PR 202
A long-standing variety popular in northern and eastern ragi tracts including parts of Uttarakhand and the plains, medium duration with a good straw yield for fodder.
Quick facts
- Type
- Finger millet variety
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- About 115–120 days
- Seed rate
- About 8–10 kg/ha for line sowing; about 5 kg/ha for a nursery
- Expected yield
- Around 22–30 q/ha; a good straw yield for fodder
- Suitable soil
- Loam and sandy loam of the northern and eastern tracts
- Release
- A long-standing finger-millet variety for the northern and eastern ragi tracts
About this variety
PR 202 is a long-established finger-millet variety grown in the northern and eastern ragi tracts — parts of Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh — rather than the southern plateau. It is a medium-duration type valued for dependable grain and a good straw yield, which matters where finger-millet straw is an important fodder.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSown with the monsoon, mid-June to July, in the northern and eastern tracts
- Seed rateAbout 8–10 kg/ha for line sowing; about 5 kg/ha for a nursery
- Spacing22.5–25 cm between rows, plants thinned within the row
- Sowing methodLine sowing and transplanting are both used in these tracts
- IrrigationMainly rainfed; a protective irrigation at panicle initiation where possible
- FertilizerFarmyard manure plus about 40:20:20 kg N:P2O5:K2O per hectare in these low-input tracts, most nitrogen basal
- HarvestingAbout 115–120 days to maturity; the crop gives a useful straw yield harvested separately as fodder
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Loam and sandy loam of the northern and eastern rainfed tracts
- pH
- 5.5–7.5
Climate
- Climate
- Adapted to the northern and eastern ragi tracts rather than the humid southern plateau
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
About 115–120 days
Expected yield
Around 22–30 q/ha; a good straw yield for fodder
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Treated seed and one or two early weedings; the low-input tracts it grows in still repay basic management
- Confirm the current recommended variety with your KVK — newer lines may now be advised for your district
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Long grown and familiar in the northern and eastern ragi tracts
- Good straw yield for fodder alongside the grain
- Suited to low-input rainfed cultivation
Things to consider
- An older variety — newer, higher-yielding or more blast-resistant lines may now be recommended for your district
- This record does not carry a verified release centre and year for PR 202; confirm the current recommendation locally
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttarakhand
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- Uttar Pradesh
Frequently asked questions
Where is PR 202 ragi grown?
In the northern and eastern finger-millet tracts — parts of Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh — rather than the southern plateau. It is a medium-duration variety valued for dependable grain and a good fodder straw yield.
Should I still grow PR 202?
It is a familiar, dependable variety in its tracts, but it is an older one. Check with your KVK whether a newer, higher-yielding or more blast-resistant finger-millet variety is now recommended for your district before deciding.
Sourced from: ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research — finger millet varieties, ICAR — All India Coordinated Research Project on Small Millets. editorial policy.