ABSTRACT
Minor millets are a group of annual grasses found mainly in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. They are cultivated on 29.1 million hectares in India, accounting for nearly 25 per cent of the total acreage under cereal crops (Department of Agriculture and Cooperatives, 2006). These millets are cultivated primarily in marginal and rain-fed environments, and play a significant role in meeting food and fodder requirements of farming communities. Three species of minor millets – namely, finger millet (Eleucine corocona), foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and proso, or little millet (Panicum milliaceum) – are extensively cultivated in the arid and semi-arid regions of India. These crops are often classified as ‘minor or coarse grains’ in agricultural statistics. ‘Minor’ refers not only to the smaller size of the grains, but also to their lesser importance in trade. Scientific knowledge about these millet crops is also limited. Despite national efforts to collect minor millet germplasm from farmers, research to improve these crops has been negligible.
