Assessing agronomic practices and constraints of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.) production in semiarid areas of the West Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia

Pearl millet is widely regarded as one of the most promising cereal crops for food and nutritional security in semiarid regions globally. However, it has long been considered an orphan crop due to limited attention from the scientific community and policymakers, as well as low public awareness of its potential role within the food system. Consequently, there is a paucity of information on the agronomic practices employed by farmers to enhance their productivity, particularly in Ethiopia and more specifically in its eastern regions. A semistructured survey was conducted among 247 smallholder farmers in the Anchar and Gumbi Bordode districts of the West Hararghe Zone to assess prevailing agronomic practices for pearl millet, quantify productivity under farmer-managed conditions, elicit farmer preferences for key agronomic traits, and identify major production constraints. Of the respondents, 14.17% were female and 85.83% were male. The study found that no formal improved pearl millet seed production and supply system exists in Ethiopia, with only one variety (Kola-1) in use for over a decade. In terms of cropping systems, 79% of farmers practiced sole cropping, 10% intercropping, and 11% relay cropping with crops such as teff and mung bean. Only 8.1% of respondents applied mineral fertilizers; the rest used none. Farmers reported pearl millet yields ranging from 1450 ± 420 to 2300 ± 300 kg/ha during poor and good harvest seasons, respectively. Yield gap analyses indicated variations of 60.7% and 37.6% in poor and good seasons, respectively, when compared to the crop’s potential yield of 3687 kg/ha. The major production constraints included moisture stress/deficits, lack of improved seeds/varieties, and bird damage, all of which limit pearl millet productivity in the study areas.