A detailed reference on millet crops for global food security

Millet species tolerate drought, extreme heat, low soil fertility, and high salinity, yet consolidated scientific references on these climate-resilient nutri-cereals remain scarce. Millets of the World: Crops for Food, Nutrition, and Sustainability assembles current research on the major cultivated species, covering agronomy, physiology, classical and molecular breeding, nutritional properties, and their role in sustainable cropping systems across Asia and Africa.

The book features dedicated chapters on eleven types of millets, including Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Finger Millet, Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, Barnyard Millet, Little Millet, Kodo Millet, Browntop Millet, Teff, and Fonio. It examines functional properties including the C4 photosynthetic pathway, anti-inflammatory activity, high fiber content, and low glycemic index. Coverage of the short growing season highlights millets’ suitability for crop rotation under challenging environments.

Readers will also find:

• Coverage of classical and molecular breeding advances and cultivar development targeting improved yield, stress tolerance, and bio-fortification across millet species
• Analysis of millet species as forage and silage resources with strategies for increasing economic profitability in smallholder farming systems
• Insights into cultivar adaptability under low moisture and marginal growing conditions encountered across semi-arid production regions globally
• Detailed assessment of nutritional profiles including macro nutrients (carbs, protein, and fat), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and antioxidant content relevant to food scientists and food technologists worldwide
• Discussion of alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals addressing poverty, hunger, and climate action at a global scale

Designed for crop scientists, agronomists, plant breeders, food scientists, and food technologists, this reference provides the consolidated scientific foundation needed to advance millet research, improve production systems, and harness these crops’ potential for strengthening food and nutritional security in climate-vulnerable regions.

P. V. VARA PRASAD is a Distinguished Professor, R.O. Kruse Endowed Professor of Agriculture, and Director of the Center for Crops, Climate, and Communities at Kansas State University, where he directs the Feed the Future Climate Resilient Sustainable Intensification program. A former President of the Crop Science Society of America, he is an elected fellow of ASA, CSSA, and AAAS.

RAMASAMY PERUMAL is a Professor of Sorghum and Pearl Millet Breeding and Research Scientist at Kansas State University. He has 15 years of prior faculty experience at TNAU and 28 years of classical and molecular breeding experience in sorghum and millet breeding at Texas A&M University. He is the recipient of The Rockefeller Foundation Postdoc Fellow and Fulbright Specialist Awards and has developed molecular markers and diagnostic probes for sorghum fungal diseases and contributed to the release of multiple sorghum, hyacinth bean, and soybean cultivars.

OM PARKASH YADAV was the Director of the ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute in India with over 35 years of agricultural research experience. He currently serves as The Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASBR) member in India. He is the recipient of Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Science, India, and Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding Fellow Awards. His breeding efforts have led to the release of 11 commercial cultivars, including bio-fortified hybrids and varieties grown across India.