Bajra (Pearl Millet) Cultivation in Karauli: Dryland Farming

Karauli district's semi-arid tracts with shallow stony soils are well-suited to bajra (pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum), the staple dryland kharif crop. Farmers grow the HHB-67 and Rajasthan Composite varieties, sowing after the first monsoon rains in June-July. Bajra is sown at wider spacings than wheat to allow root expansion on thin soils. The crop requires minimal irrigation and no irrigation at all in good monsoon years. After harvest in October, bajra stalks (gaon) are stacked as valuable dry fodder. Bajra flour (bajre ka atta) is the basis of Karauli's staple winter food: bajre ki roti served with garlic chutney and mustard oil, a highly nutritious combination. Traditional seed preservation involves storing selected heads wrapped in cloth with neem leaves in earthen pots.