Millet is a diverse group of small-seeded grasses that have become a reliable, warm-season annual crop across Texas. These resilient plants thrive in the state’s intense heat and dry conditions, growing quickly where other cereals may fail. Texas growers primarily use millet for three purposes: producing high-quality livestock forage, harvesting grain for birdseed or poultry feed, and establishing fast-growing food plots for wildlife. The crop’s rapid growth cycle makes it an excellent choice for late-season planting or as an emergency catch crop.
Identifying the Right Millet Variety for Texas
Selecting the correct millet variety is the first step toward a successful planting, as each type is best suited for a different purpose and regional climate. The three most common millets grown in Texas are Pearl, Proso, and Brown Top.
Pearl Millet
Pearl Millet is the most widely cultivated variety in the state, primarily valued for its forage production. It is a tall, high-biomass plant that is highly drought-tolerant and well-adapted to the sandy, acidic soils common in many parts of Texas. Unlike sorghum, pearl millet does not carry the risk of prussic acid poisoning, making it a safer grazing option for cattle.
Proso Millet
Proso Millet, often called broomcorn millet, is mainly grown for its grain, a staple in the commercial birdseed market. This short-season crop matures in just 60 to 90 days and possesses one of the lowest water requirements of any grain crop. Proso is better suited for the cooler, higher-elevation environment of the Texas High Plains and is a poor choice for the hot, humid conditions found farther south and east.
Brown Top Millet
Brown Top Millet is a fast-growing, low-yielding forage often planted in Texas for wildlife food plots. The plant produces prolific seed heads that are highly attractive to game birds like doves, quail, and turkeys. Because it matures quickly, sometimes in as little as 55 days, it is frequently used as a nurse crop or to quickly revegetate bare ground.
Optimal Planting Windows by Region and Purpose
The ideal time to plant millet in Texas is dependent on the region’s climate and the grower’s intended use. Since millet is a warm-season crop, planting must occur after the last risk of spring frost has passed.
South Texas and Gulf Coast
In South Texas and along the Gulf Coast, the planting window for forage varieties like Pearl Millet generally extends from early April through the end of June. This allows for multiple cuttings for hay or grazing before the end of the growing season. Brown Top Millet can be planted later for wildlife food plots, with a window that lasts from March through August. A mid-summer planting of Brown Top is effective for providing seed for doves during the fall hunting season.
Central Texas
In the Central Texas region, planting warm-season forage millets begins in mid-April and should not extend past the first of July. Pearl Millet performs well in this area, even on the clay soils of the Blacklands, due to its adaptability to varying soil types. Planting earlier ensures better performance, as the crop can establish itself before the most intense summer drought periods begin.
High Plains and North Texas
The Texas High Plains and North Texas have a shorter growing season. Forage Pearl Millet and Proso Millet for grain are planted from the latter half of May through late June. Proso Millet planting is timed to follow the harvest of an earlier crop like winter wheat. Planting proso in early June results in the best grain yields, though the window can extend to early July if necessary to replace a failed crop.
Essential Soil and Moisture Considerations
Successful millet establishment relies on meeting specific environmental conditions for the seed. Millet requires a minimum soil temperature of 65°F at the planting depth for effective germination, with temperatures closer to 70°F being optimal. Planting into cooler soil risks slow emergence, leaving seedlings susceptible to disease and weed competition.
The seed must be placed into a firm, moist seedbed to ensure good seed-to-soil contact and consistent germination. A planting depth of one-half to one inch is recommended for millet’s small seed size. In the dry regions of Texas, ensuring adequate moisture can be challenging, and some growers use a specialized planter instead of a traditional drill to place the seed deeper into the moisture profile.
Millet is drought-tolerant once it has developed a root system, but it must have sufficient soil moisture immediately following planting and during its initial establishment phase. A lack of moisture during the first few weeks results in a poor, patchy stand that cannot recover even if later rains arrive. The use of no-till planting methods is common, as the surface residue helps conserve the soil moisture needed for the seedling to emerge and thrive.