Abstract
Barnyard millet (Echinochloa species) has become one of the most important minor millet crops in Asia, showing a firm upsurge in world production. The genus Echinochloa comprises of two major species, Echinochloa esculenta and Echinochloa frumentacea, which are predominantly cultivated for human consumption and livestock feed. They are less susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses. Barnyard millet grain is a good source of protein, carbohydrate, fiber, and, most notably, contains more micronutrients (iron and zinc) than other major cereals. Despite its nutritional and agronomic benefits, barnyard millet has remained an underutilized crop. Over the past decades, very limited attempts have been made to study the features of this crop. Hence, more concerted research efforts are required to characterize germplasm resources, identify trait-specific donors, develop mapping population, and discover QTL/gene (s). The recent release of genome and transcriptome sequences of wild and cultivated Echinochloa species, respectively has facilitated in understanding the genetic architecture and decoding the rapport between genotype and phenotype of micronutrients and agronomic traits in this crop. In this review, we highlight the importance of barnyard millet in the current scenario and discuss the up-to-date status of genetic and genomics research and the research gaps to be worked upon by suggesting directions for future research to make barnyard millet a potential crop in contributing to food and nutritional security.
Highlights
Barnyard millet (Echinochloa species) is an ancient millet crop grown in warm and temperate regions of the world and widely cultivated in Asia, India, China, Japan, and Korea
Barnyard Millet for Nutritional Security short duration crop that can grow in adverse environmental conditions with almost no input and can withstand various biotic and abiotic stresses. In addition to these agronomic advantages, the grains are valued for their high nutritional value and lower expense as compared to major cereals like rice, wheat, and maize. It contains a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and, most notably, micronutrients like iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) (Singh et al, 2010; Saleh et al, 2013; Chandel et al, 2014) that are related to numerous health benefits (Saleh et al, 2013; Ugare et al, 2014)
Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), India; Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), India; National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Japan, and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research like International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India are actively working on germplasm evaluation for various agronomic, biotic, and abiotic stresses, grain, and nutritional content traits in barnyard millet
Summary
Barnyard millet (Echinochloa species) is an ancient millet crop grown in warm and temperate regions of the world and widely cultivated in Asia, India, China, Japan, and Korea. Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), India; Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), India; National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Japan, and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research like International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India are actively working on germplasm evaluation for various agronomic, biotic, and abiotic stresses, grain, and nutritional content traits in barnyard millet. In a study, Gupta et al (2009) evaluated barnyard millet germplasm at the Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand, India, and identified some promising donors for plant height (200 cm), productive tillers (>4), inflorescence length (>28 cm), raceme number (>50), raceme length (>3.1 cm), and grain yield (>16 g).
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