Millet is a cereal crop.Millets are small-grained, annual, warm-weather cereals belonging to the grass family. They are highly tolerant of drought and other extreme weather conditions and have a similar nutrient content to other major cereals.

Millets are coarse grains and a repository of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. They include jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), korra (foxtail millet), arke (kodo millet), sama (little millet), bajra (pearl millet), chena/barr (proso millet) and sanwa (barnyard millet).

Other common cereals include wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, and corn.

There are many varieties of millet and each one has its own nutritional profile. However, as a group, millets are higher in protein and have more (and diverse) minerals, vitamins, and fiber as compared to other common cereals. Additionally, millet is gluten free, making it a good choice for those with gluten sensitivity.

Accommodating millets in your daily food routine can be benefitting in many ways. High in nutrition: Non-glutinous acid free millets are a good source of nutrients such as copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese. Which are excellent for maintaining a healthy life.

Many millets can grow in unideal soils, needing fewer fertilizer inputs than other grains. Additionally, they are drought tolerant crops, having been cultivated for thousands of years in hot, dry portions of the wold such as India. As we add move diversity into our agriculture, we also slow the spread of common plant pathogens that are sweeping through some crops and regions.

As the climate changes, it is important to research and identify the best foods with which to feed our growing population in places with limited water resources and increasing heat. We hope that our current research, identifying the growth and yield of millet under different watering conditions, contribute to this body of information.

From the nutritional angle

The profile of various grains (in 100g)