How to Produce Proso Millet: Seed to Germination

Being photo-period sensitive, proso millet should be planted at the proper time. Seedbed, planting depth, population, root establishment and emergence are critical.

[@janrendek]

Thank you. Greetings from the Austria's 🇦🇹 sunny side (Burgenland)!

[@driverguy7]

Thank you for this primer on millet.

[@exhaustus7437]

Egyptian Wheat and White Proso Millet are finally taking off. Rice Grass and Wintergrass shading it heavy.

[@ObamaoZedong]

How do you feel about broadcasting seed? I have some volunteer proso millet growing thanks to birds.

[@garywietgrefe2600]

Proso millet can be broadcast without tillage in standing stubble or over a tilled field. Broadcasting is usually done when a field is too wet to enter with a planter. Short season proso is an excellent alternative afted crop failure due to flooding, delayed planting, late frost, or when a planned crop is hailed. Lacking a planter, if field is dry proso can be broadcast by ground or air, but I recommend to lightly harrow which will cover some seed. Proso has an amazing ability to fill in empty spots around each seedling by tillering and branching. Rains, even late summer, will create more seed heads to emerge (but potentially delay harvest by extending maturity). I have counted 70 heads from one proso seed planted when it had plenty of moisture, fertility, and space.

[@rwarwick3]

Is Proso similar to Brown top for game birds? We typically let it mature, mow and burn the field. Would this be the same with Proso?

[@garywietgrefe2600]

I am not too familiar with brown top millet, but I think it may be better around wet areas than proso. I assume you have planted brown top millet for game birds then after your game bird harvest you "...mow and burn the field." Yes, that should work for proso. However, as I mentioned in a previous comment, proso is photo-period sensitive. Southern latitudes with shorter summer days (than in more northern summers--above of 40 degrees N) may result in shorter proso. If you want food plots with a stand over three-feet tall, you probably do not want proso south of 40th parallel. Proso is excellent for food plots for game birds, like pheasants. I don't know a bird that doesn't like proso. White proso seed is preferred. Proso will tiller profusely when planted thin, but 25-pounds/acre when planted by itself is certainly a high enough seeding rate.

[@rwarwick3]

@@garywietgrefe2600 Thanks for the information! We do plant brown top for the wet areas but had concern on the heat/fire of proso. Excited to see how it does. We are in SE North Carolina so we will be in a warmer climate. I appreciate it!

[@clete3977]

1:14: One centimeter is not 2.5 inches.

[@garywietgrefe2600]

Rounding to the nearest tenth, one American Standard inch is 2.5 centimeters or 2.54 if measured to the hundredth.

[@clete3977]

@@garywietgrefe2600 "Maximum of one centimeter, that's like 2.5 inches"