RALA

Foxtail millet is an annual grass grown for human food. It is almost unknown in Maharashtra and elsewhere. It has the longest history of cultivation among the millets, having been grown in India since antiquity. Its botanical name is Setaria italica.

Among the millets, foxtail millet is an important food for many people in the semi-arid regions where the rainfall is inadequate. Foxtail millet is said to have its origin in Eastern Asia. This crop has sustained the lives of the poorest rural people and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Therefore, and because this crop is mostly consumed by disadvantaged groups, they are often referred to as ‘coarse grain’ or ‘poor people’s crop’.

Classification and scientific name:

Species – Setaria italica (L.)
Kingdom – plantae
Sub Kingdom – Tracheobionta
Division – Mangnoliyophyta
Super Division – Spermatophyta
Class – Lilopsida
Subclass – Commenlinidae
Order – Cyperales
Family – Poaceae
Genus – Setaria P Beauv
Species – Setaria italica

History and origin

Setaria italica (L.) is an old crop, grown since 5000 B.C. in India. In fact it is so old that no wild plant of the species is known to exist today. It probably evolved from the wild Setaria viridis (green Setaria italim). Its domestication may have taken place anywhere in the area extending from Europe to Japan, perhaps several times independently. Setaria italim (L.) was the ‘panicum’ of the Romans.

In India, Foxtail millet has been mentioned in some of the oldest Yajurveda texts, identifying foxtail millet as priyangava, thus indicating that its consumption was very common, pre-dating to the Indian Bronze Age (4,500BC). In fact, these seeds are believed to have been around since Stone Age. It has naturally adapted to the climate of India just as our own bodies have. It is also mentioned in rudrasuktam highlighting its presence and consumption during those times. It was known to be one of the devdhanya which includes satu, sava, etc. Not only has Yajurveda mentioned Rala, Rigveda and Atharvaveda have also suggested the uses of Rala.

 Ayurveda, an Indian scripture, includes it in a trunadhanya, kudhanya category. Ayurveda suggests many uses of rala as it is a major source of nutrients. Charak (physician) and Sushruta (surgeon) have mentioned Foxtail millet in their writings. The great physician, Vaagbhatt has written in his texts that rala aids in the recovery of fractures.

Also, in Kalidasa’s epic play Abhijnana Shakuntalam written in 1^st century, sage Kanva pours rala in Shakuntala’s hands while bidding a tearful farewell at Dushyanta’s court.

Botanical Description

Foxtail millet is an annual plant with rather stiff and erect stems, ordinarily from 2 to 4 feet high, but sometimes reaching a height of 6 feet or more. The leaves arc is broad and somewhat similar in size and texture to those of Panicum milliaceum. From the latter, however, this plant is easily distinguished, even when very young, by lack of hairiness. The inflorescence is a contacted panicle, often nodding at the top; on account of its short branches it resembles a spike. Its lower branches, as a rule, are not so close together as the upper ones. The spinklets are crowed and mixed with stiff bristles, the latter representing branches on which no spinklets are developed.

These bristles are generally long and often reddish or purplish. They give the panicle an appearance of a foxtail, which is the common name for cultivated millets belonging to the genus Setaria. Each sprinklet contains only one flower with a yellow pistil.

The seed head is dense, hairy panicle 5 to 30 cm long. The small seeds, around 2 mm (less than 1/8th inch) in diameter, are encased in a thin, papery hull which is easily removed in threshing. Seed colour varies greatly between varieties.

Different names of Rala in India

Names for foxtail millet in other languages are:
(table)
Languages – Names
Bengali – Kaon dana
Kannada – navane or navanakki
Telugu – korralu or korra
Hindi – kangni
Punjabi – kangni
Gujarati – kang
Malayalam – thina
Marathi – kang or rala
Tamil – thinai
Oriya – kanghu / kaghnum