Researchers at ICRISAT identified 10 accessions of little millet with promising seed weight, 15 with high grain yield potential, and 15 with high biomass yield potential from analyzing 200 landraces conserved in ICRISAT's Genebank. These landraces hold nutritional value and yield benefits that can improve food systems in drylands facing climate change. Little millet is grown on 0.26 million hectares in India and can be consumed in various forms like rice, providing nutrients like iron, zinc, and protein that contribute to daily recommended allowances.

1. Newsletter
Happenings
In-house version 16 April 2021, No.1902
New research
Little millet that are big on nutrition and yield identified
at ICRISAT
Ateam of researchers has zeroed in on little millet
germplasm with high nutrients, high yield and
biomass potential following analysis of the crop’s 200
landraces conserved at ICRISAT’s Genebank in India.
These landraces hold the key to developing nutritious
and high-yielding varieties of the crop, which can prove
significant for food systems in drylands facing changing
climate, the scientists say.
The ICRISAT Genebank conserves 473 accessions of little
millet landraces collected from different parts of India,
and a few from Cameroon, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
Researchers examined 200 of these for over two years
and characterized them for nutrition (calcium, iron, zinc
and protein), yield and biomass. They found 10
accessions with promising seed weight, 15 with high
grain yield potential, 15 with high biomass yield
potential and 30 with consistently high grain nutrients.
One of the many millets, little millet is grown on nearly
0.26 million hectares in India, which produced about
0.12 million tons in 2018. Given its constitution, little
millet can be consumed in various forms and can
substitute rice as it can cook faster than other millets
and it tastes similar to rice. It can also be milled into
flour for use in baked or other foods. Little millet is a
smart food- food that is good for consumers, hardy and
thus good for farmers and environmentally sustainable.
“Consumption of 100 g of little millet grains can
potentially contribute to the recommended dietary
allowance of up to 28% Fe, 37% Zn and 27% protein,”
Dr Vetriventhan in a little millet field at ICRISAT.
Photo: Venugopal R, ICRISAT