Field Guide    Weed Management  Proso Millet

About Proso Millet

The Proso Millet is an annual grass that is grown from seed. The plant was first introduced from Europe and can naturally be found in many places around the world. Some varieties of Proso Millet are cultivated for bird seed or are grown as cereal grain. As a weed with a very short growing season, the Proso Millet can pose a serious threat to corn and bean production, often growing to dominate an entire field.

Family: Gramineae

Proso Millet Scouting and Prevention

The Proso Millet is a shorter, tufted grass standing approximately 1.2-1.5m tall with hairy stems and leaf sheaths. The weed itself droops under the weight of a panicle that can be either thin or quite dense. The Proso Millet is often called the Broom-corn Millet due to its resemblance to a broom. There are multiple varieties of the Proso Millet which can be easily distinguished by seed color contained within the panicle. These colors include white, cream, orange, red or brownish-green and black.

Common Locations

• Vegetable Crops
• Cornfields
• Field edges
• Soybean Field

Prevention

The Proso Millet is a hardy plant and their seeds can remain viable in the soil for over five years. It is highly recommended to reduce seed production through elimination of infestations in early July. Pulling by hand is effective at preventing seeds from entering the seed bank in the soil. As well, the Proso Millet is more suited for dry climates and has a very high heat tolerance so frequent watering of existing crops can help with control.

In general, using sanitary crop production practices such as weed-free seed and cleaning farm equipment before moving between fields can greatly reduce the impact of an infestation.

Cultural Control

In larger cases, rotary hoeing can control a large percentage of the first flush of Proso Millet if properly timed. The recommended window for rotary hoeing occurs 7-10 days after the last tillage for seedbed preparation when the seedlings have sprouted but have not fully emerged.

In smaller cases, merely uprooting the existing weed can keep the Proso Millet at bay as they have a shallow root system and will come free of the soil easily.

Chemical Control

Many herbicides exist that can be used to control the Proso Millet and it is recommended to apply the herbicide before the Proso Millet reaches full maturity (less than 10 inches tall).

Latin / Alternative Proso Millet names

• Panicum Miliaceum
• Panic Millet
• Wild Proso Millet
• Broom-corn Millet
• Common Millet
• Hog Millet
• Russian Millet

Additional Proso Millet Resources

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/ crops/facts/ontweeds/proso_millet.htm

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/ crops/facts/87-025.htm

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/ agricultural-and-biological-sciences/proso-millet