Digitaria exilis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Digitaria exilis
Scientific classification
Genus:	Digitaria
Species:	exilis
Synonyms
Panicum exile (Kippist) A.Chev. nom. illeg. Paspalum exile Kippist Syntherisma exile (Kippist) Newbold

Fonio (officially known as Digitaria exilis) is a type of grass. People in parts of Africa, like The Gambia, call it findi or fundi. In English, it's also known as white fonio, fonio millet, or hungry rice. Fonio is a very important crop in West Africa. It grows in the savannas and has tiny grains.

Fonio can help improve nutrition and food security. It also supports rural development and good land use. Even though it's a valuable crop, not much research has been done on it. This is why it's sometimes called an underutilized crop. The name "fonio" comes from the Wolof language.

Fonio is important because it's healthy and grows super fast. It can be ready to harvest in just six to eight weeks. This makes it a reliable crop in dry areas with poor soil. It grows well even when rain is short and unpredictable. People use fonio grains to make porridge, couscous, bread, and even beer.

The small size of fonio grains makes them hard to clean. Traditionally, people pound them in a mortar with sand. Then they separate the grains from the sand. Another way is to "pop" them over a flame before pounding. This gives the grains a toasted color. Luckily, a special machine now makes this job much easier.

Fonio plants have different genetic types across Africa. For example, fonio from Mali doesn't show much genetic variety. But fonio from the Upper Niger River Basin has a lot of different types. These different types react differently to processing methods. In 2018, the European Commission approved fonio for sale in Europe. This means more people can now enjoy this amazing grain!

What Fonio Looks Like

Fonio is an annual plant, meaning it grows for one season. It stands upright and can reach heights of 30 to 80 centimeters. Its seed heads have two to five narrow parts. These parts can be up to 15 centimeters long. Each tiny flower on the plant produces a fonio grain.

The grain itself is very small, only about 1.5 millimeters. Imagine, about 2000 seeds weigh just one gram! Fonio grains can be white, yellow, or purple.

Fonio grows faster than almost any other cereal grain. Some types can be ready to harvest in just 42 to 56 days. Other types take a bit longer, usually 165 to 180 days.

Different Types of Fonio

Scientists have identified several types of Digitaria exilis. These varieties are found in different regions:

• var. gracilis - found in the Kankan region of Guinea.
• var. stricta - found in Casamance (Senegal), Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
• var. rustica - also found in Casamance (Senegal), Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
• var. mixta - found in Guinea.
• var. densa - found in Togo.

Where Fonio Comes From and Where It Grows

Fonio is one of Africa's oldest crops. It might even be the oldest crop from West Africa. People started growing it about 7,000 years ago. The first written records of fonio as food are from the mid-1300s. D. exilis originally came from a wild plant called D. longiflora.

Fonio is grown widely across West Africa. You can find it from Chad to Cape Verde. It's also grown in southern Mali and western Burkina Faso. Other areas include eastern Senegal, northern Guinea, and northern Benin. In Nigeria, it's grown in places like Plateau State and Southern Kaduna. It's also a main food source for millions in southern Niger. In some parts of Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Nigeria, fonio is a very important cereal. White fonio is especially popular in the highlands of Nigeria, where it's called acha. Another type, black fonio, is mostly found in Nigeria and parts of Togo and Benin.

Fonio is also grown in the Dominican Republic. It was first brought there from West Africa around 1500. At first, it grew like a weed, but now it's being grown on purpose again.

More than 550,000 hectares of fonio are grown each year. This produces about 587,000 tons of fonio. On average, farmers get about 1 ton of fonio per hectare. In areas with very poor soil, the yield can drop to 150 to 200 kilograms.

Growing Fonio

Fonio grows best in tropical climates in West Africa. It likes temperatures between 25-30°C. It also needs annual rainfall of 600 to 1200 mm. Fonio can also grow at higher altitudes, above 1000 meters. In these areas, it gets more rain (1200 to 1500 mm) and cooler temperatures (15-25°C).

Fonio has strong roots that can go deep into the soil. This helps the plant survive during dry seasons. It also means fonio can grow well in poor soils. Fonio mostly grows in sandy soils. But it can also grow in rocky or acidic clay soils. It doesn't do well in heavy clay soils. Fonio is a tough crop that can handle difficult weather and soil conditions.

Taking Care of Fonio Fields

Most of the work to grow fonio in Africa is still done by hand.

Before Planting

Before planting, farmers clean the field. They also plough the soil. Sometimes, animals help with ploughing. Other times, a tool called a daba is used to lightly scratch the soil.

Planting and Upkeep

Farmers start planting when the first rains arrive. The exact time depends on the fonio type and the area. They use the best seeds from the last harvest. These seeds are spread by hand across the field. Sometimes, sand is mixed with the seeds. This helps spread them more evenly.

The seeds stay on the surface of the soil. So, farmers use their hands or a daba to lightly bury them. Usually, 30–40 kg of seeds are used per hectare. Sometimes, more than 70 kg/ha are sown. This helps control weeds as the plants grow. Fonio seeds sprout best at 30°C. They grow quickly, and the main job is just to remove weeds.

Fonio Pests

Like other crops, fonio can be affected by insects. Some common pests include:

• shoot flies
• stem borers
• some types of thrips, bugs, and grasshoppers
• white-backed plant hoppers, which can spread a plant virus

Harvesting and Processing Fonio

Most fonio is still harvested by hand. When the grains are ready, usually in July or August, men cut the fonio with sickles. Women and children then gather the cut plants into bundles. Sometimes, a machine can help with cutting. These bundles must be stored in a dry, airy place. This prevents mold from growing. During the dry season, bundles are stacked in the sun to dry completely.

Threshing (separating grains from the plant) is also done by hand. Machines are rarely used because they cost more. They also cause more of the small grains to be lost. The grains are stored loosely. Before eating, the outer husks must be removed. This is traditionally done by women using mortars. After several rounds of hulling, the fonio is called "whitened." Any dirt or sand is washed away using gourds. This washing needs a skilled person and a lot of clean water.

New machines have been made to replace these traditional methods. Rice threshing machines can be changed to work for fonio. Special cleaning machines can also be used. A machine called the GMBF hulling machine was made just for fonio. However, these machines are expensive. So, several villages often share one machine to make it worth the cost.

Fonio is a plant that hasn't been widely grown around the world. But it has many good qualities that make it a promising crop. It's an annual plant with a special way of making food (C4 metabolism). It grows to a medium height. Farmers like how fast fonio grows, ready in just six to eight weeks.

Fonio is a key part of cooking in West Africa. It's used for porridges and steamed dishes. It has high levels of carbohydrates and protein. Fonio is rich in important amino acids like methionine. These are often missing in other cereals like wheat, rice, and corn. These qualities show that fonio could be a great food source. If we choose the right types, it could become a very useful crop.

Fonio is also good for the environment. It can survive in tough conditions. It grows well in different soil types, like sand and loam. It doesn't need much help from farmers and can grow with just rain. It does well in poor soil and can handle dry weather. All these things make fonio a good choice for future crops.

Fonio can be harvested in different ways. Some farmers pull up the whole plant to get the seeds. But other methods are better. Using sickles to cut only the seed-containing part is more effective. Threshing methods also vary. Some beat the plant to get the grain. Others trample the plant. After threshing, the grains need to be dried for a few days. Fonio has tiny seeds with hard outer layers. So, the grains are ground into a fine powder before cooking.

However, fonio does have some challenges. It struggles to compete with weeds. So, farmers need to remove weeds after planting. Also, after growing fonio, fields need time to recover nutrients. Fields usually have to rest for 1–2 years. These are areas where fonio could be improved through careful breeding.

Fonio is the oldest native cereal crop in West Africa. It was first harvested about 7,000 years ago. Fonio is very important for food security in the region. Farmers value its taste, fast growth, and good yield. But it's hard to keep its genetic variety or grow it on a large scale. This is due to a lack of modern harvesting and processing tools. So, it's important to keep growing and developing fonio. It has many possible uses in cooking and other industries. We need to select for good grain qualities to make it a new global crop.

Fonio's Nutritional Value

Fonio is very nutritious for people. 100 grams of hulled fonio has about 1470 kJ of energy. Whitened fonio has about 1430 kJ. Fonio tastes great and is very healthy. It's also a good source of fiber and plant nutrients.

It contains methionine and cysteine. These are two amino acids that are vital for human health. Wheat, rice, and corn often lack these two amino acids. Fonio has more protein, carbohydrates, and fiber than many other cereals. It has more protein and fiber than rice. Fonio also has more carbohydrates than millet, sorghum, and corn. So, fonio offers more nutritional benefits than similar grains.

Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins and Minerals in Fonio Compared to Other Cereals (% dry weight)

Minerals in Fonio

Fonio generally has similar mineral levels to other cereals. But it has much more sulfur. This sulfur is mostly in the grain, not the husk. This means fonio has twice as much methionine as corn or millet. It has three times as much as rice. Some minerals are in the husk, which is lost during processing. The fats left in the hulled grain are mostly healthy unsaturated fats. These include linoleic and oleic acid. Fonio is also thought to be a good food for people with diabetes.

Mineral Content of Fonio, Hulled and Whitened

How Processing Affects Fonio's Nutrition

The way fonio is processed can change its nutrition. When fonio is milled, its outer layers are removed. Many nutrients are found in these outer layers. So, removing them means losing some iron, zinc, and other good things.

Fonio and Gluten

Coeliac disease is when someone can't eat gluten from wheat. Fonio is more like rice and sorghum than wheat. This means it doesn't have the parts that cause problems for people with coeliac disease. So, fonio is a good option for them.

How Farming Affects Fonio's Nutrition

The nutrients in the soil can also affect fonio's nutrition and yield. This is especially true in West Africa's different climates. Studies show that nitrogen in the soil has the biggest effect. When a small amount of nitrogen was added with extra potassium and phosphorus, fonio's growth increased by 22%. Adding only potassium or phosphorus didn't have the same big effect. But when nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were added equally, fonio grew best. This is because fonio naturally grows in poor soil with low rainfall.

Farmers also looked at different types of fonio. They checked things like how easy it was to process, how much it produced, and grain size. They found that fonio with a big, long stem and a long head with many large grains was easiest to grow and harvest.

Understanding fonio's nutrition and how to grow it better is important. We can choose the best types of fonio to grow more of. This can help make sure people have enough food in the future.

WWF and Knorr studied 50 "future foods" in 2019. Fonio was named one of them. These foods can help people be healthier and reduce harm to the planet. WWF and Unilever (Knorr) want people to eat more of these foods. Fonio was chosen as one of these important ingredients.

Fonio's Flavor and Chemistry

Fonio is known for its unique flavor. Researchers found that fonio contains special compounds. These compounds react with sugars to create its taste. There are three main types of flavor compounds. Some come from starch breaking down. Others come from reactions between starch and proteins. And some come from fats changing.

Fonio's Physical Properties

Fonio has special physical and chemical properties. These properties can change depending on how its starch is treated. For example, treated fonio starch has a lower pH. But it can absorb more water. This means it could be useful in foods like dough.

Fonio's Chemical Makeup

Fonio has more branched molecules than some other starches. But it has fewer chains, which is unusual. Most of its other chemical traits are similar to rice. This makes sense because both are A. crystalline type starches.

Scientists also looked at fonio's tiny structure. It's very similar to other millet grains. Fonio has many protein bodies, mostly in the center of its cells. The fonio grain is protected by thin layers. The grain itself has several layers that protect the inner parts.

The exact makeup of fonio can differ depending on where it's grown. The main differences are in its protein and fiber content. This information can help people get the right nutrients in their diet.

Images for kids

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  A village chief in Senegal holding fonio.

See also

In Spanish: Mijo fonio para niños