Pearl Millet Research Articles

Development of Machine Learning-based Shelf Life Prediction Models for Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) Grains using Oxidation Kinetics Data

By observing oxidation kinetics, this study examined how storage temperature (5°C, 25°C, 45°C) and duration (0 to 120 days) affect the quality of raw and fermented pearl millet grains. The study also compared the accuracy of different machine-learning approaches for predicting shelf life of pearl millet grains. The results showed that the levels of free fatty acid (FFA), acid value (AV), peroxide values (PV) and lipase activity (LA) increased with the temperature and duration of storage, regardless of the treatment. For raw grains, the FFA, AV, PV and LA content varied from 0.89% to 6.23%, 1.3 to 8.84 mg NaOH 100g-1, 5 to 88.33 mEq kg-1 of flour, and 4.34 to 23.47 mg KOH g-1, respectively during 120 days of storage over the storage temperature range under consideration. On the other hand, in the case of fermented grains, the values of FFA, AV, PV and LA content ranged from 0.85% to 4.52%, 1.2 to 6.41 mg NaOH 100g-1, 5 to 51.67 mEq kg-1 of flour, and 4.29 to 12.36 mg KOH g-1, respectively. The FFA, AV, and PV values for raw and fermented grains were used to estimate the shelf life using oxidation kinetics data. The kinetics data fit a pseudo- zero-order reaction model better than a first-order reaction model (R2 =0.8901 to 0.9927). Among all the machine learning techniques, artificial neural network (ANN) was found to be a better predictor with the least error functions and higher accuracy (R2 =0.9847 to 0.9969) as compared with the Gradient Boosting and the Support Vector Machine models.

Assessing the Growth Performance of Millet in Uttar Pradesh: A Decomposition Analysis

Background: Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a driver of the nation’s economy with its infrastructure and as an exporter of indigenous products. In the last few decades, it has become India’s largest producer of food grains and has made a significant contribution to exports. Methods: The log-linear exponential method has been used to estimate production, area and yield growth. Production was decomposed to area, yield and interaction effects; for Stability analysis, the coefficient of variation (CV) and Cuddy Dell and Coppock’s instability index were employed and analysis was carried out for three specific millet crops- sorghum, pearl millet and small millets. Result: In Uttar Pradesh, a region of significant millet production, there was a notable increase in the area, production and millet productivity over the entire period. Pearl millet, the most critical millet crop, accounted for a substantial portion of the area (46.93%) and (43.76%) of the total millet area and production in India, respectively. Growth indicated that the production and productivity of pearl millet have increased despite a decrease in the area under cultivation. The coefficient of variation (CV) and instability index suggested by Cuddy and Dell revealed that the production and productivity of pearl millet and sorghum millet showed a low degree of variation over the years. The decomposition of millet production indicates that it declined over the year. Regarding the interaction effect, the highest (2128%) was in the overall period of sorghum millet and the lowest. The highest interaction effect was observed overall compared to periods I and II.

Effect of sprouting on reduction of anti-nutritional factor in pearl millet and its potential application in food industry

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a nutritionally rich, gluten-free grain with numerous health benefits, including high levels of essential amino acids, iron, zinc, and proteins. In addition, gluten-free foods made from pearl millet can help improve digestion and reduce inflammation for those sensitive to gluten. Despite its high nutritional potential, pearl millet remains underutilized in the food industry. This is partly due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors such as tannins and phytates, which lower nutrient digestibility and bioavailability. This study aimed to optimize sprouting conditions in three pearl millet genotypes viz., CO (Cu) 9, TNAU cumbu hybrid CO 9 and CO 10 to enhance nutrient availability and reduce these anti-nutritional factors. Results indicated that 12 hr soaking and 24 hr sprouting significantly reduced tannin and phytate levels while increasing nutrient bioavailability, particularly in TNAU cumbu hybrid CO 9 and CO 10. Sprouted flour of TNAU cumbu hybrid CO 9 and CO 10 recorded an increase in iron of 73.60 and 72.58 ppm and zinc of 46.56 and 46.34 ppm respectively. Besides sprouted flour had less than 1.00 Na/K ratio which might favour the regulation of blood pressure. These sprouted flour samples were then used to formulate gluten-free noodles, with different composite flours using corn flour and tapioca starch in different ratios, further texture and sensory evaluation was conducted and a 50:50 ratio of sprouted pearl millet flour and corn flour was found to be desirable. The research highlights pearl millet’s potential as a valuable, gluten-free food source with broader applications in health-conscious and specialty food markets.

Effective Management of Pearl Millet Blast (Pyricularia grisea) through Combined Chemical and Biological Tactics

Pearl millet is a staple cereal grown in India. It encounters number of diseases which attack the crop during its growth, cause low yield and economic loss to the peasant ad finally to the nation as a whole. The blast also referred as leaf spot caused by Pyricularia grisea has emerged as a serious disease affecting both forage and grain production in pearl millet. in view of this a field experiment was conducted over three consecutive kharif seasons (2021, 2022 and 2023) at the Pearl Millet Research Station, JAU, Jamnagar, to assess to evaluate the efficacy of different fungicide and bio agents in for reducing the pearl millet blast disease as well as Identify the most effective fungicide/bio agents and application rates for minimizing blast intensity. On the basis of field and based on the pooled data, Tebuconazole 50 + Trifloxystrobin 25 WG, 0.04% at 20 and 35 DAS found minimum blast disease intensity (22.96%), Gighest grain yield (2472 kg ha-1) and fodder yield (46.80 q ha-1) over treatment and sprays of Pseudomonas fluorescens, 10 g L-1 at 20 DAS and Tebuconazole 50 + Trifloxystrobin 25 WG, 0.04% at 35 DAS (26.75%), found statistically at par, with blast intensity (26.75%), grain yield (2377 kg ha-1) and fodder yield 44.28 q ha-1).

Foliar applied calcium chloride alleviated drought stress in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) by improving growth and yield contributing traits and antioxidant activity

Drought-induced stress presents a substantial threat as it disrupts the normal growth of cereal crops and leads to decreased yields. The persistent occurrence of drought conditions significantly impacts the growth and development of pearl millet. This study aimed to explore how calcium chloride (CaCl2) regulates the growth of pearl millet when it faces a lack of water. Over two years, field experiments were conducted at the College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Sub-Campus Layyah. During the study, we exposed pearl millet to various foliar applications of CaCl2 (0 mg/L, 25 mg/L, 50 mg/L, and 75 mg/L) while subjecting it to two different irrigation conditions: full irrigation and drought stress during the booting stage. Results revealed that a significant reduction in the growth (plant height; PH, stem diameter; SD, fresh leaf weight; FLW, stem fresh weight; SFW, stem dry weight; SDW, root fresh weight; RFW, root dry weight; RDW, and plant dry weight; PDW), yield (panicle length; PL, grain per panicle; GPP, grain weight; GW, thousand grain weight; TGW, grain yield; GY, biological yield; BY, and harvest index; HI), and physiological attributes (membrane stability index; MSI, and soil plant analysis development; SPAD) were found under water drought stress condition, while increment in antioxidant level was observed due to low moisture contents in soil. In both years, foliar applied CaCl2 enhanced all the physiological, growth and yield traits as well as some of the antioxidants like superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Study concluded that a concentration of 50 mg/L of CaCl2 is optimal for enhancing all examined attributes of pearl millet under both drought and full irrigation conditions. The results strongly advocate for the use of CaCl2 as the most effective treatment for the cultivation of pearl millet in arid and semi-arid regions.

Genetic Diversity and Drought Stress Tolerance of a Global Collection of Pearl Millet at Germination and Early Seedling Growth Stages.

Pearl millet {Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br} is a C4 panicoid cereal millet crop grown in arid and semi-arid regions in Africa and Asia for food and fodder. This study involves the evaluation of the genetic diversity of 28 worldwide germplasm collection of pearl millet by genetic markers polymorphism and drought tolerance indices. The genetic diversity was expressed by 51 alleles of 9ISSR markers that showed 96.43% totalpolymorphism and 11.76 alleles per marker. Cluster analysis of ISSR markers polymorphism divided the 28 genotypes into four clusters partially in agreement with their origin. The application of drought stress simulated by 20% PEG6000 treatment, retarded the germination percentage, and reduced shoot and root length, seedling fresh and dry weights. Drought tolerance indices (DTIs) were calculated based on the response of the seedling traits under drought stress compared to the control seedlings. ANOVA revealed statistically significant variation among the genotypes (P ≤ 0.05), except for seedling fresh weight (P = 0.17 > 0.05) under control conditions and seedling dry weight (P = 0.99 > 0.05) under drought conditions. Genotypes having higher DTIs for three traits are regarded drought resistant, i.e., those from India, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Nigeria. The calculated heritability values indicated that seedlings dry weight is the least trait affected by drought stress whereas root length is the most influenced trait. Hierarchical clustering, based on the DTI values, also grouped the genotypes partially concomitant to their origin. The correlation analysis demonstrated a modest positive correlation between shoot length and root length. A low correlation of r ≤ 0.12 was observed between the morphological DTI matrix and the genetic matrix. Nevertheless, high levels of genetic diversity were identified among the examined genotypes that may face genetic erosion by climatic constraints, and a high potential for creating agronomically superior cultivars by crossing widely divergent genotypes.

Effect of land configuration and methods of establishment on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucam)

The present study examines the impact of land configuration and establishment methods on the growth and productivity of pearl millet. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three main plot treatments, flatbed planting (M1), ridges and furrows (M2) and raised bed paired row planting (M3) and four subplot treatments: direct sowing (S1), 10- day-old seedlings (DOS) (S2), 15 DOS (dapog) (S3) and 20 DOS (S4). Each treatment combination was replicated three times. The results revealed that among the main plot treatments, ridges and furrows (M2) demonstrated superior performance exhibiting greater plant height, a higher total number of tillers, and increased dry matter production (DMP) at harvest. In subplot treatments, direct sowing (S1) resulted in better growth parameters, including greater plant height, higher DMP at harvest, and improved indices such as Leaf Area Index (LAI), Crop Growth Rate (CGR), Relative Growth Rate (RGR) and Net Assimilation Rate (NAR). In contrast, the 20 DOS in raised bed paired row planting (M3) recorded the shortest time to heading and 50% flowering. Among the treatment combinations, direct sowing in ridges and furrows (M2S1) achieved the highest plant height, maximum DMP at harvest and superior grain and straw yield.

Heterosis of Pearl Millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] Hybrids Involving Diverse CGMS Lines and Restorers

The present investigation was carried out to estimate the extent and magnitude of heterotic effects of hybrids over better parent and standard check for grain yield, and its 13 attributing traits at Main Pearl Millet Research Station, J.A.U., Jamnagar during kharif 2023. The experimental material comprised of five female lines, ten male lines of pearl millet, their 50 hybrids developed by line × tester design and one standard check hybrid (GHB 1231). They were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications. The analysis of experimental variance revealed highly significant differences among the genotypes, parents and crosses for all the traits studied. The heterobeltiosis for grain yield per plant was laid between -56.38% (JMSA5 20212 × J-2580) to 97.86% (ICMA1 95444 × J-2372). while, the standard heterosis ranged from -53.87% (JMSA1 20209 × J-2637) and 82.97% (JMSA5 20212 × J-2637). The maximum value of standard heterosis was recorded for grain yield per plant by cross JMSA5 20212 × J-2637 (82.97%) followed by ICMA1 94555 × J-2580 (81.49%) and JMSA5 20212 × J-2562 (72.35%). Further exploitation of these crosses might produce desirable hybrid of pearl millet.

Isolation and Characterization of Probiotic Bacteria from Traditional Foods.

A probiotic is a live bacterium that, when given in sufficient proportions, helps to improve the host's gut health. Kimchi and pearl millet, two traditional foods, were used to isolate probiotic bacterial strains. This study's primary goals were to isolate, identify and analyse the microorganisms for potential probiotic traits, tolerance to gastrointestinal environments, and antimicrobial activity, and produce probiotic capsule. The present investigation resulted with identification oftwo probiotic strains (KAC1 and PAC1) from conventional foods, such as kimchi and pearl millet porridge. The isolated probiotics were identified as Enterobacteriaceae family by 16S rRNA sequencing andare deposited in GenBank (NCBI),accession numbers OQ629827 (KAC1) and OQ629828 (PAC1), respectively. These strains exhibited the characteristics of possible probiotic traits, such as the ability to tolerate simulated gastric juice, inhibitsthe growth of pathogenic bacteria, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, and hydrophobicity. Furthermore, spectroscopic analysis divulges some critical findings which corroborate the results obtained. Finally, capsules containing freeze-dried probiotics was successfully produced.

Comprehensive analysis of housekeeping genes, tissue-specific genes, and dynamic regulation across developmental stages in pearl millet

BackgroundPearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is a vital cereal crop, predominantly cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of Asia and Africa. It serves as a staple food for millions, while also being utilized as forage and an energy crop. The crop’s resistance to heat and drought, coupled with its high biomass, positions it as a promising candidate for climate-resilient agriculture. A detailed understanding of its gene expression patterns across various tissues and developmental stages is essential for enhancing its yield and quality. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by employing RNA-seq to identify housekeeping genes (HKGs) and tissue-specific genes (TSGs) in pearl millet.ResultsOur analysis of RNA-seq data from nine tissues (seed, germ, radicle, leaf, root, tillering tissue, stem, spike, and grain) across eight developmental stages in pearl millet accession Tifleaf3 revealed a comprehensive gene expression profile. We identified 461 HKGs that exhibited stable expression across all tissues and stages, providing robust internal references for RT-qPCR. Additionally, 8091 TSGs were discovered, many of which showed distinctive expression patterns in tissues such as spike, stem, and leaf. Functional enrichment analysis of these genes using GO and KEGG pathways highlighted their roles in key biological processes and pathways, indicating their potential in crop trait enhancement. Protein-protein interaction networks constructed for stem and leaf tissues further illuminated the regulatory mechanisms underlying the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth stages.ConclusionThis study presents a detailed transcriptomic landscape of pearl millet, identifying a set of HKGs and TSGs that are crucial for understanding the molecular basis of its growth and development. We provided valuable options for transcript normalization and crucial targets for exploring gene function for the plant growth and development in pearl millet. The insights gained from this work are instrumental for breeding programs aimed at enhancing the productivity of pearl millet, thereby contributing to food and energy security.

Study of Endophytic Bacteria in Pearl Millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] Roots

Aims: The current investigation aims to isolate and identify the root endophytic bacteria from Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) variety MSH-1970, as well as evaluate the qualities that promote plant growth. Study Design: The study involves isolating endophytic bacteria, performing biochemical and molecular characterization, and evaluating their ability to stimulate plant development through biochemical tests. Place and Duration of Study: Departmentof Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith, Tonk, Niwai, Rajasthan, 2022–2023. Methodology: Pearl millet MSH-1970 was planted in pots in the greenhouse of the Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology and endophytic bacterial strains were isolated. The isolates' morphological features were recorded using Bergey's Manual of Systemic Bacteriology, and biochemical testing was done. 16s rRNA gene PCR was used to do molecular characterization of the potential endophyte, and the PCR product was sequenced. Ammonia production, phosphate solubilization, and HCN production were used to identify the properties that promote plant development. Results: The initial culture of endophytic bacteria isolated from the pearl millet variety MSH-1970 yielded 14 colonies on Nutrient agar medium. One of the colonies, BVCA-16 could solubilize phosphate, and generate hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. Using 16f-16r and 63f-1244r primers, a molecular analysis of BVCA16 revealed 99.92% similarity with Pseudomonas sp. AUS22.The sequence was submitted to Genebank NCBI as Pseudomonas sp. strain BVCA-16, accession number OR350932. Conclusion: In the Pearl millet variety MSH-1970, the endophytic bacteria Pseudomonas sp. strain BVCA-16 was identified and it showed potential to promote plant growth.

Nutritional and Anti-Nutritional Properties of Extruded Puffed Snack Produced From Pearl Millet and Bambara Groundnut Flour Blends.

This study investigates the nutritional and anti-nutrient profiles of extrudates produced from seven formulations of pearl millet and Bambara groundnut flour in seven different ratios: 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, and 80:20, with 100% pearl millet and 100% Bambara groundnut extrudates used as controls. The extrudates were processed using a twin screw extruder and analyzed for their nutritional and anti-nutritional properties. The findings revealed a rising pattern in the content of fiber, moisture, protein, ash and fat as the substitution of Bambara groundnut increased in the extrudate. Conversely, the level of carbohydrates decreased with increased inclusion of Bambara groundnut. Our results also indicated a significant difference in the mineral composition of the pearl Millet-Bambara groundnut extrudates, except for manganese. The values for calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, copper, manganese, and potassium ranged from 38.43-67.97, 3.60-5.10, 39.64-64.65, 290.84-413.15, 10.60-21.76, 0.10-0.24, ND-0.08, and 21.51-70.45 mg/100 g, respectively. Notably, the calcium, sodium, and potassium levels in the snacks rose with higher proportions of Bambara groundnut in the extrudates. Conversely, the concentrations of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper in the samples decreased as the percentage of Bambara groundnut in the formulation increased. However, the mineral levels recorded did not exceed the recommended daily intake, assuring no negative health effects upon consumption. Furthermore, the anti-nutrient content, including trypsin inhibitor, phytate, and tannin, increased with the addition of Bambara groundnut flour, while the phenolic content decreased with increasing Bambara groundnut substitution. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for the development of nutritious snacks using locally available grains.

Estimation of Genetic Diversity for Yield and Yield Components in Pearl Millet

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is one of the most significant cultivated cereals. It demonstrates remarkable genetic diversity due to its wide distribution across the globe and its adaptability to harsh environmental conditions. A multi-location experiment was conducted in Srikakulam (Location 1), Vizianagaram (Location 2), and Patancheru (Location 3) during Kharif 2021 to investigate genetic diversity in a world diversity panel of pearl millet based on grain yield and its component traits using principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA revealed that first three principal components with eigen values greater than one accounted for about 69% of the total variation in location 1, 66% in location 2, and two components accounted for 62% in location 3. The first principal component showed high positive loadings for HI and PHI in locations 1 and 2 and for PWT and GYLD in location 3. Traits such as TGWT, PH, and PL contributed positively to the total variation in all three locations. This genetic variability can thus be effectively utilized in pearl millet breeding programs.

Effects of Cover Crops on Nematode Communities in Spinach Production.

Agricultural soil environments contain different types of nematodes in all trophic levels that aid in balancing the soil food web. Beneficial free-living nematodes (FLNs) consist of bacterivores, fungivores, predators, and omnivores that help in the mineralization of the soil and the top-down control of harmful plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs). Annually, USD 125 billion in worldwide crop losses are caused by PPNs, making them a plant pathogen of great concern for growers. Farmers have started to implement the use of cover crops in agricultural systems for the protection and enrichment of soil but research on how different cover crops affect nematode populations is lacking and in demand. This study aims to determine the effects of legume and grass cover crops, Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum), as well as their mixture on the abundance and diversity of FLN and PPN populations. Soil samples were collected at the time of cover crop maturity and spinach harvest to analyze nematode communities using both morphological and DNA metabarcoding analysis. The results showed that the application of Cowpea and Pearl Millet as well as their mixture in a spinach agricultural system led to the control of PPNs and proliferation of FLN communities, with each cover crop treatment demonstrating different advantages for the various nematode feeding groups. Soil property analysis did not show a significant difference except for magnesium and total nitrogen levels, which were significantly correlated with nematode community composition. The overall findings of our study indicate that the choice of cover crop implementation by growers for spinach cultivation should be based on specific soil health conditions, which in turn promote soil fertility and a healthy nematode community.

Pollens of Fabaceae and Poaceae Alone or Combined with Honey Solution? Suitable Diet for Adults of Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

The main source of proteins for adult Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) is pollen, the content of which varies among species and may have different effects on the adult biology. In the laboratory, we evaluated the suitability of pollens from Canavalia ensiformis (JB), Crotalaria juncea (SH) (both Fabaceae), Pennisetum glaucum (MI), Sorghum bicolor (SO), and Zea mays (CO) (all Poaceae), alone or as mixtures of pollen from one species of each family, for the performance of adult C. externa; these diets were compared to brewer's yeast + honey (standard diet), 50% honey solution and water alone. Excluding water, the diets were supplemented with an extra honey solution (EHS). The protein content was used as a measure of diet quality, although the carbon and mineral contents were also evaluated. The diets combined with EHS significantly improved adult longevity. All the pollen diets promoted egg production. The CO-alone, SO-alone, JB-alone, SH-alone, SO + JB, CO + SH, MI + SH and SO + SH mixtures resulted in reproduction rates similar to those observed with the standard diet, indicating their suitability for C. externa. In contrast, the effects of MI-alone, MI + JB and CO + JB on reproduction were significantly worse than those of the standard diet. In terms of nutritional value, SH was the pollen enriched in protein, CO, MI and SO were protein-poor pollens, and the JB and dipollen mixtures presented intermediate levels. In conclusion, in contrast to our expectations, a mixture of Fabaceae and Poaceae pollens generally is not nutritionally superior to each pollen alone for improving the performance of adult C. externa.

Profile Characterization of a Millet Variety Good for Fura “Millet Food Drink”

Pearl millet is rich in vitamin A, Fe, Zn and high-quality proteins. It is the staple food crop for the majority of the Nigerien. It is processed into various finished products, including Fura, a popular food drink in Niger, predominantly part of Hausa diet. This work aims to identify the main traits of the millet variety sought by actors of Fura value chain. The methodology consisted of collecting data using a questionnaire administered to populations of 142 millet grain producers, 140 Fura processors/resellers and 140 Fura consumers selected in 14 sites and 28 focus groups. The results showed that 99% of producers are men, 90% of consumers are men and 100% of processors are women. Actors in the sample have an average age of 46 years and a basic level of education, mainly traditional Coranic and primary school. Millet local varieties are still predominantly used in the production and manufacture of Fura. The processing of Fura is done in several stages from winnowing to making dumplings. Cooking is the most delicate stage which requires more attention to obtain good Fura. Main traits of millet variety expected by actors of Fura value chain are large grains size, cleanliness, white or reddish coast and consistency, high yield, early maturing grains, etc. In addition, the grains must be suitable for Fura manufacturing process, particularly hulling and easy cooking of the millet flour balls. Breeding of new millet varieties suitable for making Fura should consider a large number of these traits in order to increase diversity, supply, improve and sustain nutritional quality.

Cut-soiler-constructed residue-filled preferential shallow sub-surface drainage improves the performance of mustard-pearl millet cropping system in saline soils of semi-arid regions

Agricultural productivity in semi-arid regions is constrained by soil and groundwater salinity. This study quantified the desalinization potential of cut-soiler-constructed preferential shallow sub-surface drainage (PSSD) and its impact on crop performance in saline agroecologies. The study was conducted at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, India, from 2019-2021. The rice residue-filled PSSD was simulated manually (60 cm depth) in a split-split plot experiment with saline and normal soil under saline water irrigation (4, 8, and 12 dS m-1). Cut-soiler PSSD were constructed in the middle of the lysimeter using rice residue (equivalent to 6 Mg ha-1) as the filling material with an outlet to quantify salt and water outflow. Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum L. (R. Br)], variety HHB-197, and mustard (Brassica juncea L.), variety CS-58, were grown in the rainy (Kharif) and winter (Rabi) seasons, respectively. The soil salinity profile decreased by 23.3%-58.5% with cut-soiler PSSD in different soils. The decrease in salinity was associated with increased plant height, dry matter accumulation (DMA), net assimilation rate (NAR), crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), leaf area (LA), and leaf area Index (LAI) in both crops. The pearl millet and mustard yield increases in the two soil types were 11.6%-43.3% and 26%-36%, respectively using saline water up to 12 dS m-1. This study concludes that cut-soiler PSSD can effectively mitigate salinity stress and utilize saline water at the farm scale in salt-affected semi-arid agro-eco-regions.

Optimization of millet (Penissetum glaucum) seed processing using a gravity table

Millet (Pennisetum americanum) is a species cultivated for multiple purposes that presents high adaptability to different growing environments. The frequent occurrence of low quality seed lots is one of the limiting factors for this crop. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the physical and physiological quality of millet seeds processed by gravity table. A batch of millet seeds (cultivar BRS 1501) was processed on a triangular gravity table. Samples were collected at different points along the equipment discharge zone (upper, upper middle, lower intermediate and disposal sections) and in the feed silo (initial batch). After processing and collection, the physical and physiological quality of the seed samples was evaluated. The results showed that the processing of millet seeds by gravity table separates the seeds by density/weight, with the heavier ones generally being of better physiological quality, facilitating the separation of batches with different quality, resulting in efficient seed separation of different sizes and weights. The processing of millet seeds by gravity table improves the physical and physiological quality of seed lots.

Evaluation on the Influence of Cropping Systems and Nutrient Management Practices in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) Growth, Crop Nutrient Uptake and Soil Fertility Status

Background: At the present situations, sole croppingand generalized fertilization recommendations could not produce advantageous results for neither profitable crop production nor for a sustainable environment. Therefore, the study focuses on evaluating the response of pearl millet to various cropping systems and different nutrient management techniques for enhancing crop productivity and sustaining soil fertility. Methods: The field trial took place at the instructional farm of Karunya Institute of Technology and Science in the Coimbatore district of western Tamil Nadu, India. The trial spanned over two growing seasons and followed a factorial randomized block design, with 2 factors: cropping systems and nutrient management, replicated three times. The design resulted in a total of 12 treatment combinations, comprising 3 levels of cropping system viz., sole cropping of pearl millet, pearl millet with black gram and cowpea intercropping systems; and 4 levels of nutrient management comprising different doses of fertilizer levels in combination with biofertilizers such as Azospirillum and PSB and foliar sprays of 2% Urea and 3% Panchagavya. Result: The experimental findings indicated that intercropping treatment, Pearl millet + Black gram at a 1:1 ratio, exhibited superior results in enhancing plant growth, improving the crop nutrient uptakeand enriching soil fertility. In the case of nutrient management treatments, application of 75% of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) + Azospirillum and phosphate solubilizing bacteria + foliar application of 2% urea at 15 and 35 days after transplanting (DAT) resulted in producing higher plant height, enhanced dry matter production, efficient crop nutrient uptake, improved soil fertility status for sustainable agriculture.

Screening High-Biomass Grasses for Cadmium Phytoremediation.

Investigating the ability of non-hyperaccumulator plants to grow in soils polluted by cadmium (Cd) and their potential for phytostabilization or phytoextraction is essential for assessing their use in phytomanagement efficiency. Therefore, we evaluated the tolerance of high-biomass grasses to Cd by measuring biomass production and element accumulation and valued them for their suitability for phytoextraction or phytostabilization purposes on moderately Cd-polluted land (total Cd concentration of 7.5 mg kg-1) by determining Cd accumulation in the plants and calculating the bioconcentration (Cd BCF) and translocation factors (Cd TF). Among the ten species under investigation, Panicum maximum cv. Massai and Pennisetum glaucum cv. Purpureum Schum showed lower root biomass due to Cd exposure. Cadmium exposure altered element accumulation in some grass species by reducing P, K, and Mg accumulation in P. glaucum cv. Purpureum Schum; K accumulation in P. maximum cv. Massai; Mg accumulation in P. maximum cv. Mombaça; Ca, Fe, and Zn accumulation in P. maximum cv. Aruana; and B accumulation in Brachiaria brizantha cv. Piatã. However, this was not correlated with lowered biomass production, except for K, which was associated with lowered root biomass allocation in P. maximum cv. Massai and P. glaucum cv. Purpureum Schum. Cadmium concentrations decreased from roots to shoots, indicating a clear limitation of upward Cd transport. Although some grasses exhibited a Cd BCF > 1, the Cd TF remained below 0.4 for all tested species. These results indicate that, under moderate Cd pollution, the evaluated grasses are more suitable for Cd phytostabilization than phytoextraction, except for P. maximum cv. Massai and P. glaucum cv. Purpureum Schum, which showed inhibited root growth and may not be efficient over time.