Mogar (Setaria italica) – an annual grain-forage crop of the grass family, also known as Italian bristlegrass or homi. The plant is characterized by dense bushes and upright stems 50 to 150 cm high, which grow easily on loose, weed-free soils with good drainage. The root system penetrates the soil up to one meter deep, which ensures drought resistance and increases yield.
The growing season of mogar lasts from 60 to 125 days: the first cut appears 60–67 days after sowing, and full maturity is achieved within 112–125 days. Plant height varies between 98 and 151 cm, leaves are long (up to 50 cm) and narrow, and the inflorescence is a spike-like panicle 20–30 cm long with brown bristles. Grains are oval-elongated, reddish-orange, dense, and rich in protein.
Mogar is widely used as a forage crop: green fodder, hay, and silage have high feed value – 100 kg of green mass contains about 100 feed units, and 100 kg of hay contains 55. Moreover, the plant is valued for its content of vitamins A, E, B complex, carotene, and microelements (zinc, iron, magnesium). Grain can be used as a food crop, raw material for the production of alcohol, yeast, and starch.
Cultivation is simple: seeds are sown in spring in warmed soil at a temperature of 14–15 °C. For hay, sowing is recommended at a depth of 2–3 cm at a rate of 20 kg/ha, and for grain – wide-row method with a row spacing of 30–40 cm and a rate of 15 kg/ha. The plant does not require frequent care: periodic weeding and fertilization with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers are sufficient. Thanks to high yield (up to 2 tons of grain and 30 tons of green mass per hectare) and resistance to pests, mogar becomes a valuable component of the agricultural conveyor in various climatic conditions.
