Table 2.
Modern finger millet varieties released in the last decade.
| Variety | Agro ecology/region where best suited | Country of release | Release Year | Maturity period (days) | Grain yield (t/ha) | Special attributes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okahale-1 (KAK-WIMBI 1) | Low-high altitude [0–2,500 meter above sea level (masl)] | Kenya | 2016 | 88–138 | 1.1–6.7 | High yielding, large panicles, resistant to blast and striga, non-lodging, drought tolerant, brown grain color, robust plant type | http://www.kephis.org/images/VarietyList/april20170525.pdf |
| I.E. 4115 (KAK-WIMBI 2) | Low-high altitude (0–2,500 masl) | Kenya | 2016 | 88–131 | 1.3–6.0 | Resistant to blast, striga, and lodging, drought tolerant, brown grain color | |
| KACIMMI 42 (KAK-WIMBI 3) | Low-high altitude (0–2,500 masl) | Kenya | 2016 | 87–130 | 1.3–6.4 | Resistant to blast, striga, and lodging, drought tolerant, brown grain color | |
| Maseno 60D | Lowlands-mid altitudes (0–1,500 masl) | Kenya | 2016 | 80–90 | 3.1 | Extra early, resistant to drought | |
| U-15 (Maridadi) | Low-medium altitude (1–500 masl); Western Kenya, Nyanza, Eastern counties, Rift Valley, all Coastal counties | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania | 2011 | 90–120 | 1.1–4.9 | Early maturity, high yield, brown grain color, resistance to lodging, blast and striga, drought tolerant | |
| P 224 | Medium-high altitude 1,150–1,750 masl | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania | – | 90–120 | 2.2–5.0 | Tall, tolerant to lodging and blast disease, easy to thresh, light colored grain | |
| KAT/FM-1 (Katumani Finger Millet-1) | Low-high altitude (50-2,000 masl) | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania | – | 90–115 | 1.0 | Drought and blast tolerant, resistant to lodging, high in calcium | http://www.kalro.org/alris/index.php/home/print_variety/20160927113240 |
| Gulu-E | – | Uganda, Kenya | – | 110–115 | 2.2 | Early maturity, high yield, drought escaping, tolerant to blast disease, easy to thresh | http://www.kalro.org/fileadmin/publications/brochuresI/Fingermillet.pdf |
| KMR 340 | Karnataka | India | 2016 | 90–95 | 35–40 | White colored, suitable for confectionary, resistant to blast and blight diseases, tolerant to stem borer and aphids | http://millets.res.in/technologies/finger_millets_varieties.pdf |
| VL Mandua 376 | All finger millet growing areas | India | 2016 | 103–109 | 3.2–3.4 | Responsive to fertilizer and moderately resistant to blast | |
| VL Mandua 348 | Uttarakhand | India | 2016 | 104–112 | 18–20 | Resistant to neck and finger blast, non-lodging, light copper colored grains, suitable for organic cultivation | |
| GNN-7 (Gujarat Navsari Nagli-7) | Kharif; rainfed crop in south and middle Gujarat | India | 2016 | 125 | 2.7 | White colored grains, medium duration, high yield, easy threshability, non-lodging, moderate resistance to blast, calcium: 468 mg/100 g | Patil et al., 2016 |
| VL Mandua 352 | All finger millet growing states except Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra | India | 2014 | 95–100 | 3.6–3.9 | Early maturing, moderately resistant to blast, high yielding | Gupta et al., 2015 |
| VL Mandua 347 | All finger millet growing states, especially mid and higher hills | India | 2012 | 95–100 | 2.2–2.4 | Early maturing, moderately resistant to blast, rich in iron (7.9–8.0 mg/100 g) and zinc (3.56–3.7 mg/100 g) | Gupta et al., 2013 |
| INDIRA RAGI-1 | Suitable for early monsoon conditions in Chattisgarh | India | 2012 | 120–125 | 2.8–2.9 | Semi dwarf, late maturity, moderately resistant to neck and finger blast and tolerant to stem borer, Non shattering, non-lodging and responsive to fertilizers, suitable for early monsoon condition, can withstand water stress | http://www.dhan.org/smallmillets/docs/report/Compendium_of_Released_Varieties_in_Small_millets.pdf |
| PPR 2700 (VAKULA) | Andhra Pradesh region | India | 2012 | 105–110 | 2.8–3.3 | Semi dwarf plants, Medium duration, Resistant to leaf blast and drought tolerant | |
| VR 936 (HIMA) | Andhra Pradesh | India | 2012 | 115–120 | 3.1–3.3 | Suitable for late conditions, dull white grains, responsive to nitrogenous fertilizers | |
| KMR 204 | Karnataka | India | 2012 | 100–105 | 3.3–3.9 | Early duration and high yielding | |
| OEB 532 | Odisha, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | India | 2012 | 110–115 | 2.4–2.8 | Moderately resistant to blast diseases, non- lodging and non-shattering, highly tolerant to myllocerus weevil, earhead caterpillars, stem borer and grass hopper | |
| OEB 526 | Odisha, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu | India | 2011 | 110–115 | 2.8–2.9 | Moderately resistant to leaf, neck and finger blast diseases, light brown colored grains | |
| KOPN 235 (PHULE NACHNI) | Sub mountain and western ghat zones of Maharashtra | India | 2011 | 115–120 | 2.8–2.9 | Semi dwarf, late maturity, resistant to blast | |
| KMR 301 (GOWRI) | Southern dry zone of Karnataka, rabi season | India | 2009 | 120–125 | 6.1–6.6 (Irrigated) 3.9–4.4 (Rainfed) | High grain and straw yield, tolerant to blast | |
| VR 847 (Srichaitanya) | Andhra Pradesh | India | 2009 | 110–115 | 2.9–3.1 | Moderately resistant to blast, tolerant to caterpillars and aphids | |
| GN-5 (Gujarat Nagli-5) | Hilly area of south Gujarat and middle Gujarat region | India | 2009 | 120–130 | 3.4 | White colored grains, high yielding, easy to thresh, non-lodging, moderately resistant to leaf blast, resistant to neck and finger blast, non-lodging, calcium: 432 mg/100 g | Chaudhari et al., 2012 |
| GPU 67 | Widely adapted across Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand | India | 2009 | 115–120 | 4.4–5.0 | Semi dwarf, moderately resistant to neck and finger blast, calcium: 219 mg/100 g, profuse tillering, copper brown seeds | http://www.dhan.org/smallmillets/docs/report/Compendium_of_Released_Varieties_in_Small_millets.pdf http://www.dhan.org/smallmillets/docs/report/Compendium_of_Released_Varieties_in_Small_millets.pdf http://www.dhan.org/smallmillets/docs/report/Compendium_of_Released_Varieties_in_Small_millets.pdf http://www.dhan.org/smallmillets/docs/report/Compendium_of_Released_Varieties_in_Small_millets.pdf |
| GPU 66 | Late kharif season in Karnataka | India | 2009 | 112–115 | 3.9–4.4 | Resistant to neck and finger blast | |
| VR 762 (Bharathi) | Andhra Pradesh | India | 2006 | 110–115 | 3.1–3.3 | Moderately resistant to blast, reddish brown colored grains, tolerant to ear caterpillars and aphids | |
| PRM 1 | Hilly regions of Uttarakhand | India | 2006 | 110–115 | 2.2–2.8 | Resistant to blast, light copper colored grains | |
| Sailung Kodo-1 | High hills (1,300–2,200 masl) | Nepal | 2015 | 155 | 2.7 | Non-lodging, moderately resistant to finger blast, neck blast and Cercospora leaf spot, calcium: 388 mg/100 g | https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/80892/Release_Joshi_2017.pdf?sequence=1 |
| Kabre Kodo-2 | Mid and high hills (700–1,800 masl) | Nepal | 2015 | 153 | 2.8 | Drought tolerant, non-lodging, field resistant to finger balst, neck blast and Cercospora leaf spot, calcium: 379 mg/100 g |