Small Millets (Nutri cereals): Food for the Future
Rajarshi Sanyal*
School of Genomics and Molecular Breeding, ICAR- Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Namkum, Ranchi, Jharkhand (834 003), India
Danish Jawed
School of Genomics and Molecular Breeding, ICAR- Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Namkum, Ranchi, Jharkhand (834 003), India
Narendra Kumar
ICAR- Directorate of Groundnut Research- Regional Research Station, Bikaner, Rajasthan (334 004), India
Sujit Kumar Bishi
School of Genomics and Molecular Breeding, ICAR- Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Namkum, Ranchi, Jharkhand (834 003), India
DOI: NIL
Keywords: COVID-19, Food security, Nutri-cereals, Small Millets
Abstract
Small millets are traditional staple food in dry land areas and are well known as Nutri-cereals due to high nutrient content. The most important cultivated species of small millets are Foxtail millet (Kangni), Finger millet (Mandua), Little millet (Kutki), Kodo millet, Barnyard millet (Jhangora), and Proso millet (Cheena). Minor millets are loaded with full of macro- and micro-nutrients like Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, Fe, phosphorous, fibre, B complex vitamins. Millets have nutraceutical properties in the form of antioxidants which are essential to human body. These minor millets perform well in marginal land, require very less water for their cultivation and can withstand severe climatic conditions. Small millets are more environment friendly with high water use efficiency and low input requirement, which make them farmer friendly. Therefore, there is need to develop new high yielding varieties to increase the area under minor millets crops to achieve nutritional security in the country.
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Reference
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