Nidhi Singh, Rahul Singh Raghuvanshi, Rajul Soni, Somil Singh Chauhan and Teena Patidar
Abstract
Millets is a nutri-cereal, poor manâs crop blessed with unlimited miracle with multi-dimensional application to meet food security, nutrition security, livelihood security, and also the environmental security. Along with supplementing nutritional diet it is important as climate resilient crop. India is largest producer of millets in world and 5th largest exporter in the world. Thus, the robust features, less water requirement and ecological benefits associated with these crops have made millets a ideal crop for cultivation. In addition to the agronomical, physiological attributes biochemical aspects of this crop are also superior. This nutricereal is rich in protein, carbohydrate, dietary, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Now, the integral part of any crop improvement involves exploitation of genetic and genomic resources. Genomic tools and techniques are involved in genomic sequencing, molecular marker development, functional genomics analysis, genome wide association mapping, genomics assisted breeding. Development of genetic resources to explore the overall diversity within the population and to explore potential donor genotypes for crop improvement. Genomic research has been conducted in millets so far and reported. Draft genome sequence is available for foxtail millet, pearl millet, finger millet and broomcorn millet, providing a platform for the genetic advancement of millets. Despite this much benefits associated with this nutri-cereal, the major centre of attraction of our research team is rice and wheat. These ignorance attitudes towards this crop have made them neglected and underutilized crops. Thus, the genomic researchers in millets should be encouraged to promote the genetic advancement in this miracle crop.