Himanshu Tiwari

In Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, millets like pearl millet, sorghum, and small millets (kodo, little, and barnyard) have traditionally been crucial in cropping systems due to their resilience to drought and climate variability. These crops are well-suited to the region's rain-fed agriculture and have historically provided food and livelihood security, especially in the face of recurrent droughts. Cultivation has declined with the rise of other crops, but there is a growing push to revive millet farming for its nutritional and climate-resilient benefits.

https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IJEE/article/view/167312

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Millets have historically played a vital role in the traditional dryland cropping systems of the Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh due to their adaptability to the region’s semi-arid climate, poor soil fertility and low rainfall (600–900 mm annually). Crops such as kodo millet, little millet, barnyard millet, finger millet (ragi), pearl millet (bajra) and foxtail millet were commonly cultivated in mixed or intercropping systems alongside pulses like urad (black gram), moong (green gram) and oilseeds such as sesame or linseed.

Millets were chosen for their low input requirements, drought tolerance and short growth cycles, which made them well-suited for marginal lands and rainfed agriculture. Traditionally, they contributed to food security, particularly during years of erratic monsoons, when water-intensive crops failed. Farmers in Bundelkhand also valued millets for their soil-conserving properties millet root systems improve soil structure, reduce erosion, and enhance organic matter content through natural biomass recycling.

In rotational systems, millets helped break pest and disease cycles and their cultivation was aligned with traditional knowledge systems that optimized planting based on monsoon patterns. Moreover, millets served as both human food and livestock fodder, supporting integrated agro-pastoral livelihoods.

Despite their decline during the Green Revolution era, due to policy neglect and market shifts favoring wheat and rice, millets are now being reconsidered in Bundelkhand as climate-resilient crops critical for restoring agro-ecological balance, enhancing nutritional diversity and reviving sustainable indigenous cropping systems.