as a Substitute for Corn Silage
Research using pearl millet silage revealed low rumen degradable fiber fraction and a 4–10% decreased crude protein content as a result of protein losses (Guimaraes et al., 2010). Nitrate poisoning from grazing pearl millet may occur, and dairy animals may produce less milk if the nitrate level is higher than 0.6% (Newman et al., 2006). According to Sedivec et al. (1991), high nitrate levels might happen during a drought or as a result of extensive nitrogen fertilizer applications.
In order to support 24-26.3 kg/d of milk output in nursing dairy cows, pearl millet silage can be introduced at 50% (DM basis) in a lucerne silage/concentrate-based diet or 36% (DM basis) in a concentrate-based diet (Kochakpadee et al., 2002; Messman et al., 1991).
When it comes to DM consumption, milk yield, or milk composition, pearl millet grain can replace up to 10–30% of corn silage or maize grain in dairy cows without having a negative impact (Ribeiro et al., 2004; Terrill et al., 1998). According to França et al. (2004), replacing up to 67% of the entire maize plant with pearl millet had no influence on milk output.
Lactating dairy cows fed pearl millet may require less additional protein than those fed diets based on corn.
Benefits of Pearl Millet for Small Ruminants
Goats given pearl millet forage had intakes of DM, OM, and NDF comparable to those of Sudan grass, elephant grass, or forage sorghum. Goats who consume pearl millet forage had higher intakes of crude protein and digestibility compared to other forages.
The performance of the offspring and the reproductive of female goats were unaffected by substituting clover hay for pearl millet hay.
When sex reversal occurs, tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) can effectively utilize pearl millet, which can be fed at a rate of 10% of their diet.
Alkaloids can be found in some pearl millet types at concentrations between 17 and 101
mg/kg. Nitrate and alkaloid levels seem to rise in response to water stress and additional N fertilizer.Overall, there are financial advantages to using pearl millet in place of maize, but further study is needed to determine the highest amounts that should be given to certain species.
Millet Fingers (Ragi)
Many places, including Ireland, the USA, and India, grow finger millet as fodder grass. It gives good hay and is fed to goats, sheep, and cattle as green fodder .The animals can graze straight on the straw left over after the grain is harvested.
Although finger millet is planted for fodder, the majority of the information that is available focuses on the grain crop’s significant byproduct, straw. Due to its low nutritional value, finger millet straw needs to be supplemented with energy sources and nitrogen to meet production or maintenance needs. Its nutritional content can be increased by treating it with urea and ammonia, just as other cereal straws, but supplementation needs to be adjusted appropriately.
Finger millet, like other cereal grains, has a high carbohydrate content that makes it a good energy feed. Its protein concentration (7–10%) is often marginally lower than that of maize grain, but its fiber content (crude fiber: 4-9% DM) is higher. Furthermore, compared to pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), which is frequently used as a possible substitute for maize in regions where all three crops are grown, it has a significantly lower protein content.
Finger millet is utilized when the cost of other cereals is high due to its lesser nutritional content.
Benefits of Finger Millets for Dairy Animals
When combined with a balanced concentrate combination (protein and energy), ragi straw can be fed as forage to crossbred dairy cows, resulting in an 8–9 kg milk output .
When combined with groundnut cake and 25% wheat bran, finger millet straw is an excellent feed for developing heifers (Prasad et al., 1997). For growing heifers weighing 155 kg, the straw can be fed along with a little quantity of concentrate (0.89 kg DM).
Depending on the variety, the amount of tannins in finger millet grains varies. Although the impact of these tannins on in vitro protein digestibility is unknown, it may be harmful to animal nutrition.
In India, dairy cows supplemented with finger millet grain during the early to mid-lactation period had a reduction in milk urea content but an increase in milk yield (1.9 liter/cow/day on average), as well as an increase in milk’s fat and solids-not-fat content (average rise of 0.2-0.3%). Supplementing with 1-2 kg/d of finger millet grain for two to three months improved the health and reproductive status of cows with high blood urea nitrogen (greater than 19 mg%) and infertility.
Methionine, an important ingredient that aids in feed digestion, healthier calf weaning, and increased milk production, is also included in it.
Benefits of Finger Millet for Small Ruminants
Goats are sometimes fed ragi straw, but for best results, a higher protein supplement, such as broiler droppings or concentrates, should be provided. Ragi straw is known to improve lactation in female goats. Without compromising the animals’ performance or carcass quality, millet pearls can completely replace the energy and protein found in corn diets .
The perfect carbon source for biofloc to boost P. hypophthalmus development and production under farming could be finger millet.
Conclusion
Millets has tremendous potential to emerge as staple food crops in world especially in developing countries owing to their easy availability and diverse distribution coupled with presence of large varietal base. Millets perform relatively better than staple food crops like wheat and rice in adverse climatic conditions in arid and semi-arid regions where water resources are limited as well as soils are problematic ( saline, sodic alkaline). Millet crops are a cheap source of quality proteins, macro and micronutrients, minerals, organic compounds which are vital for proper physical and mental growth of body. Equipped with a number of health benefits which include prevention from many common and deadly diseases, millets are a boon to fight against malnutrition, food insecurity and climate change. However, in order to fully exploit the uncapped potential, people must be made aware about the usefulness of millets regarding health and farmers should be encouraged by providing incentives to grow more millets. Health nutritional benefits of millets should be properly advertized and marketed.Governments should make collective efforts to increase millet consumption per capita which can save its expenditure to fight diseases which primarily arise due to malnutrition. Millets can be considered as super food, plethora of vital nutrients and panacea for several diseases.
