Genetic improvement of Small Millets

About the Editors Dr Sweta MishraDr Sweta Mishra is working as Professor and Head, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding and is Principal Investigator of the Small Millets scheme at Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar. She specializes in molecular plant breeding. She has 18 years of teaching and research experience in the capacity of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor in various organizations in different states of India. She has guided many MSc and PhD students. She has successfully handled two international, six national, and eight state-funded research projects as PI and Co-PI. She has worked in different crops like finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, wheat, basmati rice, pigeonpea, date palm, olives, jatropha, simarouba, noni, tomato, etc. Presently, she is the PI for AICRP Small Millets and is committed for reviving the lost glory of millets. She is working for the genetic improvement in small millets, area expansion, enhanced production and productivity, and value addition and processing. She has developed several technologies and varieties. She has contributed tremendously to the scientific literature in the form of several books, research papers, book chapters, articles, training manuals, folders, bulletins, etc. She has also been bestowed upon with several awards. Dr. Shailesh KumarDr. Shailesh Kumar, Assistant Professor, is serving in the Department of Botany, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University since 2006. Dr. Shailesh Kumar obtained his BSc (Ag.) from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Master degree in Plant Physiology, and PhD in Plant Physiology from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He has qualified CSIR-NET and ICAR-NET. Dr. Shailesh Kumar has been teaching plant physiology and environmental science courses at undergraduate, and plant physiology courses at postgraduate and doctorate levels. He has been undertaking research in plant physiology, plant tissue culture, and medicinal and aromatic plants. He has supervised PhD, MSc, and BTech (Biotech) students. Dr. Kumar is a member of several scientific societies and is a member of editorial board of several journals. He has many research publications and books to his credit. Dr R. C. SrivastavaDr R.C. Srivastava was the former Vice Chancellor of Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, from 2016 to 2022. He specializes in rain water management, integrated farming system, ground water management, monetization of agricultural waste, and climate change. He has held the positions of Director, Central Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He has served Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India, in various capacities as scientist, senior scientist, and principal scientist. He has developed many technologies, has patents, and has several research publications to his credit. He has received many awards including the Rafi Kidwai Award, Rajendra Prasad Award, etc.

• Chapter 1 - Small Millets Genetic Resources Management.- Chapter 2 - Conservation and utilization status of small millets in Nepal.- Chapter 3 - Quality Seed Production in Small millets.- Chapter 4- Millet based cropping systems for enhanced productivity.- Chapter 5 - Major Diseases of Small Millets and their management strategies.- Chapter 6 - Conventional and Advanced Methods in Small Millets Processing.- Chapter 7 - Nutritional aspects, phytochemical composition and potential health benefits of small millets, Chapter 8 - Physiological traits associated with genetic improvement of small millets.- Chapter 9 - Reproductive biology, genetics, evolution and diversity in finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.).- Chapter 10 - Breeding finger Millet for improvement of quality characters and yield.- Chapter 11 - Breeding finger millet for abiotic stress tolerance.- Chapter 12 - Breeding finger millet for biotic stress resistance.- Chapter 13 - Recent advances of using new strategyin management of millet plant pathogens.- Chapter 14 - Advanced biotechnological tools for genetic improvement of finger millet.- Chapter 15 - Origin, Diversity, Floral Biology, Pollination and Genetics in Foxtail Millet.- Chapter 16 - Genetic improvement of Foxtail millet through advanced biotechnological methods.- Chapter 17 - Omics-aided crop improvement in foxtail millet.- Chapter 18 - Floral Biology, Pollination, Genetics, Origin and Diversity in Proso Millet.- Chapter 19 - Recent Advancements in Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) Breeding for Quality and Yield Improvement.- Chapter 20 - Breeding Proso millet for abiotic stress tolerance.- Chapter 21 - Breeding Proso millet for biotic stress resistance.- Chapter 22 - Genetic improvement of Proso millet through advanced biotechnological methods.- Chapter 23 -Floral Biology, Pollination, Genetics, Origin and Diversity in Barnyard Millet.- Chapter 24 - Breeding Barnyard millet for abiotic stress tolerance, Chapter 25 - Breeding Barnyard millet for biotic stress resistance.- Chapter 26- Genetic improvement of Barnyard millet through advanced biotechnological methods, Chapter 27- Floral Biology, Pollination, Genetics, Origin and Diversity in Little Millet, Chapter 28 -Genetic improvement for yield, quality, biotic and abiotic stresses in Little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth. ex Roem. and Schult.).- Chapter 29 - An upliftment strategy for little millet improvement by unravelling the hidden molecular network behind its miracle properties, Chapter 30 -Breeding Kodo millet for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.- Chapter 31 - Botanical description, brief history of Browntop millet and its spectacular adaptations as a hardy food and feed crop.- Chapter 32 - Breeding Browntop millet for biotic and abiotic stress resistance.