Millets in Sustainable Agriculture

Roshni Vijayan, PhD, is Assistant Professor at Kerala Agricultural University, India, and an accomplished plant breeder whose research integrates conventional and molecular breeding with computational biology. She has authored numerous scientific publications, contributed book chapters, and edited multiple scholarly volumes.A. John Joel, PhD, is Professor at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India, with more than three decades of experience in plant breeding, genetics, biotechnology, and genetic resources. An internationally recognized researcher and mentor, he has received prestigious fellowships and has contributed extensively to the improvement of major food crops.R. Ambika Rajendran, PhD, is Senior Scientist at the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. She has published widely, contributed numerous book chapters, and edited several books covering cereals, pulses, soybeans, and plant stress biology.Adithya P. Balakrishnan, PhD, is an INSPIRE Fellow and doctoral researcher at the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. Her research interests include molecular breeding, grain quality improvement, and crop genetics. She has published research on genetic analysis and quality enhancement in economically important crops.

• Preface Introduction: Millets of Semi-Arid Tropics: Key Crops for the New Green Revolution PART I: GENETIC IMPROVEMENT 1. Genetic Improvement in Sorghum 2. Genetic Improvement in Pearl Millet 3. Genetic Improvement in Finger Millet 4. Genetic Improvement in Small Millets PART II: NUTRITIONAL QUALITY ENHANCEMENT 5. Nutritional Quality Enhancement in Sorghum 6. Nutritional Quality Enhancement in Pearl Millet 7. Nutritional Quality Enhancement in Finger Millet 8. Nutritional Quality Enhancement in Small Millets PART III: IMPROVED CULTIVATION PRACTICES 9. Improved Cultivation Practices of Sorghum 10. Improved Cultivation Practices of Pearl Millet 11. Improved Cultivation Practices of Finger Millet 12. Improved Cultivation Practices of Minor Millets PART IV: INTEGRATED PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT 13. Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Sorghum 14. Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Pearl Millet 15. Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Finger Millet 16. Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Small Millets Index

“A timely contribution to the global discourse on sustainable food production, resilience to climate change, and nutritional security. . . . An essential resource, bringing together insights from leading experts on the genetic improvement, agronomic practices, nutritional benefits, and disease management strategies of these climate-resilient crops. . . . Invaluable for researchers, farmers, and policymakers alike, guiding efforts towards the broader adoption and integration of millets into mainstream agriculture. Additionally, the emphasis on disease management will help address one of the key challenges faced in millet production, ensuring higher productivity and quality.”—From the Foreword by B. Ashok, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University, India