GPU 45
An early UAS Bengaluru variety for short-monsoon and late-sown situations, dodging end-of-season drought by maturing quickly.
Quick facts
- Type
- Finger millet variety
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- About 100тАУ105 days
- Seed rate
- About 5 kg/ha for the nursery of a transplanted crop; 8тАУ10 kg/ha for line sowing
- Expected yield
- Around 25тАУ32 q/ha; escapes late-season drought by maturing early
- Suitable soil
- Red loam and shallow lateritic soils
- Release
- Released by UAS Bengaluru as an early finger-millet variety for short-monsoon and late-sown conditions
About this variety
GPU 45 is an early-maturing finger-millet variety from UAS Bengaluru, bred for situations where the monsoon is short or sowing is delayed. By finishing in around 100тАУ105 days it escapes the end-of-season drought that catches longer varieties, at some cost in top yield. Blast resistance is moderate rather than high, so it still needs the standard blast precautions.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSuited to late-July and August sowing when the main window has passed, as well as normal mid-June to July sowing
- Seed rateAbout 5 kg/ha for the nursery of a transplanted crop; 8тАУ10 kg/ha for line sowing
- Spacing22.5тАУ30 cm between rows, about 10 cm within the row
- Sowing methodTransplanting or line sowing; line sowing suits the larger, quicker crop this variety is often used for
- IrrigationRainfed; one protective irrigation at panicle initiation if the monsoon breaks early
- FertilizerA slightly lighter dose than the medium varieties suits its shorter cycle тАФ around 40:40:25 kg N:P2O5:K2O per hectare with farmyard manure, most nitrogen basal
- HarvestingAbout 100тАУ105 days to maturity тАФ the earliness is the point; harvest promptly at brown, hard grain to lock in the drought escape
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Red loam and shallow lateritic soils where a short growing window is common
- pH
- 5.0тАУ8.0
Climate
- Climate
- Chosen precisely for a short or unreliable monsoon тАФ it completes grain fill before a longer variety would still be flowering into the dry spell
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
About 100тАУ105 days
Expected yield
Around 25тАУ32 q/ha; escapes late-season drought by maturing early
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Because blast resistance is only moderate, treated seed and a fungicide at boot-to-ear stage in humid weather matter more than with GPU 28/67
- Do not over-fertilise тАФ the short cycle cannot use a heavy nitrogen dose
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Early maturity escapes end-of-season drought in a short or failing monsoon
- Fits late sowing when the main window has passed
- Quick turnaround suits a second crop or a tight rotation
Things to consider
- Top yield is below the medium varieties in a normal, full-length season
- Only moderate blast resistance тАФ not the choice for a chronically blast-hit block
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for тАФ check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
- Andhra Pradesh
- Maharashtra
Frequently asked questions
When should I choose GPU 45 over GPU 28?
When the monsoon is short or unreliable, or when sowing has been delayed into late July or August. GPU 45 matures in about 100тАУ105 days and escapes the end-of-season drought that would catch a medium variety like GPU 28, at some cost in peak yield.
How long does GPU 45 take to mature?
About 100тАУ105 days from sowing тАФ it is one of the earlier finger-millet varieties.
Sourced from: ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research тАФ finger millet varieties, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. editorial policy.