Studies on the nutritive value of jowar (kaffir corn - Sorghum vulgare).

Jowar (KafEr corn-Sorghum vulgare: Tamil,
cholam; Kanarese, jola) is one of the important
food and fodder crops cultivated in different parts
of India. Over considerable parts of Deccan
and Central India, it is the main source of sustenance
for man and animals. It is also grown, to a
considerable extent, in other countries especially
in Africa, China, U.S.A., and South America!.
During 1950-5 I, the production of the grain in
India was of the order of 5.1 million tons?.
The chemical composition of one sample of
Jowar was determined by Ranganathan, Sundarajan,
and Swaminathan3
• Very little systematic
work has been done on the effect of varietial
difference on the chemical composition or on the
nutritive value of the grain as judged by animal
experiments. The present paper deals with
studies on the chemical composition of six
strains of J owar and the nutritive value of J owar
as compared with wheat.