Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.) Performance under Irrigation. Sowing Dates and Cultivars in the Northern Oasis of Mendoza

Foxtail millet is a short-season, summer annual forage crop primarily used for haymaking in Argentina. Valued for its efficient water use, it provides effective fiber for various milk and meat production systems. This trial evaluated two sowing dates (mid-November and mid-December) for the three commercially available foxtail millet cultivars in Argentina (Yaguané Plus INTA, Carapé Plus INTA, and Nará INTA) across two production cycles (2022/2023 and 2023/2024). The experiment was conducted at the Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, in Mendoza (33°00’38” S and 68°52’28” W). Yields of up to 14,000 kg DM/ha were obtained in the northern oasis of Mendoza. Significant differences in yield were observed between sowing dates, with December sowing yielding more than November. Additionally, Nará INTA was the highest-yielding cultivar. Highlights: • High yields of foxtail millet can be obtained in the northern oasis of Mendoza. • Sowing in December produce more forage than in November for three foxtail millet cultivars tested.