PS 4
A 1998 mutant line from GBPUAT Pantnagar, made from SiA 2616 with 0.2% EMS. IIMR lists it for all states at 80 to 85 days and 18 to 20 q/ha, and names it popular in seven states.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 80 to 85 days (IIMR)
- Seed rate
- IIMR crop-level rate: 8 to 10 kg a hectare for line sowing, 15 kg for broadcasting. No separate rate is published for PS 4.
- Expected yield
- 18 to 20 q/ha (IIMR)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 1998 · mutant from SiA 2616 (0.2% EMS), GBPUAT Pantnagar (IIMR table); recommended for all states
About this variety
PS 4 is a foxtail millet developed at GBPUAT Pantnagar, Uttar Pradesh, from SiA 2616 by treating it with 0.2% EMS, a chemical that induces mutation. It was released in 1998. IIMR's released-variety table gives 80 to 85 days and 18 to 20 q/ha, recommended for all states, with wider adaptability as its special feature. IIMR's leaflet lists it among the popular cultivars of seven states. The table gives no disease rating, and the farm practice below is IIMR's crop-level practice for foxtail millet, not numbers measured on this variety.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose PS 4 if you farm outside the home states of the Nandyal and Coimbatore lines and want a short foxtail millet with the widest listing. IIMR's table recommends it for all states, and its leaflet names it among the popular cultivars of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, more than most. It matures in 80 to 85 days and is listed at 18 to 20 q/ha, below SiA 3085 (20 to 30) and SiA 3156 (20 to 25). It has no disease rating. So take it for reach and seed availability, not for the top yield.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeIIMR: July to August in Karnataka; July in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh; August to September for a rabi crop in Tamil Nadu. Sow within 7 to 10 days of the monsoon onset to dodge shoot fly.
- Seed rateIIMR crop-level rate: 8 to 10 kg a hectare for line sowing, 15 kg for broadcasting. No separate rate is published for PS 4.
- IrrigationMostly a rainfed crop. A kharif crop needs no or very little irrigation; give 1 to 2 irrigations if a dry spell runs long (IIMR). A summer crop needs 2 to 5.
- FertilizerIIMR crop-level dose: 40 kg nitrogen, 20 kg P2O5 and 20 kg K2O a hectare, with all the P2O5 and half the nitrogen at sowing and the rest of the nitrogen at 30 days. Compost or FYM at 5 to 10 t/ha about a month before sowing. Adjust by a soil test.
- HarvestingIIMR: foxtail millet is ready 80 to 90 days after sowing; PS 4 is listed at 80 to 85 days
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Moderately fertile, well-drained soil; it grows on soils from sandy to heavy clay but not under waterlogging (IIMR)
Climate
- Climate
- Grows better where annual rainfall is 500 to 700 mm. It cannot stand waterlogging or extreme drought (IIMR).
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
80 to 85 days (IIMR)
Expected yield
18 to 20 q/ha (IIMR)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Major pests
- Shoot fly: sow early, raise the seed rate a little, pull out dead-heart seedlings, or treat the seed with Imidacloprid or Thiamethoxam (IIMR)
- Army worm, cut worm and leaf-scraping beetle: occasional, but can turn serious
Management notes
- Weeding: two inter-cultivations and one hand weeding in a line-sown crop; a tyne-harrow pass at 30 days also helps (IIMR).
- Seed: treat with Carbendazim at 2 g a kg before sowing, and sow 2 to 3 cm deep.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Recommended for all states in IIMR's table, with wider adaptability as its note.
- Named popular in seven states in IIMR's leaflet, so seed and local experience are easier to find.
Things to consider
- 18 to 20 q/ha is below the 20 to 25 and 20 to 30 q/ha listed for the newer Nandyal lines.
- No disease rating, and no trial result in the sources read.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Andhra Pradesh
- Bihar
- Karnataka
- Rajasthan
- Tamil Nadu
- Uttarakhand
- Uttar Pradesh
What "all states" does and does not tell you
IIMR's table gives PS 4 an area of adaptation of all states, and its leaflet names it in the lists of seven: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. That tells you the line has been grown widely since 1998. It does not give you a yield for your district, because the one figure published, 18 to 20 q/ha, is a single table value for the whole country.
Use the reach, then test. Ask your KVK which state-level line has certified seed near you, put a strip of PS 4 beside it for one season, and weigh both. PS 4 began as an induced mutant of SiA 2616, so its seed should be bought as PS 4 by name, not as any plain kangni.
Can you save seed from this crop?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Foxtail Millet (Kangni) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co (Te) 7 | Tamil Nadu rainfed kharif and rabi; rust resistance, protein and fodder | 85 to 90 days (IIMR and TNAU) | 18 to 19 q/ha (IIMR); mean 1,855 kg/ha in TNAU trials, 2000 to 2004 | Tamil Nadu |
| HMT 100-1 | Karnataka plots where the sowing date is uncertain and you can spare a longer 90 to 95 day crop | 90 to 95 days (IIMR) | 20 to 25 q/ha (IIMR) | Karnataka |
| Krishnadevaraya (SiA 2593) | Andhra Pradesh rainfed plots where you want a long-tested line noted for seed yield | 85 to 90 days (IIMR) | 20 to 22 q/ha (IIMR) | Andhra Pradesh |
| Lepakshi | Rayalaseema dry land; an older drought-tolerant selection | 82 to 85 days (IIMR) | 18 to 20 q/ha (IIMR) | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Narasimharaya | Grain and straw plots in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka | About 80 to 90 days (IIMR crop-level figure; none published for this variety) | Second-highest grain yield of six varieties at Ananthapuramu; no kg figure published | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh |
| PS 4this page | Farmers in any of the seven states IIMR names who want one short, widely adapted line with a long track record | 80 to 85 days (IIMR) | 18 to 20 q/ha (IIMR) | Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh |
| SiA 3085 | Grain-first plots; blast and downy mildew resistance | 80 to 85 days (IIMR) | 20 to 30 q/ha (IIMR); highest grain yield of six varieties at Ananthapuramu | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh |
| SiA 3088 (Suryanandi) | A short season and double-cropping plans | 70 to 75 days (IIMR) | 20 to 25 q/ha (IIMR); behind SiA 3156 in Prakasam farmer fields | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| SiA 3156 | Fertilised plots; one of the widest state lists | 85 to 90 days (IIMR) | 20 to 25 q/ha (IIMR); 16.3 q/ha in Prakasam farmer fields | Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand |
| SiA 326 | An older, long-tested check for rainfed plots | About 80 to 90 days (IIMR crop-level figure; none published for SiA 326) | 1,477 kg/ha as the national check in TNAU trials; no release-table figure | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| Sri Lakshmi (Srilaxmi) | Andhra Pradesh farmers who already grow it, or want a short, seed-yield line that the trials often use as a comparison | 80 to 85 days (IIMR) | 20 to 23 q/ha (IIMR) | Andhra Pradesh |
| TNAU 186 | Dry-land plots in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka where a short crop and drought tolerance matter more than top yield | 80 to 85 days (IIMR) | 18 to 20 q/ha (IIMR) | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Foxtail Millet (Kangni) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Foxtail Millet (Kangni) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Foxtail Millet (Kangni) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Foxtail Millet (Kangni) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Foxtail Millet (Kangni) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Foxtail Millet (Kangni) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Foxtail Millet (Kangni) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What is PS 4?
A foxtail millet from GBPUAT Pantnagar, released in 1998, made by treating SiA 2616 with 0.2% EMS. IIMR lists 80 to 85 days, 18 to 20 q/ha, for all states, with wider adaptability.
Does "mutant" mean PS 4 is a hybrid or a GM crop?
No. IIMR calls it an EMS-induced mutant of SiA 2616. That is a breeding method, not a hybrid and not genetic modification. Foxtail millet is self-pollinated, so seed you save from a good crop stays true to type.
In which states is PS 4 recommended?
IIMR's table says all states. Its leaflet lists it among the popular cultivars of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Does PS 4 give less than SiA 3085 or SiA 3156?
On IIMR's table values, yes: 18 to 20 q/ha against 20 to 30 for SiA 3085 and 20 to 25 for SiA 3156. The values come from different release years, not a head-to-head trial. PS 4's strength is reach, so judge it on your own field.
Sourced from: Salient features of released varieties of foxtail millet crops (1989 to 2012) — ICAR-IIMR, Foxtail Millet brochure (state-wise popular cultivars, sowing, seed rate, fertiliser, pests and diseases) — ICAR-IIMR. editorial policy.