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Abstract Proso millet is an important but under-researched and underutilized crop with the potential to become a future smart crop because of its climate-resilient features and high nutrient content. Assessing diversity and marker-trait associations are essential to support the genomics-assisted improvement of proso millet. This study aimed to assess the population structure and diversity of a proso millet diversity panel and identify marker-trait associations for agronomic and grain nutrient traits. In this study, genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified by mapping raw genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data onto the proso millet genome, resulting in 5621 quality-filtered SNPs in 160 diverse accessions. The modified Roger's Distance assessment indicated an average distance of 0.268 among accessions, with the race miliaceum exhibiting the highest diversity and ovatum the lowest. Proso millet germplasm diversity was structured according to geographic centers of origin and domestication. Genome-wide association mapping identified 40 marker-trait associations (MTAs), including 34 MTAs for agronomic traits and 6 for grain nutrients; 20 of these MTAs were located within genes. Favourable alleles and phenotypic values were estimated for all MTAs. This study provides valuable insights into the population structure and diversity of proso millet, identified marker-trait associations, and reported favourable alleles and their phenotypic values for supporting genomics-assisted improvement efforts in proso millet.

Abstract Proso millet is a valuable short-term crop of universal use cultivated all over the world. However, due to the lack of genetic improvement, the yield of this crop does not provide stable in-come for farmers. The research is aimed to test proso millet germplasm of different geographical origin under different agro-climatic regions in Kazakhstan. 90 accessions of proso millet originated from 19 countries were tested in the conditions of the North (A.I. Baraev Scientific Production Centre of Grain Farming) and the West (Agricultural Experimental Station) Kazakhstan from 2022 to 2023. The main agronomic traits such as plant height, number of seeds per panicle, seed weight per panicle and productive tillering, 1000 seed weight and yield per m2 were measured. Correlation analysis was conducted based on the obtained data. High correlation was established between the SWPP and NSPP traits (r=0.73-0.92) in Northern and Western Kazakhstan conditions in 2022-2023 years. The world collection with higher values of 1000 seed weight showed a lower number of seeds per panicle, while the correlation was negative (r= - 0.48). The findings can be used in future proso millet breeding programs to develop new and improved genotypes with desirable productive traits adaptable to different environments.

Objective: To investigate the effects of electron beam irradiation on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of non-waxy and waxy proso millet. Methods: waxy (‘Yushu 1’) and non-waxy (‘Yumi 2’) proso millet were subjected to electron beam irradiation at different doses of 0 (control), 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 kGy and were evaluated for physicochemical properties, bioactive substances and antioxidant capacity. Results: After electron beam irradiation, the color, starch content, ash content, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of non-waxy and waxy proso millet changed significantly (P 0.05). In addition, electron beam irradiation treatment significantly increased the contents of total phenols and total flavonoids, antioxidant activity and individual phenolic contents in non-waxy and waxy proso millet; the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity increased up to 78.01% and 70.22%, and the 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical cation scavenging capacity increased up to 61.51% and 50.57%, respectively. The contents of gallic acid, caffeic acid, resveratrol, catechin and kaempferol in proso millet extract increased, while the contents of protocatechuic acid and epicatechin remained relatively stable. The correlation analysis suggested that the total phenolic content had a significantly positive correlation with the contents of catechin and quercetin (P < 0.01), the total flavonoid content had a significantly positive correlation with the contents of rutin and gallic acid (P < 0.01), and the antioxidant activity was positively correlated with the catechin content. Compared with the control, proso millet treated with electron beam irradiation exhibited stronger antioxidant properties and higher phenolic contents, which would be worthy of further research and development.

This study was conducted to test the suitability of using nine types of millets namely finger millet, pearl millet, white and yellow sorghum, little millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, kodo millet, and browntop millet in seven popular Indian meal preparations based on sensory characteristics and nutrient value. The popular Indian meal preparations tested were boiled grain, dosa, idli, bisi belle bath, pulao, puttu, and pongal. In total, 53 variations in meal preparations were developed using the millets and seven polished white rice-based meal preparations were developed as control. The main findings indicated that meal preparation crafted from various millets garnered overall sensory scores closely resembling to those derived from polished white rice. Notably, little millet exhibited high scores in pongal and dosa, and achieved elevated overall sensory scores compared to meal preparation from polished white rice. Bisi belle bath made of barnyard millet scored higher in overall sensory score than polished white rice. Moreover, there was significant association between some types of millets’ overall sensory characteristics (p

Drought is one of the environmental stressors that limits plant growth, production, and is a great threat to the rising population and security throughout the globe. In the present work, we aimed to check the impact of drought stress given at different days interval drought (DID) on proso millet and its tolerance capability. The pot culture experiment was conducted and drought stress was given at 3 DID, 5 DID, and 7 DID respectively, and sampling was done on 15, 30, and 60 DAS, and unstressed plants were irrigated regularly. Drought stress results in decreased protein contents in both the roots and shoots of P. miliaceum on all sampling days. However, with increasing drought intensity and duration there was a tremendous increase in amino acids, and proline contents as well. Therefore, increasing osmolytes like proline with an increased drought period proves the role of proline in stress tolerance of proso millet and helps it to survive by maintaining osmotic potential, water influx, and detoxifying ROS. Thus, proso millet can be cultivated in drought-prone areas, and used for the breeding program.

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is resilient to abiotic stress, especially to drought. However, the mechanisms by which its roots adapt and tolerate salt stress are obscure. In this study, to clarify the molecular mechanism of proso millet in response to drought stress, the physiological indexes and transcriptome in the root of seedlings of the proso millet cultivar ‘Yumi 2’ were analyzed at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 3.0 h of stimulated drought stress by using 20% PEG-6000 and after 24 h of rehydration. The results showed that the SOD activity, POD activity, soluble protein content, MDA, and O2−· content of ‘Yumi 2’ increased with the time of drought stress, but rapidly decreased after rehydration. Here, 130.46 Gb of clean data from 18 samples were obtained, and the Q30 value of each sample exceeded 92%. Compared with 0 h, the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) reached the maximum of 16,105 after 3 h of drought, including 9153 upregulated DEGs and 6952 downregulated DEGs. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses revealed that upregulated DEGs were mainly involved in ATP binding, nucleus, protein serine/threonine phosphatase activity, MAPK signaling pathway–plant, plant–pathogen interactions, and plant hormone signal transduction under drought stress, while downregulated DEGs were mainly involved in metal ion binding, transmembrane transporter activity, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Additionally, 1441 TFs screened from DEGs were clustered into 64 TF families, such as AP2/ERF-ERF, bHLH, WRKY, NAC, MYB, and bZIP TF families. Genes related to physiological traits were closely related to starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction. In conclusion, the active oxygen metabolism system and the soluble protein of proso millet root could be regulated by the activity of protein serine/threonine phosphatase. AP2/ERF-ERF, bHLH, WRKY, NAC, MYB, and bZIP TF families were found to be closely associated with drought tolerance in proso millet root. This study will provide data to support a subsequent study on the function of the drought tolerance gene in proso millet.

IntroductionProso millet, a high-quality fermentation material used for Chinese yellow wine production, can produce special flavored substances; however, its role in improving the flavor and altering microbial communities of light-flavored Baijiu during fermentation remain unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of proso millet on improving the flavor of light-flavored Baijiu and altering microbial communities during different fermentation stages.MethodsThe dynamic changes in the microbial communities and flavor of proso millet (50%) + sorghum (50%) mixed fermentation samples were analyzed through intermittent sampling on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 of the fermentation process. Microbial high-throughput sequencing and the analysis of flavor characteristics were conducted through 16S DNA/ ITS amplicon sequencing and gas chromatography (multi-capillary column)-ion mobility spectrometry, respectively.ResultsProso millet significantly changed the core flavor compound composition of traditional light-flavored Baijiu from ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl hexanoate dimer, ethyl butanoate, ethyl lactate, and butyl acetate to oct-2-ene, 2-butanol, propyl propanoate, 2-pentenal, and 4-methylpentanal. The amplicon sequencing analysis revealed that the alpha diversity parameters of bacterial and fungal communities, including the Chao1, Pielou_e, Shannon, and Simpson indices, for proso millet–sorghum mixed fermentation samples were significantly higher than those for sorghum fermentation samples (p

In this study, we isolated starches from non-traditional sources, including quinoa, lentil, arrowhead, gorgon fruit, sorghum, chickpea, proso millet, and purple potato and investigated their morphology, physicochemical, and functional properties. Significant differences in starch particle morphology, swelling power, solubility, syneresis, crystalline pattern, and pasting viscosity were observed among the starches from these non-traditional sources. Further, all these isolated starches had unique properties because of their characteristic distinct granules when seen under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The amylose content of the isolated starches shown significant difference (P < 0.05), and the values ranged between 11.46 % and 37.61 %. Results demonstrated that the isolated starches contained between 79.82 % to 86.56 % starch, indicating that the isolated starches had high purity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of starches isolated from sorghum, proso millet, quinoa, purple potato, and gorgon fruit presented A-type diffraction pattern; while lentil seeds, arrowhead, and chickpea starches presented C-type diffraction pattern. Overall, these results will promote the development of products based on starch isolated from non-traditional starches.

In this study, four proso millet varieties with significantly different amylose and protein contents were used to explore the effects of amylose and protein contents on the visual appearance and eating quality of proso millet. The results showed that the viscosity, gelatinization time and gelatinization temperature of whole proso millet flour, as well as the water absorption percentage, volume expansion percentage and hardness of cooked proso millet were significantly higher for the varieties with higher amylose content than those with lower amylose content, while the gelatinization enthalpy was lower than that of the varieties with lower amylose content. For the varieties with higher protein content, whole proso millet flour had lower paste viscosity, and cooked proso millet had lower water absorption percentage and volume expansion percentage but higher harness. Proso millet with higher amylose and protein contents had poorer cooking quality, higher energy consumption and longer cooking time. In conclusion, appropriately reducing the amylose and protein contents of proso millet can improve the palatability.

This study investigated the structure and quality characteristics of hard and crispy parched rice obtained from raw proso millet through steaming, roasting, and milling. Results showed that thermal treatment disrupted the structure of samples and transformed the crystal from A-type in raw proso to V-type in parched rice. Rheological and thermodynamic analyses revealed that thermal treatment reduced the stability of parched rice. Gelatinization tests demonstrated that the parched rice was easier to gelatinize and had a lower viscosity. The digestibility of hard parched rice and crispy parched rice improved, with rapidly digestible starch content increasing by 73.62% and 76.95%, respectively, compared with that of raw proso millet. Headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results further indicated that thermal treatment enhanced the flavor substances of parched rice. These findings demonstrated the unique properties of parched rice and supported its production and processing as a whole grain.

IntroductionDisposal of the acid whey waste stream is one of the major challenges faced by the Greek yogurt industry. However, based on its physicochemical characteristics and composition analysis, it has huge potential in the health industry. Likewise, millets are highly nutritive and health benefitting ancient grains. Combining acid whey and millet matrix can help in solving the problem of both food losses and food security. Hence, the objective of the study is to analyze the enhancement or degradation of the nutrition profile when acid whey is combined with millet matrix using spray-drying technology.MethodThe methodology of the study includes composition analysis and functional characterization based on antioxidant properties, microbial analysis, and sensory evaluation.Results and discussionThe results showed that there was enhancement of functional properties of the millet-acid whey formulation matrix specifically in terms of polyphenolic compounds, lactose content, and mineral content. Overall, the study aims to provide an alternative method for the utilization and consumption of acid whey that is currently being mishandled and considered as waste by the Greek yogurt manufacturing companies.

Proso millet, being the climate-resilient crop among cereals can be grown for food and fodder purposes. The current study was carried out to assess the variability, association, and divergence for 15 biometrical traits among 72 Proso millet accessions. The traits viz., number of basal tillers, flag leaf blade width, peduncle length, number of grains per panicle, dry fodder yield and single plant yield contributed maximum for the variability among the genotypes. High heritability with high genetic advance were recorded for the traits namely plant height, number of basal tillers, flag leaf blade length, flag leaf blade width, peduncle length, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, number of primary inflorescence branches, crude protein, dry fodder yield and single plant yield. Therefore selection based on these traits will be rewarding in future proso millet breeding programs. The traits such as plant height, number of basal tillers, flag leaf blade width, peduncle length, number of grains per panicle, and number of primary inflorescence branches were positively and significantly correlated with single plant yield, indicating the importance of these traits while improving the yield. High positive direct effect in path coefficient analysis for the traits plant height, flag leaf sheath length, panicle length, peduncle length, and thousand-grain weight indicated that yield improvement can be accomplished by direct selection based on these characters. Divergence by using Mehalanobis D2 analysis resulted in ten clusters. High inter cluster distance was observed between the clusters VII and X, VI and X, VI and X, and XII and I. Therefore, hybridization between the genotypes among the respective pair of clusters would be desirable to have high heterotic crosses.

Changes in phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of three varieties of proso millet during germination were investigated. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) increased significantly with prolongation in germination period. After germination for 6 days, TPC of the free and bound fractions increased 6.30–8.66-fold and 77.65–116.18%, respectively. The free and bound phenolic compounds identified by UPLC-MS/MS, displayed significant variations. Feruloylquinic acid and N,N′-bis-(p-coumaroyl)-putrescine biosynthesized during germination, are reported for the first time in proso millets. Other phenolics including trans- and cis-ferulic, trans-p-coumaric, vanillic acid and ferulic acid dimers (DFAs) were increased significantly along with a new DFA (8,5′-DFA) seemingly produced during germination. The germinated proso milllets displayed superior antioxidant activity than the corresponding ungerminated samples indicating that germination could be one applicable method for improving phenolic profiles and antioxidant capacity of proso millets. Thus germinated proso millet could be exploited as a functional ingredient in several products.

Proso millet (Panicummiliaceum L.) is a short-duration C4 crop that is drought tolerant and nutritionally rich and can grow well in marginal lands. Though the crop has many climate-resilient traits like tolerance to drought and heat, its yield is lower than that of common cereals like rice, wheat, and maize. Being an underutilized crop, the molecular resources in the crop are limited. The main aim of the present study was to develop and characterize contrasting mutants for yield and generate functional genomic information for the trait in proso millet. Gamma irradiation-induced mutant population was screened to identify high-yielding mutants, which were evaluated up to M4 generation. One mutant with a dense panicle and high yield (ATL_hy) and one with a lax panicle and low yield (ATL_ly) along with the wild type were sequenced using the genotyping-by-sequencing approach. The variants detected as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions–deletions (InDels) were annotated against the reference genome of proso millet. Bioinformatic analyses using the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and UniProt databases were performed to elucidate genetic information related to the SNP variations. A total of 25,901, 30,335, and 31,488 SNPs, respectively, were detected in the wild type, ATL_hy mutants, and ATL_ly mutants. The total number of functional SNPs identified in high-yielding and low-yielding mutants was 84 and 171, respectively. Two functional SNPs in the high-yielding mutant (ATL_hy) and one in the low-yielding mutant (ATL_ly) corresponded to the gene coding for “E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase UPL7”. Pathway mapping of the functional SNPs identified that two SNPs in ATL_ly were involved in the starch biosynthetic pathway coding for the starch synthase enzyme. This information can be further used in identifying genes responsible for various metabolic processes in proso millet and in designing useful genetic markers.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to mix rice and proso millets and obtain high nutritional value, fantastic taste and flavor mixed rice. Methods: By adding different proportions of proso millets to rice, the nutritional value and fantastic taste of mixed rice were evaluated via the amino acid score (AAS), texture profile properties, sensory evaluations and flavor properties. Results: There were significant differences in the texture profile properties, sensory evaluations and flavor properties among cooked proso millets additions. The proportion of the cooked rice addition was significantly positively correlated to the gumminess and chewiness of rice, while it was significant negatively related to the sensory evaluations. Furthermore, the addition of the proso millets increased the variety, content of flavor compounds in mixed rice and obviously improved the scores of the sensory evaluations. Conclusion: The integral quality and nutritional value of the mixed rice were the most excellent when the addition of the Yushu 1 proso millet was 10%~20%.

Colchicine is a substance used to induce mutations in order to regulate important agronomic traits. The genotypes Pavlodarskoe 4, Quartet, and PI 289324, originating from Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Hungary, respectively, were used as materials. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different colchicine concentrations (0.0, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.1%) and treatment times (6, 12, and 24 h) on the agronomic traits of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) and to assess the genetic diversity of the M2 generation using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The experiment was conducted in 2021 for the M1 generation and in 2022 for the M2 generation, from May to September. The percentage of field germination decreased with increasing colchicine concentrations and exposure durations. The mean field germination percentages were 48.57% in Pavlodarskoe 4, 43.28% in Quartet, and 53.14% in PI 289324 under colchicine treatment. Chlorophyll-defective M1-M2 plants were obtained using various colchicine concentrations and exposure periods. The highest number of mutational modifications was attained with the 0.08–0.1% concentrations of colchicine. Based on the research results, a total of 248 plants with chlorophyll-defective mutations were selected from 2214 plants. The growing seasons of M1 and M2 plants were shortened by higher colchicine concentrations (0.08–0.1%) combined with soaking times of 12 and 24 h. Thus, the longest growing season (84 days) was observed with a 6 h treatment time for PI 289324, while the shortest (78 days) was recorded for 12 and 24 h treatments. The possibility of obtaining morphological mutations using colchicine has been confirmed. The ISSR primers amplified a total of 1333 fragments; 1281 bands were found to be polymorphic, and 52 bands were monomorphic. The percentage of polymorphism varied from 80 to 100%, with an average of 96.11%. Most of the different allelic bands were detected when applying the 0.08% colchicine concentration. These positive variations are a great opportunity to use colchicine as a tool for improving agronomic traits in plant breeding.

Abstract Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) has potential applications as a new source of bioenergy owing to its high‐yielding C4 attribute. Besides, it has a short life cycle, high harvest index, low planting costs, and strong adaptability and resistance. This study comprehensively reveals the sodium ion (Na+) toxicity resistance strategies from germination to the seedling stage, root to leaf, outside to inside, macro to micro, and the phenotype to the mechanism. Comparative phenotypic and physiological analysis suggested that salt‐tolerant proso millet (ST 47) had better salt tolerance, biomass accumulation, and osmo‐protection than salt‐sensitive proso millet (SS 212). Microstructural analysis indicated that ST 47 could maintain better internal surfaces and intact structures to resist Na+ toxicity and maintain optimal growth. Further, digital RNA sequence analysis indicated that ST 47 could maintain better Na+ and K+ homeostasis by coordinated regulation of transporter genes; the abundance of transcripts involved in chlorophyll metabolism and photosynthesis pathways was higher in ST 47 than SS 212, which contributed to the biomass accumulation. These results suggest that ST 47 resists Na+ toxicity via coordinated physiological, morphological, and molecular mechanisms. Therefore, this crop can serve as an emerging salt‐tolerant bioenergy crop for sustainable saline agriculture and simultaneous phytoremediation.

Whole-plant corn (Zea may L.) and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] are major summer crops that can be fed as direct-cut or silage. Proso millet is a short-season growing crop with distinct agronomic characteristics that can be productive in marginal lands. However, information is limited about the potential production, feed value, and ensilability of proso millet forage. We evaluated proso millet as a silage crop in comparison with conventional silage crops. Proso millet was sown on June 8 and harvested on September 5 at soft-dough stage. Corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid were planted on May 10 and harvested on September 10 at the half milk-line and soft-dough stages, respectively. The fermentation was evaluated at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 45 days after ensiling. Although forage yield of proso millet was lower than corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, its relative feed value was greater than sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. Concentrations of dry matter (DM), crude protein, and water-soluble carbohydrate decreased commonly in the ensiling forage crops. The DM loss was greater in proso millet than those in corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. The in vitro dry matter digestibility declined in the forage crops as fermentation progressed. In the early stages of fermentation, pH dropped rapidly, which was stabilized in the later stages. Compared to corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, the concentration of ammonia-nitrogen was greater in proso millet. The count of lactic acid bacteria reached the maximum level on day 10, with the values of 6.96, 7.77, and 6.95 Log10 CFU/g fresh weight for proso millet, corn, and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, respectively. As ensiling progressed, the concentrations of lactic acid and acetic acid of the three crops increased and lactic acid proportion became higher in the order of sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, corn, and proso millet. Overall, the shorter, fast-growing proso millet comparing with corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid makes this forage crop an alternative option, particularly in areas where agricultural inputs are limited. However, additional research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of viable strategies such as chemical additives or microbial inoculants to minimize ammonia-nitrogen formation and DM loss during ensiling.

To assess the potential risks posed to the environment and human health, analyzing pesticide residues in proso millet is important. This paper aimed to develop a modified QuEChERS method with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) for the analysis of 54 pesticide residues in proso millet. Parameters including the mobile phase of the instrument, the acidity of the extraction solvent, and the type of absorbents were optimized to provide satisfactory performance. The method was validated concerning linearity, limit of quantification (LOQ), matrix effect, accuracy, and precision. In detail, the linearity of the matrix-matched calibration curve was acceptable with correlation coefficients (R2) higher than 0.99. The mean recovery was in the range of 86% to 114% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ≤ 20% (n = 5). The LOQ was determined to be 0.25–10 μg/kg. The developed method was feasible for the determination of multiple pesticide residues in proso millet.

Abstract An optimal mixture design was employed to optimize flour combination consisting of refined wheat flour (50%–75.9%), malted proso millet flour (20%–45.7%), and gluten (2%–5%) on responses, namely bread volume, hardness, springiness, L* value of crust, L* value of crumb, and overall acceptability of malted millet bread. The optimum level was found to be 73.3% of refined wheat flour, 24.7% of malted proso millet, and 2% of gluten, resulting in bread volume (773.33 cm3), hardness (79.08 N), springiness (0.054 mm), L* value crust (58.16), L* value crumb (64.08), and overall acceptability (7.89), respectively. The optimized bread showed significantly higher protein, ash, crude fiber, dietary fiber, and antioxidant activity than the control refined wheat flour bread. Therefore, optimized bread exhibited higher nutritional properties, making it appropriate for large‐scale production to improve consumers' nutrient delivery and protein requirements.

Abstract Background The climate crisis threatens sustainability of crop production worldwide. Crop diversification may enhance food security while reducing the negative impacts of climate change. Proso millet (Panicum milaceum L.) is a minor cereal crop which holds potential for diversification and adaptation to different environmental conditions. In this study, we assembled a world collection of proso millet consisting of 88 varieties and landraces to investigate its genomic and phenotypic diversity for seed traits, and to identify marker-trait associations (MTA). Results Sequencing of restriction-site associated DNA fragments yielded 494 million reads and 2,412 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs were used to study the diversity in the collection and perform a genome wide association study (GWAS). A genotypic diversity analysis separated accessions originating in Western Europe, Eastern Asia and Americas from accessions sampled in Southern Asia, Western Asia, and Africa. A Bayesian structure analysis reported four cryptic genetic groups, showing that landraces accessions had a significant level of admixture and that most of the improved proso millet materials clustered separately from landraces. The collection was highly diverse for seed traits, with color varying from white to dark brown and width spanning from 1.8 to 2.6 mm. A GWAS study for seed morphology traits identified 10 MTAs. In addition, we identified three MTAs for agronomic traits that were previously measured on the collection. Conclusion Using genomics and automated seed phenotyping, we elucidated phylogenetic relationships and seed diversity in a global millet collection. Overall, we identified 13 MTAs for key agronomic and seed traits indicating the presence of alleles with potential for application in proso breeding programs.

Abstract Background Global warming and issues in favour of a more sustainable agriculture suggest a reconsideration of minor cereals in European agrosystems. Compared to other summer crops, proso millet has a remarkable drought resistance and could be used to improve crop rotation and biodiversity. Proso millet is also increasingly sought by industry to produce novel foods such as those designed for coeliac patients. In this study, a thorough characterization of 11, commercially available, proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) varieties was carried out as a preliminary step for crop reintroduction and breeding in Western Europe. Methods The cultivars under evaluation were introduced from Austria, Poland, Russia, and the USA (University of Nebraska–Lincoln). Plants were grown at Udine (NE Italy) and Gleisdorf (Styria, Austria), under greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. Yield components and a range of morphophysiological characters were recorded in both locations. In parallel, 85 SSR markers were tested on DNA samples extracted from randomly chosen plants of each variety and the 12 responsive markers used to genotype the whole variety set. Results Morphometric analyses showed that varieties have several diverging phenotypic traits and architectures. In all instances, yields recorded at field level were much lower than potential yields. In this respect, US selections were comparable to earlier developed European varieties, suggesting that breeding for an increased adaptation is the keystone for a stable reintroduction of millet in Western Europe. Molecular analyses uncovered remarkably low genetic differences and heterozygosity levels within cultivars, confirming millet as an essentially autogamous species; in contrast, large genetic distances were noted among cultivars selected in different environments. Results of SSR genotyping combined with those originating from phenotypic analyses indicated possible crosses to source the genetic variability necessary for selection. Conclusions This study enabled the identification of cultivars that could be used to revitalize the crop in Western Europe and to produce genetically variable hybrid progenies exploitable by breeding.

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) is neglected in human nutrition. Thanks to the composition of the grains, millet is suitable for people with celiac disease and it is also useful in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. For screening the substances in all plant parts of millet via GC–MS, two varieties, Hanacká Mana and Unicum, were used. Substances from the group saccharides, amino acids, fatty acids, carboxylic acids, phytosterols and others were identified in the roots, leaves, stems, and seeds. The highest level of saccharides was found in the stems (83%); amino acids in the roots (6.9%); fatty acids in the seeds (24.6%); carboxylic acids in the roots (3%), phytosterols in the seeds (10.51%); other substances, such as tetramethyl-2-hexadecenol (1.84%) and tocopherols (2.15%), in the leaves; retinal in the roots (1.30%) and squalene in the seeds (1.29%). Saccharides were the dominant group in all plant parts of proso millet followed by fatty acids. The dominant saccharides in all parts of the millet plant were sucrose, fructose and psicose. On the contrary, turanose, trehalose, glucose and cellobiose belonged to the least represented sugars. Additionally, amyrin, miliacin, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and others were identified. Varietal variability can be assumed, e.g., in retinal, miliacin or amyrin content.

A high yielding short duration new proso millet variety GPUP 25 was developed at Project Coordinating Unit, AICRP on Small Millets, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru for cultivation in Karnataka and other states in India during 2019 at central level and released as PMV 442. This variety is a derivative of a cross GPMS 109 and GPMS 908 developed by recombining the desirable characteristics of both the parents. This new variety matures in 70-75 days and has erect plant type with dwarf stature (85-90 cm), non- lodging, narrow leaves. Panicle is semi compact and medium sized. The grains are bold, oval shape and gray in colour. The grain of this variety contains calcium (26.0 mg/100 g), iron (6 mg/100 g seed) protein (7.41 %), and crude fiber (9.72 g/100 g). The variety GPUP 25 showed 29.78 and 16.39 per cent increased seed yield over the local check GPUP 21 and National check TNAU 145 respectively in Station trials. Likewise, in All India Coordinated Trials PMV 442 (GPUP 25) has showed superior performance in grain yield over national checks GPUP 21, TNAU 151 and TNAU 164 by 12.99, 23.73 and 12.44 per cent, respectively at national level. This variety has been released and notified in 83rd meeting of Central Sub -Committee on Crop Standards, Notification and release of varieties for agricultural crops held on 4th October 2019. This variety is recommended for cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana states.

A superior Proso millet culture, TNAU 202, was bred at the Department of Millets, CPBG, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore and tested throughout the country for three years (2008 to 2010). Being a profusely tillering, short duration ( 73 days) culture with better culm strength, it is best suited for the drylands of India. It is a derivative of the cross involving PV 1453 x GPUP 16. It yields on average, 1872 kg/ha of grain and 3700 kg/ha of straw during kharif season. The panicle is loose and branched with more number of grains. The grains are medium bold with desirable grain and cooking qualities. Since it is a short duration crop, it is very well suited for contingency planting. It recorded an increased grain yield of 26.23 and 15.06 per cent over qualifying varieties TNAU 196 and TNAU 201, respectively in All India Coordinated Trials. It recorded 19.16 per cent increased yield over the check TNAU 145, 15.34 per cent over TNAU 151, 31.09 per cent over GPUP 21 and 7.10 per cent as compared to the K1. Hence, TNAU 202 was released for cultivation in different states of the country in the year 2011.

Oil content and fatty acid composition profiles in grain of 18 proso millet accessions were investigated.The results showed that oil content in proso millet ranged from 2.54% to 4.00%,and averaged 3.71%.The major fatty acids detected were linoleic (18:2n6),oleic (18:1n9) and palmitic (16:0),ranging from 0.075 to 5.19,0.150 to 3.02,and 0.897 to 1.81 g/100 g,respectively.Minor fatty acids included palmitoleic,stearic,linolenic,arachidic,arachidonic,docosanoic and tetracosanoic acids.The unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) accounted for 82.1%～94.6% of the total oil.Both correlation analysis and principal component analysis indicated significant inter-relationships among ten fatty acids.Cluster analysis suggested that the fatty acid profile was significantly related to genotypes.

To improve the fermentation quality of silage and reduce the nutrients loss of raw materials during the ensiling process, silage additives are widely used. The effect of additives on silage is also affected by the species of crop. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the effects of formic acid (FA) and lactic acid bacterial inoculant on the quality of main summer crop silage. The experiment was consisted on split-plot design with three replications. The experiment used the main summer forage crops of proso millet (“Geumsilchal”), silage corn (“Gwangpyeongok”), and a sorghum-sudangrass hybrid (“Turbo-gold”). Treatments included silage with Lactic acid bacterial Inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum [LP], 1.0 × 106 CFU/g fresh matter), with FA (98%, 5 mL/kg), and a control (C, without additive). All silages were stored for 60 days after preparation. All additives significantly increased the crude protein content and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of the silages and also reduced the content of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and pH. Corn had the highest content of IVDMD, total digestible nutrients and relative feed value among silages. Compared with the control, irrespective of whether FA or LP was added, the water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) of three crops was largely preserved and the WSC content in the proso millet treated with FA was the highest. The treatment of LP significantly increased the lactic acid content of the all silage, while the use of FA significantly increased the content of acetic acid (p < 0.05). The highest count of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was detected in the LP treatment of corn. In all FA treatment groups, the total microorganism and mold numbers were significantly lower than those of the control and LP groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, both additives improved the fermentation quality and nutritional composition of the main summer forage crops. The application of FA effectively inhibited the fermentation of the three crops, whereas LAB promoted fermentation. So, both FA and LP can improve the quality of various species of silage.

Yield of proso millet was usually low due to chaotic planting density in arid and semi-arid areas of China. To get high yield in proso millet, planting density and plant-type characteristics were explored. This study was carried out in the field to determine the effects of planting density (30, 45, 60, 75 and 90×104 plants ha-1) on plant-type characteristics and yield components. With an increment in planting density, panicle length, grain weight per panicle, grain density, total grain, plant height, panicle height, and stalk length increased. When planting density was increased 15×104 plants ha-1 at a time, rolling rate was increased by about 0.04, but leaf basic angle and dropping angle decreased by about 0.3° and 0.28°. Bender moment, anti-broken strength decreased with an increment in planting density, but anti-lodging index increased. Bender moment of three basic nodes decreased by about 1140, 1041, and 1024 cm g, and anti-broken strength of three basic nodes decreased by about 2240, 1664, and 907 g. The first node, the second node, and the third node increased lodging index by about 3.3, 3.5, and 4.8 cm g g-1, respectively. Increase in planting density of proso millet could obtain the highest yield at 75×104 plants ha-1, and plant-type characteristics of high-yielding population was good for yield development.

The physicochemical, structural and functional properties of proso millet protein from waxy and non-waxy proso millet were investigated. The secondary structures of proso millet proteins consisted mainly of a β-sheet and ɑ-helix. The two diffraction peaks of proso millet protein appeared at around 9° and 20°. The solubility of non-waxy proso millet protein was higher than that of waxy proso millet protein at different pH values. Non-waxy proso millet protein had a relatively better emulsion stability index (ESI), whereas waxy proso millet protein had a better emulsification activity index (EAI). Non-waxy proso millet protein showed a higher maximum denaturation temperature (Td) and enthalpy change (ΔH) than its waxy counterpart, indicating a more ordered conformation. Waxy proso millet exhibited higher surface hydrophobicity and oil absorption capacity (OAC) than non-waxy proso millet, suggesting that the former may have potential applications as a functional ingredient in the food industry. There was no significant difference in the intrinsic fluorescence spectra of different waxy and non-waxy proso millet proteins at pH 7.0.

Abstract Background Drought stress is a major abiotic stress that causes huge losses in agricultural production. Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) can efficiently adapt to drought stress and provides important information and gene resources to improve drought tolerance. However, its complex drought-responsive mechanisms remain unclear. Results Among 37 core Chinese proso millet cultivars, Jinshu 6 (JS6) was selected as the drought-sensitive test material, whereas Neimi 5 (NM5) was selected as the drought-tolerant test material under PEG-induced water stress. After sequencing, 1695 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in JS6 and NM5 without PEG-induced water stress (JS6CK and NM5CK). A total of 833 and 2166 DEGs were found in the two cultivars under simulated drought by using 20% PEG-6000 for 6 (JS6T6 and NM5T6) and 24 h (JS6T24 and NM5T24), respectively. The DEGs in JS6T6 and JS6T24 treatments were approximately 0.298- and 0.754-fold higher than those in NM5T6 and NM5T24, respectively. Compared with the respective controls, more DEGs were found in T6 treatments than in T24 treatments. A delay in the transcriptional responses of the ROS scavenging system to simulated drought treatment and relatively easy recovery of the expression of photosynthesis-associated genes were observed in NM5. Compared with JS6, different regulation strategies were observed in the jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction pathway of NM5. Conclusion Under PEG-induced water stress, NM5 maintained highly stable gene expression levels. Compared with drought-sensitive cultivars, the different regulation strategies in the JA signal transduction pathway in drought-tolerant cultivars may be one of the driving forces underlying drought stress tolerance.

Proso millet and Little millet belong to group of small millets and family poaceae. Flower opening in these crops are chasmogamous type, in which pollination takes place prior to opening of flowers. Hence, self pollination predominates. So, to create variability, hybridization is prerequisite. Because of self pollination and non availability of male sterility, emasculation is necessary for crossing. There are many emasculation and crossing methods like contact method, hot water treatment, hand emasculation and USSR method which are used in these crops. But the disadvantage in these methods is damage to stigma this reduces the success rate of obtaining true F1’s. To overcome all these problems of earlier methods, in our present study, we proposed the modified crossing (SMUASB) method. In this method, cold water of 5-80C is sprayed on the panicle as a mechanical stimulator for opening of florets in male and female panicles. For emasculation, female panicle is gently washed in cold water. This will not affect stigma and its receptivity. All florets which are already fertilized and not opened immature florets are removed before pollination. Hence, success rate of obtaining true F1s is more and less land and resources are required for evaluation of F1’s. Using SMUASB method, we attempted crosses in Little millet and Proso millet and the success rate observed was 56% and 60% respectively.

In nature, plants are always subjected to various abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, high temperatures and so on. Among these drought is a worldwide problem, responsible for limiting the growth, physiology and productivity of plants, thus has become a challenge for global food security towards growing population. Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) belonging to family Poaceae grows under wide environmental conditions and different soil profile. In this view, an experiment was conducted to investigate the range of tolerance and change of metabolic activities of Proso millet under drought stress. The control plants were irrigated regularly and treated plants were irrigated at 3, 5, 7, day intervals up to 60day interval drought (DAS). The root and leaf samples were collected on 30 DAS, 45 DAS and 60 DAS respectively for morphological and biochemical analysis. It was found that with increasing duration of water deficit, tremendous increases of antioxidants activities were recorded at all growth stages compared to control on 7DID at 60DAS. Furthermore, a decreased rate of growth, biomass and chlorophyll content was recorded in treated plants than control. Therefore, it can be concluded that proso millet has affinity to survive under prolonged drought stress and can help to understand the mechanism of photosynthetic efficacy for improving crop productivity.

Genetic diversity and comprehensive performance are the basis for the discovery and efficient use of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) core collections. In this study, 386 proso millet core collections were used as materials to observe inflorescence color, leaf phase, inflorescence density, axis shape, branched spike length, panicle type, trichome, measured area of the top3 leaves, and chlorophyll content of the top3 leaves at filling stage. These core collections were also used to record growth period, plant height, diameter of main stem, plant tiller number, branch number, panicle length, panicle number per plant, and panicle weight per plant at the maturation stage. Starch, fat, protein, and yellow pigment contents in the grain and 1000-seed weight were also measured after harvest. Then, quantitative traits were used for diversity analysis and comprehensive evaluation of each collection. Correlations between all traits were also analyzed. Results showed that among the 8 quality traits, the Shannon index (H′) of hull color was the highest (1.588) followed by the H′ of inflorescence density (0.984). However, inflorescence color and axis shape were lower. The H′ of 16 quantitative traits were significantly higher than the quality traits with the following traits having the highest indices: fat content (2.092), 1000-seed weight (2.073), top3 leaves area (2.070), main stem diameter (2.056), and plant height (2.052). Furthermore, all other traits had a diversity higher than 1.900. After a comprehensive evaluation of phenotypic traits, plant height, diameter of main stem, plant tiller number, leaf area of top3 leaves, and 1000-seed weight were the biggest contributors to the principal components. Six high-fat and high-protein cultivars, including Nuoshu, A75-2, Zhiduoaosizhi, Panlonghuangmi, Xiaobaishu, and Xiaohongshu were also screened. Correlations between the quantitative traits were significant, including the correlation between quality traits and quantitative traits. In conclusion, the core collections can be used as basis for discriminating among proso millet cultivars based on related traits and for further studies on millet with rich genetic diversity, good representation, and significant collection between traits.

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is a cereal well known for its ability to be successfully grown under drought and intense heat conditions, thus sustaining food security in arid regions. Considering that a trend of increasing drought severity is expected in the future in Southern Europe, solutions need to be found to enhance the resilience of agroecosystems to the effects of climate change. From this perspective, proso millet re-introduction could represent an interesting tool in reducing water consumption for grain production and in providing a new resource to farmers. The aim of this study was to characterize proso millet adaptability to drought and low-input field conditions in the Mediterranean environment, especially considering water-related traits, such as water use efficiency. Limited water-demanding crops and yield stability can contribute to the resilience of agroecosystems and their adaptation to climate change. A three-year field crop experiment was conducted in northern Italy to assess proso millet’s performance in terms of productivity and water status in rainfed agriculture conditions. It was compared to a conventional irrigated corn, a typical summer cereal of the area. All years of experimentation were characterized by adverse meteorological trends, in the full manifestation of the uncertainties of climate change. Despite such different conditions from an agro-meteorological point of view, proso millet showed, in non-irrigated conditions, stable yield and water use efficiency (on average 0.30 kg/m2 and 1.83 kg/m3, respectively), and good agronomic performance. Proso millet, therefore, seems to offer interesting traits for reintroduction on the European side of the Mediterranean Basin, representing a resource for farmers. Moreover, the shortness of the proso millet life cycle (on average 108 days) allows it to be used as a catch crop in the event of major crop failure, an event becoming more likely in the climate change scenario. Furthermore, the possibility of producing grain while saving water (and other production inputs), even in very hot and dry years, increases the sustainability of agricultural production and the resilience of agroecosystems.

Interest in proso millet as a functional food is growing. However, studies on the chemical composition, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities’ differences of proso millet cultivars in China are limited. Nine Chinese proso millet varieties (five waxy varieties – S, D, N2, N4, N8 and four non-waxy varieties – J1, J3, J7, J9) were investigated. Results showed that the non-waxy varieties were significantly higher than waxy varieties in the content of amylase and resistant starch (22.95%, 0.23%, 2.02%, and 0.78%, respectively; P

The alkali extraction of polysaccharides from proso millet was investigated by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on a three level, four variable Box–Behnken designs in order to obtain an optimal extraction condition combination of alkali concentration, liquid-solid ratio, extraction time, and extraction temperature. The experimental results were fitted to a quadratic polynomial and analyzed. Meanwhile was the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides extracted from proso millet measured in vitro. The results showed that the optimum conditions were alkali concentration 0.87 mol‧L-1, liquid-solid ratio 23.1:1 mL‧g-1, extraction time 1.61 h and extraction temperature 77.7 °C, at this condition combination, the experimental yield of polysaccharides was 38.27 ± 0.35 mg‧g-1, which was very close to the model predicted value of 36.12 mg‧g-1. The quadratic polynomial mathematical model had a good degree of fitting with experimental data (p < 0.0001) and could there out indicate the optimal extraction process conditions. The proso millet polysaccharides were proved by the antioxidant activity experiment to have better radical scavenging activity on superoxide, hydroxyl and DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl).

Throughout year 2015 to 2016, 101 proso millet and 200 sorghum samples were collected from five provinces in South Korea. The samples were subjected to paired-end RNA sequencing and further analyzed by RT-PCR. The results indicated that Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) was detected from sorghum collected in Gyeongsang province. The other four viruses, including RBSDV, Rice stripe virus (RSV), Barley virus G (BVG), and Cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV), were detected from proso millet. Among four viruses, both RSV and RBSDV were identified high frequency from proso millet collected from Gyeongsang province. Otherwise, BVG was nearly equally identified from five provinces, suggesting that the virus was supposedly widespread nationwide. RBSDV was first identified from both proso millet and sorghum in South Korea. The other virus annotated CYDV identified proso millet was shown to have relatively low identities compared to CYDV previously reported, suggesting that the virus might be new member of Polerovirus.

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is an important short duration crop that adapts well to varied climatic conditions and is grown worldwide for food, feed and fodder purposes. Due to its lowest water and nutrient requirement, it has the potential for agriculture diversification. Nutritionally, proso millet grains are rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients compared to other staple cereals. Recently the demand of the crop has increased due to its highly nutritious grains. Thus it has the potential to provide both food and nutritional security. Despite enormous potential, the crop has not gained the popularity among masses and is still considered as poor man’s food. This work therefore is an attempt to compile the merge information available on crop history, phylogeny, germplasm resources, and present status to make the crop comprehensive and revamp its cultivation.

Resistant starch (RS) is widely used in the food industry because of its ability to regulate and protect the small intestine, but their distinct effects on the structural and functional properties of waxy and non-waxy proso millet starches are not completely understood. The crystalline structure and physicochemical properties of waxy and non-waxy proso millets’ starch samples were analyzed after heat-moisture treatment (HMT). The analysis revealed significant differences between the RS of waxy and non-waxy proso millets. The crystal type of proso millets’ starch changed from type A to type B + V. The relative crystallinity of the RS of waxy proso millet was better than that of non-waxy proso millet. The gelatinization temperature and thermal stability of RS significantly increased, and the pasting temperature (PTM) of the RS of waxy proso millet was the highest. The water solubility and swelling power of the RS in proso millet decreased, and the viscoelasticity improved. The correlation between the short-range ordered structure of RS and ΔH, and gelatinization properties has a stronger correlation. This study provides practical information for improving the nutritional benefits of waxy and non-waxy proso millet in food applications.

Nitrogen is required for proso millet growth and has a critical influence on yield and quality. However, the effect of nitrogen fertilisation on proso millet protein properties remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate how nitrogen fertiliser treatment (180 kg/hm2) affects the structural and functional properties of proso millet protein. In comparison with the control group (N0), nitrogen fertiliser treatment loosened the dense structure of the protein and presented a larger particle size. Nitrogen treatment did not change the main subunit composition, and β-sheet and α-helix were the main secondary structures of proso millet protein based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, nitrogen fertiliser treatment improved the content of hydrophobic amino acids and β-sheet proportion from proso millet protein, and high water/oil absorption capacity and thermal stability was observed, but the solubility, emulsion stability and foaming properties from proso millet protein decreased. Proso millet proteins exhibited high amino acid content and good functional properties, including solubility, foaming capacity and emulsifying properties, especially the w139 variety. Results show that proso millet protein has great potential for food applications. The above results provide useful information for the food industry to determine emerging gluten-free protein resources.

The extraction of polysaccharides from proso millet was investigated experimentally using hot water and acid aqueous solution. Response surface methodology, based on a three-level, three- or four-variable Box-Behnken design for hot water extraction or acid extraction, respectively, was employed to obtain the best possible combination of acid concentration, liquid-solid ratio, extraction time, and extraction temperature for maximum polysaccharides yield. The obtained experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation and analyzed by appropriate statistical methods. The corresponding optimum extraction conditions of each method were obtained. Under the optimum conditions, the experimental yield was well in close agreement with the predicted value by the model. The results showed that the polysaccharides yield of acid extraction was 42.13 mg g-1, significantly higher than 20.07 mg g-1 of the yield of hot water extraction, the obtained equation could be used to predict the extraction experimental results.

The experiments were conducted for three consecutive years across 14 locations using 9 non-waxy proso millet genotypes and 16 locations using 7 waxy proso millet genotypes in China. The objectives of this study were to analyze yield stability and adaptability of proso millets and to evaluate the discrimination and representativeness of locations by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and genotype and genotype by environment interaction (GGE) biplot methods. Grain yields of proso millet genotypes were significantly influenced by environment (E), genotype (G) and their interaction (G×E) (P

The continuous increase in the world population and the associated food demands in the wake of climate change are pushing for the development and cultivation of climate-resilient crops that are able to efficiently use natural resources. Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) might be a promising candidate crop thanks to its heat stress resistance and its limited water demand. To date, one of the most important strategies to increase grain yield and to improve other agronomic important traits is through an efficient breeding program based on a wide genetic variability of parental germplasm. In this study, we evaluated the agronomical traits of a world collection of 80 P. miliaceum accessions. The entire collection was evaluated over a 2 year field experiment under Mediterranean pedoclimatic conditions, which exhibited a wide range of variability for plant height (25–111 cm), grain yield (842–3125 kg ha−1), total dry biomass (2767–10,627 kg ha−1), harvest index (HI; 0.25–0.35), Growing Degree Days (GDDs; 581–899), and days to maturity (80–111 d). A non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance (Np-MANOVA) analysis indicated that GDDs to flowering, grain yield, total dry biomass, days to maturity, plant height, and seed yield per plant were useful parameters to differentiate the germplasm accessions. High heritability (>0.60) was observed in both years for plant height, leaf number, basal tiller, seed yield per plant, 100-seed weight, GDDs to flowering, and days to maturity. Grain yield, total dry biomass, and HI reported moderate heritability (0.30–0.60). The findings reported in the present study may provide valuable information that could support researchers in breeding programs to develop high grain-yielding accessions.

Proso millet, a grain which is principally consumed in cooked form, is favored by consumers because of its rich nutritional value. However, the changes in morphological and physicochemical properties of proso millet grains occurring during the cooking process have rarely been reported. In this study, we investigated the changes in morphological and physicochemical properties of cooked waxy and non-waxy proso millets. During the cooking process, starch granules in the grains were gradually gelatinized starting from the outer region to the inner region and were gelatinized earlier in waxy proso millet than in non-waxy proso millet. Many filamentous network structures were observed in the cross sections of cooked waxy proso millet. As the cooking time increased, the long- and short-range, ordered structures of proso millets were gradually disrupted, and the ordered structures were fully disrupted by 20 min of cooking. In both waxy and non-waxy proso millets, thermal and pasting properties significantly changed with an increase in the cooking time. This study provides useful information for the processing of proso millet in the food industry.

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), also known as common millet or broomcorn millet, is an important ancient crop mostly grown for food, feed, and fodder purposes largely in China, Russia, India, and the USA. It is an under-researched and under-utilized crop. Over 29,000 germplasm accessions have been conserved in genebanks globally. Five races (miliaceum, patentissimum, contractum, compactum, ovatum) have been recognized in proso millet based on panicle morphology and shape. The genebank at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics conserves 849 accessions of proso millet originating from 30 countries and represents all five races. Characterization of these germplasm accessions revealed large variability for morpho-agronomic traits, including for days to 50% flowering (26 to 50 days), plant height (20 to 133 cm), and inflorescence length (22 to 400 mm). On average, the race miliaceum was tall (62 cm) with long panicles (209 mm) and ovatum had short plants (46 cm) with small panicles (108 mm). The average Gower’s distance based on 18 morpho-agronomic traits on 841 accessions was 0.261. The race miliaceum had the highest among accessions within race average pairwise distance (0.254), while the distance was the lowest in ovatum (0.192). The races miliaceum and ovatum showed the highest divergence with each other (0.275), while the lowest divergence was observed between compactum and ovatum (0.229). Trait-specific sources were identified for early maturity, tall plants, long inflorescences, and greater seed size. The information on variability and trait-specific sources identified could potentially support proso millet improvement.

Domesticated in 8000–10,000 BP in northern China, proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is the best adaptive rotational crop for semiarid central High Plains of the USA, where average annual precipitation is 356–407 mm. Proso millet has multiple benefits when consumed as human food. Proso millet is rich in minerals, dietary fiber, polyphenols, vitamins and proteins. It is gluten-free and therefore, ideal for the gluten intolerant people. Proso millet contains high lecithin which supports the neural health system. It is rich in vitamins (niacin, B-complex vitamins, folic acid), minerals (P, Ca, Zn, Fe) and essential amino acids (methionine and cysteine). It has a low glycemic index and reduces the risk of type-2 diabetes. Unfortunately, in the USA, it is mostly considered as bird feed, whereas it is mainly used as human food in many other countries. Besides human health benefits, proso millet has an impeccable environmental benefit. Proso millet possesses many unique characteristics (e.g., drought tolerance, short-growing season) which makes it a promising rotational crop for winter wheat-based dryland farming systems. Proso millet provides the most economical production system when used in a two years wheat/summer fallow cropping system in semiarid High Plains of the USA. It helps in controlling winter annual grass weeds, managing disease and insect pressure and preserving deep soil moisture for wheat. Proso millet can also be used as a rotational crop with corn or sorghum owing to its tolerance for atrazine, the primary herbicide used in corn and sorghum production systems. Proso millet certainly is a climate-smart, gluten-free, ancient, and small grain cereal, which is healthy to humans and the environment. The main challenge is to expand the proso millet market beyond bird feed into the human food industry. To overcome the challenge, unique proso millet varieties for human food and ready-to-use multiple food products must be developed. This requires successful collaboration among experts from diverse disciplines such as breeders, geneticists, food chemists and food industry partners.

Evaluation of three hundred and sixty four proso millet germplasm accessions were done during rabi, 2008-2009 atDepartment of Millets, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to studygenetic variability, diversity, correlation and path analysis of yield and its components. High variability observed for most ofthe characters indicated the scope of improvement of these characters by direct selection. Among the characters studiedhighest variability was observed for grain yield per plant and total number of productive tillers showed highest heritability.High genetic advance as per cent of mean was recorded for all characters except days to fifty per cent flowering and plantheight. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for grain yield, number of productive tillers andtotal number of tillers indicated the scope of simple selection for improvement of these characters. All characters exhibitedhighly significant positive correlations with grain yield. Positive direct effect of plant height, number of productive tillersand hundred grain weight indicated direct selection for these characters would improve the grain yield in proso millet. Thisstudy indicated that, great yield advantage can be achieved by selecting accessions with more productive tillers, tall statureand medium duration. Seventeen distinct clusters were observed by cluster analysis. Principal component analysis indicatedthat panicle length, days to 50 per cent flowering, grain yield per plant, plant height, total number of tillers and hundred grainweight could be used as characters to distinguish the germplasm entries.

Small millets are nutrient-rich food sources traditionally grown and consumed by subsistence farmers in Asia and Africa. They include finger millet (Eleusine coracana), foxtail millet (Setaria italica), kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), barnyard millet (Echinochloa spp.), and little millet (Panicum sumatrense). Local farmers value the small millets for their nutritional and health, tolerance to extreme stress including drought, and ability to grow under low nutrient input conditions, ideal in an era of climate change and steadily depleting natural resources. Little scientific attention has been paid to these crops, hence they have been termed orphan cereals. Despite this challenge, an advantageous quality of the small millets is that they continue to be grown in remote regions of the world which has preserved their biodiversity, providing breeders with unique alleles for crop improvement. The purpose of this review, first, is to highlight the diverse traits of each small millet species that are valued by farmers and consumers (e.g. nutritional quality) which hold potential for selection, improvement or mechanistic study. For each species, the germplasm, genetic and genomic resources available will then be described as potential tools to exploit this biodiversity. The review will conclude with noting current trends and gaps in the literature and make recommendations on how to better preserve and utilize diversity within these species to accelerate a New Green Revolution for subsistence farmers in Asia and Africa.

The Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) technique was used to access genetic diversity between three domestic and nine wild proso millet biotypes from the United States and Canada. Eight primer combinations detected 39 polymorphic DNA fragments, with the genetic distance estimates among biotypes ranging from 0.02 to 0.04. Colorado-Weld County black seeded and Wyoming-Platte County were the most distinct biotypes according to the dissimilarity level. A UPGMA cluster analysis revealed two distinct groups of proso millet without any geographic association. Six weed biotypes exhibiting some characters of cultivated plants were grouped together with domesticated biotypes of proso millet while the three typical wild phenotypes were clearly clustered into another group according to AFLP markers.A técnica de AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism) foi empregada para acessar a diversidade genética entre três biótipos domesticados e nove biótipos selvagens de proso millet dos Estados Unidos e do Canadá. Oito combinações de primers detectaram 39 fragmentos polimórficos de DNA, e a estimativa da distância genética entre os biótipos variou de 0,02 a 0,04. Colorado-Weld County de sementes pretas e Wyoming-Platte County foram os biótipos mais distintos de acordo com o índice de dissimilaridade. A análise de cluster por UPGMA revelou dois grupos distintos de proso millet mas sem nenhuma relação geográfica. Seis biótipos selvagens que exibiam algumas características de plantas cultivadas foram agrupados juntamente com os biótipos domesticados de proso millet, enquanto os três fenótipos tipicamente selvagens formaram outro grupo distinto por marcadores AFLP.

The aims of this study were to evaluate: (1) the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) and mannitol at different osmotic pressures on the germination of three proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) genotypes (VIR 9181, Unikum, and Kinelskoje) under controlled laboratory conditions; and (2) the effects of irrigation water salinity, maximum crop evapotranspiration (ETm) restitution regimes, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on forage production in a marginal Mediterranean soil for the genotypes that showed the highest and lowest seed germination. In the laboratory experiment, the Unikum genotype showed the highest seed germination (95.1%), whereas the lowest was found for Kinelskoje (80.4%). Regardless of the osmoticum type, germination was significantly reduced by osmotic pressure increases. Unikum showed a higher fresh biomass yield (FBY) (620.4 ± 126.3 g m−2) than Kinelskoje (340.0 ± 73.5 g m−2). AMF inoculation did not influence FBY under salt conditions, while in the absence of salt conditions it significantly increased the Unikum FBY (+50.7%) as compared to the uninoculated treatment (552.5 ± 269 g m−2). The 25% ETm significantly reduced FBY in both genotypes (−86.2% and −84.1% for Unikum and Kinelskoje, respectively) sd compared to the 100% ETm treatments (1090.3 ± 49.7 g m−2 in Unikum and 587 ± 72.2 g m−2 in Kinelskoje). The obtained results give novel information about proso millet forage production in low-input agriculture in marginal semi-arid Mediterranean land.