Shashi M Sagar, Pratibha Singh, R.N. Kewat, Suraj N. Gund, Ranjitha S.M., Alok Kumar Pandey, Diwakar Singh, Ramesh Pratap Singh, Sadhna Singh and Prabhas Kumar Shukla
Abstract
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is a nutritionally rich and climate-resilient cereal widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions, where it plays a crucial role in food and nutritional security. In addition to its tolerance to harsh environmental conditions, pearl millet is an excellent source of both macronutrients and micronutrients essential for human health. This study was conducted to evaluate the variability in grain mineral content-specifically calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) as macronutrients, and iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) as micronutrients, among ten diverse pearl millet cultivars. Mineral concentrations were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICPOES). The results revealed significant genotypic variation across all nutrients. The cultivar PH120 exhibited the highest levels of Ca (47.56 mg/100g), Mg (75.39 mg/100g), and Cu (1.94 mg/100g), while NDFB10229 recorded the highest Fe (8.43 mg/100g) and Zn (3.75 mg/100g) concentrations. PC701 also showed strong multi-mineral accumulation. These findings highlight the considerable genetic potential within pearl millet for improving both macro- and micronutrient content. Cultivars identified with superior nutrient profiles can be used in biofortification breeding programs aimed at developing nutritionally enriched varieties, thereby offering a sustainable solution to combat hidden hunger and enhance the dietary quality of populations dependent on millet-based diets