Urochloa deflexa

Urochloa deflexa, commonly known as Guinea millet, is an annual millet grass belonging to the grass family (Poaceae). It is native to many regions such as Africa, India, and Pakistan in both tropical and subtropical regions. It has been used as a supplemental food source among other cereal crops.

Description

A millet grass which grows to 1 m tall. It forms loose tufts. It grows each year from seeds.

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Edible Uses

Guinea millet is a grain that has been used for centuries as a grain in times of famine. In Ancient Africa, people of the Songhai Empire (modern day Mali) and the Bambara Empire (modern day Mali) would consume this grass and called it “paguiri” and “yaqué yaqué” respectively. In modern Sahel, it is harvested by local populations and nomadic tribes as a supplemental food source. Small millets of the Poaceae family are resilient and nutritious. Guinea millet and other small grains are as much as five-sevenfold better in terms of proteins, vitamins, fiber, and other macro- and micro- compounds. In addition, it has strong agronomic qualities such as not requiring much irrigation or pesticide use which make it easy to cultivate and manage. Thus, small millets are optimal to address food insecurity and its use as a substitute for larger grains (e.g. Rice and Wheat) are being studied.

Traditional Uses

The seeds can be made into flour and used for cakes.

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Distribution

A tropical plant. It is resistant to drought. It can grow in light shade.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Asia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Yemen,

Production

Plants mature in 70-75 days.

Notes

There are 12 Urochloa species.

Synonyms

References (8)

• Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., B, Adansonia 11:443. 1990 ("1989")
• Burkill, H. M. ,1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol 2
• Dalziel,
• Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145
• Purseglove, J.W., 1972, Tropical Crops. Monocotyledons. Longmans p 143 (As Brachiaria)

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