Dr Alpana DasSr. scientist (Biotechnology)

Division of Plant Breeding

ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region

Umiam – 793103

Meghalaya

Millets for food and nutritional security

Small millets have been traditionally the

indispensable component of dryland

farming system.

Finger millet and foxtail millet are

grown in the north eastern region.

Six small millets :

finger millet (Eleusine coracana),

foxtail millet (Setaria italica),

kodo-millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum),

proso millet (Panicum millaceum)

barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea)

little millet (Panicum sumatrnse)

Finger millet (ragi) is the most

important of the small millets in

India.

It is a short duration crop

usually grown under rainfed

condition

Area under finger millet

cultivation in the north

eastern region was 43,800 ha

(2004) with production and

productivity of 32, 300 t and

737 kg/ha respectively

Finger Millet

Finger millet is nutritionally superior to

rice and wheat and it provides a cheap

source of proteins, minerals and vitamins

to the rural tribal population.

Finger millet malt has shown many uses in

health food formulations besides infant food.

It is also grinded into flour which is used for

making chapatis.

According to an estimate hill farmers

consume 80% millets, 10% other food

grains, 7% vegetables and pulses.

Twenty three (23) varietal trials were conducted in 23 locations

with nine varieties.

Muskey 5 (local variety) exhibited the mean highest yield

over all the locations.

The maximum yield of

Muskey 5 in Meghalaya was

19.44q/ha and in Sikkim it

yielded 18.46q/ha.

Varietal Improvement

Proximate composition of finger millet, rice and

wheat (per 100 g)

100.0100.0100.0Edible matters

--420.0Thiamine (mg)

306.0160.0283.0Phosphorus (mg)

41.045.0344.0Calcium (mg)

71.278.272.0Carbohydrate (g)

1.20.23.6Fibre (g)

1.50.62.7Minerals (g)

1.50.51.3Fat (g)

11.86.87.3Protein (g)

WheatRice (milled)Finger milletComposition

Foxtail millet is grown in different parts

of India, China, Japan, South and east

Europe and North America.

Foxtail millet is the food of the tribal

people in most of the regions because of

its high nutritive value.

From the six varietal verification

trials conducted in Meghalaya and

Nagaland with 6 entries (SR11,

SR16, PRK 1, SIA 325, PS 4 and

KDR), PRK 1 yielded the best with

917kg/ha.

Foxtail Millet

Nutritive value of foxtail millet (per 100 g)

100.0100.079.0Edible matters

--590.0Thiamine (mg)

306.0160.0290.0Phosphorus (mg)

41.045.031.0Calcium (mg)

71.278.260.9Carbohydrate (g)

1.20.28.0Fibre (g)

1.50.63.3Minerals (g)

1.50.54.3Fat (g)

11.86.812.3Protein (g)

WheatRice (milled)Foxtail milletComposition