Chapter 11 - Kodo Millet (Paspalum scorbiculatum L.)

Abstract

The Kodo millet (Paspalum scorbiculatum L.), commonly known as rice grass, creeping paspalum, ditch millet, Indian paspalum, Kodo grass, or orvaragu, belongs to millets, which are the first cereal grains utilized for domestication purposes. It was initially seen as a weed in rice fields, and upon failure of the primary crop, farmers harvested it for their food and feed purposes. The genus Paspalum (family Poaceae) includes around 400 species and was domesticated around 3000years ago in Maharashtra and southern Rajasthan. It is cultivated primarily in India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and West Africa. Kodo millet is an important drought tolerant and hardy crop that can be grown on marginal lands. Kodo millet is a naturally biofortified crop with higher nutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fiber contents than the other major cereals. Kodo millet has a good amount of biomass, which makes it a good choice for fodder. Genetic variability is essential for any crop improvement program, which is limited in Kodo millet due to its self-pollination nature. New-generation crop improvement programs, advancements in post-harvest, and processing technologies and awareness among the producers and consumers can bring this crop to the list of major cereals. This chapter summarizes the available knowledge of important agronomic traits of Kodo millet and a roadmap for identifying and exploiting various novel traits to meet the challenges of food and nutritional security under changing climatic conditions.