At one time, foxtail millet was a fairly commonly-used hay species in Alabama, grown either alone or in combination with soybeans. Although there is still a small acreage in North Alabama, it is of little economic importance now. This species has been used from time to time in Alabama for grazing or hay. There is a great deal of genetic variation within the species. Although some lines are much more productive than others, no economically important varieties have been developed.
Japanese millet is adapted to wetter soils than other annual grasses planted for forage.
It is often included in seed mixtures to be planted for waterfowl. Although most of the corn grown in Alabama is harvested for grain, corn harvested for silage is a forage crop. Corn is the leading silage crop in Alabama and as silage will produce more total digestible nutrients per acre than any other forage crop. Since the sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, sudangrass, and pearlmillet are the major summer annual grasses used for forage production in Alabama, most of the information presented in the remainder of this publication pertains to establishment and management of these species only. Summer annual grasses should be located on productive, well drained, reasonably level soils, in areas which are not extremely droughty.