The acreage of crops planted for annual forage production in North Dakota is minor but increases dramatically at times of drought and when severe winter-kill of alfalfa occurs. Crops such as pearl millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, oats, sudangrass, sorghum, and sorghum-sudan hybrids can be planted as annual forages.
Pearl millet is a relatively new forage in the northern regions of the United States.
However, it has been utilized extensively as a high quality grazing forage in the southern United States. It originated in Africa and India where it was used for both forage and grain. It was introduced into the United States in the 1850s and became established as a minor forage crop in the southeastern and Gulf Coast states. Pearl millet is also referred to as penicillaria, pencilaria, Mand's forage plant, cattail millet, bulrush millet, and candle millet. Pearl millet may grow 6 to 10 feet tall during conditions of high temperatures and favorable moisture.