When and how to harvest bajra and jowar for best grain quality?

Harvest bajra and jowar at physiological maturity, when the grain is hard and a dark layer forms at the grain base, and the grain moisture is suitable for safe threshing and storage. For bajra, the earheads mature ahead of the stalk, so earheads are often cut first while green fodder is taken later, or the crop is cut and stacked to dry before threshing. For jowar, harvest when grain is hard and stalks begin to dry. Dry the grain well in the sun to safe storage moisture, around 12 percent or lower, to prevent mould and pest damage. Clean and grade before sale, since bold clean dry grain fetches a better price at the mandi or procurement centre. Avoid harvesting too early at high moisture.