PEARL AND FINGER MILLETS: THE HOPE OF FOOD SECURITY

Millets are grown expansively in different areas of India as a staple crop to feed a huge section of the inhabitants. In India, its production holds the sixth position after wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and bajra. The most important cultivated species of millets in India are foxtail millet (Setaria italic), finger millet (Eleusine coracana), pearl or cattail millet (Pennisetum glaucum), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), Japanese / barnyard millet (Echinochola crusgalli), brown top millet (Panicum ramosum) and kodo or ditch millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum). Among these, finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) and pearl or cattail millet (Pennisetum glaucum) offers high nutritional, anti-diabetic and antioxidant properties. India is a socioeconomic meager country needs a large amount food grain to fulfill the requirement of its ever increasing population with good nutrients value. To facilitate an improved and healthy food supply, these easy growing vigorous crops would be a good option for the farmers in semiarid regions of India. The planned cultivation of these millets will provide a very nutritious and economical food for a large proportion of poor people.