a brief discussion on important physiological and phenological aspects of the minor millets

1. 1
Presentation on
Physiology of Minor millets
Brahmesh Reddy B R
PGS20AGR8436

2. • Foxtail millet
(Kakum)
• Kodo millet
(Kodon)
• Barnyard millet
(Sanwa)
• Little millet
(Kutki/Shavan)
• Proso millet
(Chenna/Barri)

5. Kodo and little millets are largely
cultivated throughout India by tribal
people in small areas.
All these crops have superior nutritional
properties including high micronutrients,
dietary fiber content, and low glycemic
index (GI) with potential health
prospective
Research evidences support that the
low-GI carbohydrate diets help in the
prevention of obesity, diabetes, and
cardiovascular diseases
Proso, barnyard, kodo, and little millets
together with finger and foxtail millets,
are used as an ingredient in multigrain
and gluten-free cereal products

6. INTERNATIONAL CROP RESEARCH
INSTITUTE FOR SEMI-ARID TROPICS.
PATANCHERU, HYDERABAD, TELANGANA
ICAR - INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MILLET
RESEARCH.
RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD, TELANGANA
ICAR – ALL INDIA COORDINATED
RESEARCH PROJECT ON SMALL MILLETS
PROJECT COORDINATION UNIT, GKVK, UAS,
BANGALORE
(WITH CENTERS IN MYSORE AND MANDYA)
ICAR - AICRPSM - COORDINATING
CENTER
ARS HANUMANAMATTI, UAS, DHARWAD

7. Foxtail millet
(Kakum)
•It is high in carbohydrates.
carbohydrates.
•It has double quantity of
protein content compared
to rice.
•It contains minerals such
as copper & iron.
•It provides a host of
nutrients, has a sweet
nutty flavour and is
considered to be one of
the most digestible and
non - allergic grains.

8. • Adapted to lower deccan plateau including high lands of Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (account of 90% India's
production)
• The inflorescence of foxtail millet has a main stalk with shortened
side branches bearings spikes and bristles.
• The first flowers of foxtail millet may open when three fourths of
the panicle emerges from the sheath, or as many as five days after
full emergence.
• Flowering proceeds from the top of the head downward in each of
the panicle branches.
• A large head may take 8 to 16 days to compete flowering.
• A single floret may remain open about 30 min, and about 80 min
are required for the complete blooming process, which is hastened
by high temperatures and low humidity.

9. • Foxtail millet is grown mainly as a dry land crop in semi-arid
regions receiving an annual rainfall of less than 125mm.
• The time of planting typically ranges from May through July.
• The crop cycle depends on the cultivar and on growth conditions; it
may range from 60 to 120 days with a productivity ranging from
800 to 900 kg/ha of grain and about 2500 kg/ha of straw.
• If the crop is grown for hay or silage it should be harvested when
in bloom, since the protein concentration at that stage peaks
around 12 – 14%

10. Damaomao (DM)
• Drought tolerant
• Moderate rate of decline of RWC and chlorophyll
• increased soluble sugar and proline concentrations
• significant increase in ABA and JA phytohormones
523-P1219619
• High soil temperature tolerance
• Effective utilization and assimilation of membrane carbon and
nitrogen
• accumulation of stress-related protective metabolites (serine,
threonine, valine, fructose, glucose, maltose, isomaltose, malate,
itaconate) in roots

11. SiNF-YA1 and SiNF-YB8 - Drought/Salt stresses
Enhanced stress tolerance in tobacco by activating stress- related
genes, and improving physiological traits.
SiATG8a - Nitrogen starvation/ Drought stress
Overexpression in Arabidopsis conferred tolerance to nitrogen
starvation and drought stress
SiLTP - Salt/Drought stress
SiLTP expression enhanced the salt and drought tolerance in
transgenic tobacco.
ACCase - Herbicide stress
Overexpression in transgenic maize resulted in an increased
herbicide (sethoxydim) resistance.

12. Stress type Mitigant
Chemical/Biological
Drought stress ACC deaminase- producing
Pseudomonas spp.
Cold stress Sphingomonas faeni
Metal (Cd) stress H2S (50 µM) and proline (0.1 mM)
Cadmium toxicity SO2 (0.5Mm)
Drought stress Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and
Penicillium sp.
Salinity stress Exogenous Se (1µM Se)
Drought stress 100 mg L−1 , 200 mg L−1 Humic acid

13. Kodo millet
(Kodon)
•It has high protein
content (11%), low fat
(4.2%) and very high fiber
content (14.3%).
•Kodo millet is rich in B
vitamins especially niacin,
pyridoxin and folic acid as
well as the minerals such
as calcium, iron,
potassium, magnesium
and zinc.
•It contains a high amount
of lecithin and is an
excellent for strengthening
the nervous system.

14. • Kodo millet is a native of India
Phenophase Phenology (DAS) GDD (℃ days)
Emergence 8 227
Jointing 32 840
Flag leaf 43 1105
Heading 63 1595
Physiological
maturity
107 2725

15. • The grain is enclosed in hard, corneous, persistent husks
that are difficult to remove.
• The grain may vary in color from light red to dark grey.
Compared to other small millets
• It has a long-crop cycle, ranging from 105 to 120 days.
• It is very much susceptible to the terminal drought

16. Barnyard millet
(Sanwa)
•It is the richest source of
crude fiber and iron.
•Its grains possess other
functional constituents i.e.,
i.e., Gamma amino butyric
acid (GABA) and Beta -
glucan, used as
antioxidants and in
reducing blood lipid levels.

17. • The crop is able to evade drought by its quick maturity.
• Barnyard millet is the fastest growing of all millets; it
produces a crop in six weeks. This type of annual crop is
cultivated in India
• The seed - head is a compact panicle - type infloresence four
to eight inches long, purplish in color, with awnless seed.
• Stay-green trait, early ground cover, chlorophyll retention at
later stages are contributing greatly to tolerance under
moisture stress.

18. Little millet
(Kutki/Shavan)
•It is smaller than other
millets.
•It is high in iron content.
•It has high antioxidant
activities.
•It contains about 38% of
dietary fiber

19. • It is grown throughout India with major areas in the states
of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
• The crop can grow well in drought conditions and considered
as a good famine food as it can produce some grain even
under severe drought conditions when all the other crops
fail to produce.
• It is a typical dryland crop suitable for the areas with low
rainfall and poor soils.
• Little millet is able to thrive on marginal soils which
otherwise yield nothing, and mature as a crop even during
famine years

20. • Kodo millet is a native of India
Phenophase Phenology (DAS) GDD (℃ days)
Emergence 3 91
Jointing 23 615
Flag leaf 37 964
Heading 47 1200
Physiological
maturity
71 1794

21. Proso millet
(Chenna/Barri)
•Highest amount of
proteins (12.5%).
•It has significant amounts
of carbohydrate and fatty
acids.
•Cheaper source of
manganese as compared
to other conventional
sources like spices and
nuts.
•High amounts of calcium
which is essential for bone
growth and maintenance.
•Reduces cholesterol levels
levels and also reduce the
risk of heart diseases

22. • It is specially adapted to hot summers in tropics and high
altitudes, where the growing season is short and the soil it
marginal and poor in fertility.
• The crop is able to evade drought by its quick maturity.
• The proso plant is considered a short-day plant and usually
an erect annual, 30 to 100 cm tall with few tillers and an
adventitious root system.
• The proso millet development can be related to temperature
by using growing degree days (GDD). For proso, base
temperature of 10°C is apt.

23. Growth and development characteristics of proso millet have
been explained in detail in three phases; vegetative,
reproductive, and ripening, which may be further sub-divided
into physiologically distinct stages.
The vegetative stage:
• The vegetative phase covers the period from germination to
panicle initiation
• Completed 16 to 20 days after planting.
• An increase in number of leaves, tiller buds, and plant
height are characteristics of this phase.

24. Growth and development characteristics of proso millet have
been explained in detail in three phases; vegetative,
reproductive, and ripening, which may be further sub-divided
into physiologically distinct stages.
The reproduction phase :
• The period, about 20 to 25 days, from panicle differentiation
to flowering of the main culm is the reproduction phase.
• This phase initiates when the panicle primordium is greater
than 0.5 mm.
• Rapid elongation of stem internodes and an increase in leaf
area accompanied by more tillers are noticed in this phase.

25. Growth and development characteristics of proso millet have
been explained in detail in three phases; vegetative,
reproductive, and ripening, which may be further sub-divided
into physiologically distinct stages.
The ripening phase :
• The ripening phase starts at flowering or blooming and
continues to the end of physiological maturity, which covers
a period of 20 to 30 days.
• Throughout this period, the plant actively accumulates dry
matter, particularly in the grains.

26. Growth and development characteristics of proso millet have been
explained in detail in three phases; vegetative, reproductive, and
ripening, which may be further sub-divided into physiologically
distinct stages.
The physiological maturity:
• Physiological maturity proceeds from top to bottom of the
panicle.
• The ripening of the seed is not uniform throughout the panicle
and delay in harvesting may cause losses due to shattering.
• The grains from the main panicle reach maximum dry weight
and a small dark layer at the hilar region of the seed is formed.
• At maturity, the grain generally includes about 20% or less
moisture.

27. • Proso plants generally mature between 60-90 days after
planting and can be grown successfully in poor soil and hot
dry weather.
• Proso is an easy crop to grow and it seems to be better
adapted
• Under high-input conditions, however, it may be a poor
choice because of low response to high fertility and
abundant water.

28. • Proso millet requires very little water, possibly the lowest
water requirement of any cereal
• It converts water most efficiently to dry matter/grain,
because of its drought-resistance but because of its short
growing season.
• Proso has a very low transpiration ratio, which may be
attributed in part to the C4 photosynthetic mechanism.
• The low straw grain ratio of proso also contributes to its
water use efficiency and adaptation to moisture-limited
areas.
• Proso is very shallow rooted and does not grow well under
excess moisture. Plants seem to tolerate more cold than
most other C4 crops, especially sorghum, but will not
tolerate frosts.