Seed selection and treatment :

• It is recommended to replace seed varieties  with improved varieties every season.
• Select healthy seed from seed borne pathogens.
• Chemical treatment of seed with captan 75% WP @3g/kg seed.

Sowing method :

• Sowing behind the ploughing
• Intercropping or mixed cropping with maize.
• Broadcasting
• Dibbling
• Transplanting as sole cropping
• Transplanting in maize field as relay crop.

Seed rate : 5-10 kg/ha.

• Direct sowing : 10 kg/ha.
• Transplanting : 5 kg ha

Spacing  :

• row to row : 20-25 cm.
• Plant to plant : 8-10 cm.

Depth of sowing : 2-4 cm.

Time of planting :

• Time of seeding depends upon agro-climatic zones and method of planting.
• High hills : Seeding on baisakh and transplanting on jestha.
• Mid hills : Seeding on jestha and transplanting from Asar to Shrawan.

Nutrient management :

• For relay cropping in maize , it is not necessary to apply manure an fertilizers separately.
• Under poor availability of inorganic fertilizer , apply 10 tons of manure at the time of primary tillage.
• Under INMS , apply 5 tons of manure and fertilizer @ 50:30:20 kg NPK per hectare.
• Apply full dose of P and K and half dose of N as basal dose.
• While the remaining half dose of N can be top dressed in splits at following growth stages.

Water management :

• It is generally cultivated under irrigated condition.
• If monsoon is irregular , irrigation should be done at tillering and flowering stage , as these stages are critical to water requirement.
• Finger millet is sensitive to water lodging condition. So proper drainage structure like ridge and furrow should be made.

Weed management :

• Finger millet has smaller crop canopy that facilitate lavish growth of grashy and broad leaf weeds.
• Two weeding should be done at early vegetative growth period (15 & 30 DAS or DAT).
• Broad leaf weed can be controlled by use of 2,4-D amine salt @ 1 kg a.i. per hactare within 30 DAS.