Bajra
Also called: Pearl millet · Topic: Major Crops of India: Distribution and Conditions · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 4 "Agriculture"; Class 12, Ch 3 "Land Resources and Agriculture"
Meaning
Bajra (pearl millet) is a hardy coarse cereal. It grows in the hot, dry north-west and west of India. It does well on sandy soils and on shallow black soils, and it can survive drought. Because it needs so little water, it is a key food and fodder crop in dry lands where most other grains fail. It covers about 5.2% of India's cropped area. Rajasthan is the top producer, followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Example
In the sandy Thar Desert region of western Rajasthan, bajra is the main kharif grain. It grows there on very little rain.
Don't confuse with
- Jowar: this is sorghum, a crop of semi-arid central and southern India, where Maharashtra grows over half of it. Bajra belongs to the drier, sandier north-west, where Rajasthan leads.
- Ragi: this is finger millet, led by Karnataka in the south. Bajra is a north-western crop.