Barnyard grass, a widespread and persistent weed in rice paddies, belongs to the same family as rice and may act as a bridge host for the rice blast fungus. This study utilized comparative genomics to analyze six Pyricularia oryzae strains isolated from barnyard grass (Baicao series) and rice (GDYJ7 and ZJX18), integrating pathogenicity assays, whole-genome sequencing, and functional annotation. Pathogenicity tests demonstrated host specificity, as Baicao series strains caused typical lesion symptoms on barnyard grass but not on rice leaves, while GDYJ7 and ZJX18 caused lesions mainly on rice. Genomic analyses indicated that Baicao series strains possessed larger genomes (41.04 Mb to 41.16 Mb) with a higher content of repetitive sequences (6.68% to 7.09%) compared to rice strains GDYJ7 and ZJX18 (38.69 Mb and 39.05 Mb; 3.66% and 3.71% repeats). Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Baicao series strains represent a grass-infecting pathotype of P. oryzae species, as they were grouped with the established grass-isolated P. oryzae strains, while GDYJ7 and ZJX18 were grouped with rice-isolated P. oryzae strains. However, Baicao series, GDYJ7 and ZJX18 are all relatively distant from P. grisea species. PCR amplification revealed that Baicao series strains harbored significantly fewer avirulence genes (Avr-Pib, Avr-Pizt, PWL3) than GDYJ7 and ZJX18 (Avr-Pib, Avr-Pizt, Avr-Pi9, Avr-Pik, PWL2), with Baicao9 retaining only Avr-Pib. In summary, our results suggested that the genomic sequences of the barnyard grass-isolated strains serve as a valuable resource for the study of P. oryzae strains with differential host preference and provide novel insights into the evolution of pathogen genomes during host adaptation.

An investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of incorporating barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculentum) flour (0, 2, 4, and 6 %) on the quality attributes and omega-3 fatty acid profile of chicken meat nuggets. Nuggets containing 6 % barnyard millet flour exhibited improved physicochemical properties, including higher cooking yield, emulsion stability, and water-holding capacity. Increasing levels of barnyard millet flour resulted in higher moisture, crude fiber, and ash contents, accompanied by a reduction in protein content. Textural quality was enhanced, as indicated by lower shear force values and improved textural attributes compared with the control. Instrumental colour scores increased with barnyard millet flour incorporation. Omega-3 fatty acid content was higher in nuggets formulated with 6 % barnyard millet flour. Sensory evaluation also indicated superior acceptability for nuggets containing 6 % barnyard millet flour. Overall, incorporation of barnyard millet flour at 6 % improved the quality characteristics and enhanced the omega-3 fatty acid content of chicken meat nuggets.

Barnyard millet is an under-utilized minor millet, which shows more resilience to various abiotic stress. Salinity is one of the abiotic stresses, where the crop yield gets affected. This study was carried out in 2024 at Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, where initial stress imposition is a major factor that allows us to understand the changes in root length, shoot length, fresh weight and dry weight. Germination percentage and vigour index are the major parameters that were studied to screen the genotypes for salinity tolerance. The genotypes are subjected to sodium chloride treatment, to identify the tolerant genotypes. The treatments include control (without soaking), hydropriming, 50 mM NaCl, 100 mM NaCl, 150 mM NaCl and 200 mM NaCl, upon all the hundred genotypes. The differences in the performance of all the genotypes for each treatment were observed and recorded. Among the genotypes G34 (IEc 688), G25 (IEc 675), G18 (IEc154), G44 (IEc 360) and G43 (IEc 356) are found to be tolerant to salinity. The salinity tolerance in these genotypes has been exhibited due to cellular adjustment mechanisms and ionic balance that is achieved in the cytosol. This research provides insight into how varying salinity levels creates impact on the germination and vigour index of barnyard millet genotypes. The identification of salt-tolerant genotypes would potentially improve crop resilience in saline regions.

Background: Enhancing productivity while conserving soil and resources is a pre-requisite for achieving sustainable intensification of agro-ecosystems. Diversification by integrating legumes with millets for such high-intensity systems not only offers a potential of improving soil fertility by fixing nitrogen and residue addition but overall enhances proper balance in nutrient cycling, ensures efficient use of land enhancing year-round productivity under irrigated conditions. Methods: Field experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu under irrigated conditions to evaluate high intensity legume-millet-millet cropping sequences. The study consisted of twelve cropping sequences laid down in a randomized block design with three replications, covering a complete annual cycle from rabi to kharif. Legume crop (Pea) was grown as common rabi crop across all treatments, followed by three millets foxtail millet, proso millet and pearl millet in the summer season and four millets finger millet, barnyard millet, little millet and kodo millet during kharif. Result: Productivity of pea remained statistically unaffected during both years. During the summer season, cropping sequences involving pearl millet recorded significantly higher yields followed by foxtail millet. While among the kharif crops, finger millet outperformed other millet crops in sequence in terms of productivity. Overall, cropping systems integrating foxtail or pearl millet during summer and finger millet during kharif achieved the significantly higher system productivity (14,533.92 and 14,582.74 kg ha-1 in the first and second year, respectively) and profitability in terms of benefit : cost ratio of 2.62 and 2.38. Hence, the inclusion of pea-foxtail/pearl millet-finger millet proved to be most productive and economical viable option for irrigated conditions.

This study investigates the prebiotic and probiotic potential of four nutritionally rich millets—finger millet, sorghum, foxtail millet, and barnyard millet—through microbial isolation, biochemical characterization, and controlled fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria were isolated using MRS-based culturing and identified through phenotypic, biochemical, and 16S rRNA analyses. Fermentation kinetics were evaluated using pH shifts as indicators of acidification and microbial activity. Finger millet demonstrated the most stable pH profile and highest compatibility with probiotic strains, followed by sorghum, while barnyard millet showed excessive acidification. The findings highlight finger millet as a promising substrate for functional food development, supporting both probiotic viability and prebiotic fermentability. This work underscores the potential of millet-based formulations in gut health modulation and future functional beverage innovation.

Background: Minor millets, with their small size and hard husk, pose challenges in dehulling that affect overall yield and utility. Pretreatment methods were employed to facilitate more efficient dehulling. Methods: The current study was undertaken to assess the dehulling efficiency and evaluate the impact of various pre-treatments on the spatial and functional properties of barnyard millet (Echinochloa crusgalli L.). The grains were subjected to abrasive dehulling [A] for 2[A2], 4[A4], or 6[A6] minutes followed by centrifugal dehulling and the efficiency indices were calculated. Result: A2 and A4 samples exhibited superior milling efficiency and whole kernel recovery reflecting better grain integrity after processing. The A6 treatment resulted in highest head rice yield with intact grains whereas the control has lower retention and reduced dehulling performance. Spatial analysis of the grain revealed that A4 has the largest grain dimensions compared to other samples. Functional property evaluation indicated that A6 had the highest water holding capacity and swelling power making it ideal in developing rehydrated formulations, A4 was more appropriate for processed foods applications, A2 has good hydration properties, while the control sample was best suited for snack preparation. Among the pre-treated samples A2 sample was reported significantly dominant among the other pre-treated samples.

Citric acid-crosslinked guar gum-carboxymethyl cellulose-soy protein hydrogel networks based on barnyard millet for functional and sustainable edible straws.

Natural rosin derivatives offer a promising scaffold for developing low-toxicity herbicides to address environmental concerns triggered by synthetic agrochemicals. In this research, a series of dehydroabietyl-hydrazide-based derivatives (3a-l) were synthesized using dehydroabietic acid as a lead compound. The herbicidal activities of these derivatives were evaluated against Echinochloa crusgalli, Sorghum halepense, Portulaca oleracea, and Amaranthus caudatus L. weeds. The result indicated that 3e exhibited broad-spectrum activity, particularly against barnyard grass root growth, with 91.0% inhibition at 100 μg/mL, outperforming the commercial herbicides naptalam (NPA) and glyphosate. Subsequently, the physiological indicators were employed to reveal the mode of action of 3e, and the result suggested that 3e significantly inhibited peroxidase enzyme activity, reduced the level of growth-promoting hormones, and increased the inhibitory hormone content, ultimately disrupting endogenous hormone homeostasis. Molecular docking demonstrated that 3e stably bound to the POD (-7.73 kcal/mol) via synergistic hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic actions. Crop safety assessments showed that 3e presented lower toxicity to wheat, corn, rice, and cotton seedlings at a high concentration of 200 g a.i./ha. The biosafety assessment evaluation also suggested that 3e showed lower toxicity to zebrafish, with 96 h median lethal concentration values of 33.9 μg/mL. Overall, these findings suggested that 3e could serve as a natural herbicide agent for controlling E. crusgalli, offering a sustainable weed management strategy.

Millets are often referred to as a "poor man's crop" due to their affordability and resilience. These small, nutrient-dense grains are classified into major and minor millets. This study aims on the dimensional, structural, and chemical characteristics of two minor millets: barnyard millet and little millet. The grain dimensions of barnyard millet and little millet ranged from 1.356 ± 0.023 to 1.161 ± 0.003 mm, 1.660 ± 0.233 to 1.812 ± 0.011 mm, and 3.016 ± 0.007 to 3.246 ± 0.012 mm. The arithmetic diameters (mm) and thousand kernel weight (g) ranged from 2.275 ± 0.025 to 2.263 ± 0.320 mm and 3.146 ± 0.052 to 3.072 ± 0.011g for barnyard and little millet respectively. The density (g/ml) and bulk density (Kg/m3) of both these grains were found to be 0.729 ± 0.008 and 0.763 ± 0.016, 950.8 ± 12.297 and 969.4 ± 6.235. The true density of barnyard millet was 1631.5 ± 59.755 compared to little millet 1309.333 ± 102.768 kg/m3. Additionally, barnyard millet showed a higher porosity % 16.048 and a lower sphericity % 4.246. The moisture content was 12.360 ± 0.060% in barnyard millet and 11.147 ± 0.083% in little millet. Protein and fat contents ranged between 10.283 ± 0.329% and 8.967 ± 0.042%, and 4.087 ± 0.070% and 3.140 ± 0.066%, respectively, for little millet and barnyard millet. Ash content was higher in barnyard millet (4.183 ± 0.040%) than in little millet (1.140 ± 0.080%). The carbohydrate content was 73.343 ± 0.264% in little millet and 71.350 ± 0.078% in barnyard millet. These findings provide valuable insights into the physical and chemical properties of these minor millets, highlighting their potential as nutritious food sources.

Millets are increasingly recognized as climate-resilient, nutrient-rich grains essential for food and nutritional security. However, the limited availability of annotated datasets and the visual similarities among millet varieties such as Barnyard Millet, Little Millet, and Proso Millet pose significant challenges in their accurate identification and classification. To address these issues, this study proposes two novel hybrid frameworks that leverage both handcrafted and deep learning paradigms. A key component shared by both frameworks is the incorporation of a custom-designed handcrafted feature extraction process. The first framework introduces a Stacked Ensemble Machine Learning approach, that integrates handcrafted techniques and machine learning classifiers as Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifiers using a multinomial logistic regression meta-learner. The second framework adopts a bidirectional deep learning architecture; wherein handcrafted feature vectors are fused with the pretrained VGG19 model to achieve effective classification of different millet varieties. The stacked ensemble hybrid model achieved the 97% classification accuracy where as the second model achieved the highest accuracy of 96.7%, an F1-score of 0.967, and a ROC-AUC of 0.995, while maintaining excellent tradeoff between training and inference times.

Barnyard millet: A review of its nutritional, anti-nutritional characteristics, processing and value-added products

Although drought responses of C3 and C4 plants have been widely investigated, direct comparative analyses of their physiological and detailed metabolic biosynthetic adaptations remain limited. This study provided a detailed pathway-level analysis of drought stress responses in a Brassica oleracea (kale, C3) versus Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass, C4) moving beyond previous comparisons that typically focus on broad physiological differences. Our study integrates multi-level physiological, molecular, biochemical, and metabolic data, emphasizing specific drought-adaptive biosynthetic pathways such as anthocyanin and glucosinolate synthesis. Drought stress significantly reduced biomass and photosynthetic efficiency (p < 0.05) in both species, with kale exhibiting greater declines. Kale also accumulated higher oxidative stress indicators, with H₂O₂ and lipid peroxidation (MDA) increasing by 21.81% and 113%, respectively, relative to barnyard grass, indicating stronger oxidative damage. Both species significantly upregulated antioxidants metabolites and enzymes, reflecting activation of protective mechanisms. Anthocyanin content rose by 83% in barnyard grass and 113% in kale under drought. Detailed pathway analysis revealed elevated precursor levels (phenylalanine and p-coumaroyl-CoA) and increased activities and gene expression of key enzymes in the phenylpropanoid pathway, including cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), chalcone synthase (CHS), and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), highlighting the specific C3-C4 photosynthetic-type biochemical strategies for drought adaptation. The strong activation of defense pathways such as anthocyanin and glucosinolate biosynthesis suggests that kale compensates for its lower drought tolerance by increasing metabolic flexibility. Molecular evidence further supports induced expression of anthocyanin related biosynthetic genes. The detailed, multi-level metabolic analysis uncover the -specific C3-C4 photosynthetic-type biochemical strategies for drought adaptation. This work advances plant physiology knowledge by revealing how C3 and C4 plants differ in metabolic drought adaptations, offering practical relevance for both crop improvement and weed management. This reveals key physiological and biochemical differences, with kale (C3) needing more metabolic adjustment to handle drought.

The study was carried out for determining of the effect of storage period on sensory characteristics of spread formulated by millets (finger and barnyard) and other ingredients (sweet potato, sesame seeds and anjeer). Among the tested formulations, the spread containing 50 g finger millet, 38 g barnyard millet, 5 g sweet potato, 2 g sesame seeds, and 5 g anjeer received the highest overall acceptability from panellists. Samples were packed in airtight containers and analysed at 0, 3, 6, and 9 days of storage to assess changes in quality parameters. By day 9 of storage, a slight increase in moisture content was observed in all millet spreads. The control sample exhibited the highest moisture content (58.85–62.00%), whereas treatment T2 showed the lowest (50.07–53.99%). The total bacterial count (TBC) increased from 0.53 × 10² CFU/g on day 3 to 2.46 × 104 CFU/g by day 9. The total mold count (TMC) remained below detectable levels throughout the storage period. The result of present investigation suggested that millet spread could be kept in glass jar air tight container at room temperature for a period of 9 days without experience and quality deterioration.

Abstract The application of biochar combined with organic fertilizers is increasingly being recognized as a sustainable strategy for improving soil quality and crop productivity. Ginkgo leaves are abundantly generated but rarely utilized because of their allelopathic effects and poor degradability. In this study, the allelopathic activity of ginkgo leaf biochar produced at three different pyrolysis temperatures (300 °C, 500 °C, and 700 °C) was evaluated through seed germination tests using six species of seeds—three crops (kale, lettuce, and perennial ryegrass) and three weeds (annual bluegrass, barnyard millet, and slender amaranth). Additionally, the effects of organic fertilizer mixed with different ratios (10% and 30%) of ginkgo leaf biochar on soil chemistry and lettuce growth were also evaluated. Seed germination assays revealed that biochar produced at 300 °C and 700 °C inhibited germination in most species, while biochar produced at 500 °C showed no allelopathic effects on any of the tested species and promoted germination in lettuce and kale. Soil chemical properties indicated that application of organic fertilizer mixed with ginkgo leaf biochar increased soil pH, total carbon, and total nitrogen content. Notably, soil total nitrogen content increased with higher pyrolysis temperatures and mixing ratios of ginkgo leaf biochar. In lettuce growth trials, organic fertilizers mixed with biochar produced at temperatures above 500 °C significantly increased the fresh weight, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf number of lettuce. Applying organic fertilizer mixed with 30% biochar produced at 500 °C increased fresh weight by 63.6% relative to the control (organic fertilizer without biochar). Ginkgo leaf biochar produced at moderate temperatures (around 500 °C) and applied at higher ratios effectively enhanced crop growth, promoted germination, and improved soil fertility. These results suggest that this approach can promote the recycling of biomass and contribute to sustainable agricultural productivity.

Multi-gene metabolic detoxification conferring cyhalofop-butyl resistance in Echinochloa crus-galli (Barnyard grass).

Development and quality enhancement of gluten free noodles using hydrothermally treated barnyard millet flour

The long-term application of traditional chemical herbicides has caused a significant escalation in herbicide resistance of barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli). As an eco-friendly alternative, biological herbicides demonstrate substantial application potential. Acknowledging the growing herbicide resistance of E. crus-galli, this study aimed to screen target bacteria with inhibitory effects on the growth for bio-herbicide development. By using ungerminated E. crus-galli seeds as the screening substrate, a bacterial strain (BFYBC-8) with potent inhibitory activity was isolated and identified as Brucella pseudorignonensis. Pot experiments revealed that inoculation with B. pseudorignonensis BFYBC-8 significantly suppressed E. crus-galli growth, reducing plant height by 16.7% and root length by 85.1%, while markedly inhibiting biomass accumulation. Fluorescent labeling with green fluorescent protein (GFP) showed that BFYBC-8 successfully colonized the root intercellular spaces of E. crus-galli and extended continuously along the tissue matrix. Additionally, the strain’s supernatant metabolic products exhibited exceptional thermostability: inhibitory activity against E. crus-galli was maintained after thermal treatment at 28 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C, and 100 °C. Crucially, the bacterium displayed no toxicity to agronomically important crops such as rice, wheat, and corn. This study highlights B. pseudorignonensis BFYBC-8 as a promising candidate for bioherbicide development and provides an important reference for applying seed-associated pathogenic bacteria in developing bioherbicides for sustainable weed management.

A comparative study of silicon uptake, accumulation and understanding its role in salt stress mitigation in millets.

Extreme climatic conditions are increasingly threatening staple crop yields and jeopardizing global food security. In response, there is a growing emphasis on optimizing natural resource utilization to adapt to a changing climate. Millets have emerged as vital resilient crops capable of thriving in less fertile soils and harsh environments, making them essential for sustainable food systems. Varieties such as sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, and pseudo-cereals like amaranth and quinoa are cultivated across arid, semi-arid, and cold semi-arid regions of India. Their ancient origins and rich nutritional profile position millets as key players in addressing the global hunger crisis and shaping the food industry. Millets are highly nutritious, offering substantial amounts of protein, dietary fiber, calcium, essential amino acids, and vitamins, while their low water requirements and compatibility with organic farming align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG-1, SDG-2, SDG-3, SDG-8, SDG-12, SDG-13, and SDG-15. Beyond their nutritional benefits, millets contribute to health by preventing conditions like type II diabetes, malnutrition, celiac disease, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. Traditional mixed cropping systems, such as India’s Barahnaja-where twelve or more crops including millets, pulses, legumes, and oilseeds are cultivated together during the Kharif season-highlight the integral role of millets in sustainable agriculture. Similar systems are practiced in other resource-limited regions of India, including arid Rajasthan. This review emphasizes the critical role of millets in promoting sustainable development and ensuring food security amidst climate challenges.

Correlation and path coefficient studies on yield components in summer season barnyard millet genotypes