Niger cultivation

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Dear farmers,
                        Niger (Guizotia abyssinica) is used for extraction of oil(75%). Niger oil is similar to safflower and sunflower oil in edible quality. The seed contains 35-40% oil. Oil is used for manufacturing paints and soft soaps, lighting and lubrication and for manufacturing cosmatics. It is a good substitute for sesame oil for pharmaceutical purposes. Niger plant is consumed by sheep and not by cattle. It is used for making silage. Niger cake is valuable feed for milch cattle. It is also used as manure also.

Climate

It is a temperate region crop and also grows in semi tropical environment. It is short day plant. It is mostly a rainfed crop. Optimum rainfall is 1000-1300 mm. Niger needs moderate temperature of 18-23°C. Above 30°C, growth and flowering are adversely affected and maturity is hastens. Below 10°C, seed emergence is restricted leading to inadequate plant stand.

Soils

Niger can grow on all types of soils from Sandy to deep clay loam. But thrive best on clayey loams or sandy clays. The gram prefers light textured soil but we'll drained heavy soils also used for niger cultivation. It produces reasonable yield on water logged soils and relative Lee with low fertility status. The crop grows well in soils having PH 5.2 to 7.3.

Land preparation

Being a small sided crop fine seed bead is required for sowing. Good tilth for sowing is obtained by one ploughing and two harrowings.

Seed rate and spacing 

Seed rate depends on method of sowing. Generally 8 kg seed per hectare is required for broadcasting. Line sowing recommended spacing is 30 cm between the rows and 10 cm between the plants. However, it is sown at 30×15, 20×15 and 20×20 cm spacing at different parts of the country. The optimum plant population varies from 2.5 to 3.0 lakh plants per ha.

Seed treatment

Seeds should be treated with Thiram or Captan @ 3 g/kg of seed to protect the crop from seed and soil borne diseases.

Sowing method

Crop is either sown by broadcasting or in furrow behind country plough or using seed drill. The seeds are smaller in size and therefore mixed with sand or soil by working blade harrow. The sowing depth should not be more than 1-3 cm.

Nutrient management

The crop is mostly grown on marginal and submarginal lands without manure or fertilizer application. For getting higher yields 20:20:0 kg NP per hectare should be applied. Half dose of nitrogen along with entire dose of phosphorus should be given as basal dose at sowing time. The remaining half dose of nitrogen should be top dressed about 30 DAS.

Water management

Niger is invariably grown in rainy season. Moisture stress during seedling stage effects growth of crop than other stages. Irrigation is to be scheduled according to the soil and climatic conditions. Irrigation at seedling stage is essential. Thereafter irrigation may be given according to need of the crop.

Weed management

Niger grows rapidly once the seedlings are established two weedings and hoeings are sufficient to control weeds. First at the time of thinning (15DAS) and second before top dressing of nitrogen (before bud initiation).
            At some places like Orissa in India dodder has become a problematic parasitic weed. The weed emerges along with the germinating seeds of niger. Application of Propyzamide as post-emergence @ 1.5 -2.0 kg/ha after 20-25 DAS control dodder to 90%. Pre-emergence application of Pronamide @ 2 kg ai/ha so control the weed effectively.

Harvesting and threshing

Niger measures in about 80-145 days. The harvesting is done when the leaves driup and the head turns blackish. Then dried in sun for about a week by stacking on the threshing floor. Threshing is done manually or by trealing under the feet of bullock.

Yield

Pure crop of niger yields 4.0-5.0 quintal seed/ha. As an inter crop the yield is 1.50-3.00 quintal/ha.

Cropping systems

Niger is grown as a sole crop or sown as mixed crop with various pulses and grain crops.

Inter cropping

Niger+ fingermillet (6:3)
Niger+ groundnut (3:3/6:3)
Niger+ Soybean (3:3/6:3)
Niger+ black gram (2:2)
Niger+ pigeonpea (3:2)
Niger+ sorghum (2:2)
Niger+ sunflower (4:2)

Sequence cropping

Finger millet-Niger
Horse gram- Niger
Rice-Niger
Little millet-Niger

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