TNAU 186
A 1994 TNAU Coimbatore release from Co 5 x SiA 326. IIMR lists 80 to 85 days and 18 to 20 q/ha for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, noted as tolerant to drought.
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 TNAU 186.
- Expected yield
- 18 to 20 q/ha (IIMR)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 1994 · Co 5 x SiA 326, TNAU Coimbatore (IIMR table)
About this variety
TNAU 186 is a foxtail millet released in 1994 by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, from the cross Co 5 x SiA 326. IIMR's released-variety table gives 80 to 85 days and 18 to 20 q/ha for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and notes it as tolerant to drought. IIMR's leaflet lists TNAU 186 among the Tamil Nadu cultivars. 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 TNAU 186 if your rainfall is thin or patchy and you want a short foxtail millet that IIMR notes as tolerant to drought. It matures in 80 to 85 days and is listed at 18 to 20 q/ha, a notch below the 20 to 25 or 20 to 30 q/ha of the Nandyal lines SiA 3156, SiA 3088 and SiA 3085. If your land gets steady rain and you can fertilise, one of those may pay more. IIMR's table lists TNAU 186 for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, while its leaflet names it among the Tamil Nadu cultivars only, so outside Tamil Nadu ask your KVK first.
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 TNAU 186.
- 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; TNAU 186 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
- Short duration, 80 to 85 days, with a drought-tolerance note from IIMR.
- Listed for three states: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
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 IIMR's table and leaflet disagree on its states.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Tamil Nadu
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
Drought tolerant is not the same as drought proof
IIMR's only note on TNAU 186 is that it is tolerant to drought. The same leaflet says foxtail millet grows better where annual rainfall is 500 to 700 mm and cannot stand waterlogging or extreme drought. So the tolerance is a cushion for a dry spell, not a licence to sow into dust. Sow into moist soil with the first good rain, and if a dry spell runs long, the leaflet says give 1 to 2 irrigations.
A short 80 to 85 day crop also helps because it finishes before late-season moisture runs out. The cost is the lower listed yield, 18 to 20 q/ha. If your rainfall is in the 500 to 700 mm band and well spread, compare it with SiA 3085 (80 to 85 days, 20 to 30 q/ha) in one season. If your rain is short and uncertain, TNAU 186 is the one IIMR marks for drought.
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 4 | 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 186this page | 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 TNAU 186?
A foxtail millet released in 1994 by TNAU Coimbatore from Co 5 x SiA 326. IIMR lists 80 to 85 days, 18 to 20 q/ha, for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, tolerant to drought.
How drought tolerant is TNAU 186?
IIMR only says tolerant to drought and gives no trial or score. The same IIMR leaflet says the crop cannot stand extreme drought, and advises 1 to 2 irrigations in a long dry spell.
TNAU 186 or Co (Te) 7 for Tamil Nadu?
IIMR lists TNAU 186 at 80 to 85 days and 18 to 20 q/ha, and Co 7 at 85 to 90 days and 18 to 19 q/ha. TNAU 186 is the shorter, drought-noted one. Check which has certified seed near you this season.
Can I grow TNAU 186 in Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh?
IIMR's release table lists those two states with Tamil Nadu, but its leaflet names TNAU 186 only among the Tamil Nadu cultivars. We found no trial from the other two, so try a small block first and ask your KVK.
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.