Millets in Sustainable Agriculture Genetic Improvement, Nutritional Quality, Cultivation, and Integrated Pest-Disease Management

Preface

Introduction: Millets of Semi-Arid Tropics: Key Crops for the New Green Revolution

Roshni Vijayan, Govinda Rai Sarma, Ambika Rajendran, A. John Joel, Adithya P. Balakrishnan, M. Umadevi, P. Shanthi, and T. Rathamani

PART I: GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

1. Genetic Improvement in Sorghum

Ponnaiah Govintharaj, Karthika Gunasekaran, Vishnu Varthini Nachimuthu, Aditya P. Balakrishnan, and Jayakumar Jaganathan

2. Genetic Improvement in Pearl Millet

Mahalingam Govindaraj, Govintharaj Ponnaiah, and Karthika Gunasekaran

3. Genetic Improvement in Finger Millet

Ashok Singamsetti, Anuradha N., Patro T. S. S K., Sandhya Rani Y., and Triveni U.

4. Genetic Improvement in Small Millets

Govinda Rai Sarma, Adithya P. Balakrishnan, Sunaina Yadav, Niji M. S., and Ikkurti Gopinath

PART II: NUTRITIONAL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT

5. Nutritional Quality Enhancement in Sorghum

Neethu Francis, Indhu S. M., Mohanapriya B., Vinoth P., and Jaishreepriyanka R.

6. Nutritional Quality Enhancement in Pearl Millet

Krishnasree V., Roshni Vijayan, Durga Prasad A. V. S., and Govinda Rai Sarma

7. Nutritional Quality Enhancement in Finger Millet

Nandini C., Sujata Bhat, Krishna T. V., Nagaraja T. E., and Sowjanya J.

8. Nutritional Quality Enhancement in Small Millets

Krishnaja U., Shruthi P., and Gopika P. Hassan

PART III: IMPROVED CULTIVATION PRACTICES

9. Improved Cultivation Practices of Sorghum

V. Visha Kumari, Swarna Ronanki, Purabi Banerjee, K. A. Gopinath, G. Venkatesh, and V. K. Singh

10. Improved Cultivation Practices of Pearl Millet

Ananda N., Umesh M. R., Krishna T. V., and Charan Babu Ankela

11. Improved Cultivation Practices of Finger Millet

Triveni U., Anuradha N., Patro T. S. S. K., and Sandhya Rani Y.

12. Improved Cultivation Practices of Minor Millets

Susha V. S., Atul Jayapal, Lisha Jose Kappen, Ancy G. Martin, and Sharifullah Sharifi

PART IV: INTEGRATED PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

13. Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Sorghum

Manjunatha Hubballi, Anjali V. A., Harischandra Naik R., and Christopher R. Little

14. Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Pearl Millet

Nithya P. R. and Padhiyil Amrutha

15. Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Finger Millet

Palanna K. B., Prabhu C. Ganiger, Nandini C., Sujatha Bhat, Tharana Ponach T., Farooqkhan, Sai Bhavana, Krishna T. V., and Nandhini K.

16. Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Small Millets

Rachana R. R., Amala U., and Senthilraja Chinnaiah

Index

Biography

Roshni Vijayan, PhD, is an Indian plant breeder working as an Assistant Professor at the Division of Pulses, Regional Agricultural Research Station-Pattambi, India, under Kerala Agricultural University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate at the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics at College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala Agricultural University, and her work focuses on the development of CMS lines suitable for Kerala rice lines. She has significant research activity in pulse breeding in coordination with the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Kharif pulses. She is an active pulse breeder with expertise in genetic variability studies and transgenic and molecular breeding. She authored several research articles and book chapters and edited two books. Her research and work experience in crop breeding also includes maize and rice. She has a master’s degree in Plant Breeding and Genetics (Agriculture) from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India. She also completed a master’s in international agriculture and life sciences with specialization in plant breeding and genetics from Cornell University, New York, USA, and graduated in agricultural sciences from Kerala Agricultural University, India.

John Joel A., PhD, is a dynamic Indian biotechnologist who is a Professor at the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India. He is experienced in plant breeding and genetics, molecular biology and biotechnology, and plant genetic resources. He earned a number of honors from various nations, including the International Development Research Centre Fellowship from Canada, the Rockefeller Postdoctoral Fellowship from the United States, and the Sri Ratan Tata Postdoctoral Fellowship from India. In his roughly 35-year career, he has mentored several doctoral students and contributed in a distinguished way to improve a wide range of crops, including rice, maize, pigeon pea, cassava, and others. Students interested in plant breeding benefit significantly from his knowledge of quantitative genetics. Dr. Joel has published about 110 journal articles, one chapter, one review, and five conference proceedings and his works are frequently cited.

R. Ambika Rajendran, PhD, is a Senior Scientist specializing in plant breeding in the Division of Genetics at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India. She has been working for 18 years as a research scholar and scientist. She is currently working on abiotic stress tolerance and doubled haploidy in soybeans. Her past work experience is in maize breeding for high-oil baby corn. Her significant research includes heterotic grouping and patterning of quality protein maize using molecular markers, in vitro mutagenesis in rice and identification of sources of high oil and post-Fusarium stalk rot resistance genetic stocks in maize and identification of tolerant sources for pre-germination anaerobic stress tolerance in soybean. The Dr. Rajendran has edited four books, namely  Genetics and Breeding in Pulses; Handbook of Cereals; Soybean: History, Taxonomy, Genetics, Breeding, Disease and Biotechnology;  and  Phytohormones in Abiotic Stress.  He has contributed book chapters and over 29 research articles to the scientific community.

Adithya P. Balakrishnan is pursuing her doctorate as an INSPIRE Fellow at the Division of Genetics at ICAR Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India. Her work focuses on wheat grain quality. Her research interests include molecular breeding and quality improvement. She earned a BSc in Agriculture from Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth in Rahuri and a master’s in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Saradarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University in Gujarat, where she was awarded the Chancellor’s Gold Medal. She published two research articles based on her work in the MSc program on the genetic analysis of the medicinal plant ashwagandha.

“A timely contribution to the global discourse on sustainable food production, resilience to climate change, and nutritional security. . . . An essential resource, bringing together insights from leading experts on the genetic improvement, agronomic practices, nutritional benefits, and disease management strategies of these climate-resilient crops. . . . Invaluable for researchers, farmers, and policymakers alike, guiding efforts towards the broader adoption and integration of millets into mainstream agriculture. Additionally, the emphasis on disease management will help address one of the key challenges faced in millet production, ensuring higher productivity and quality.”

—From the Foreword by B. Ashok, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University, India