‘Nutri-Cereal’-Pearl Millet:Production and Utilization

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is a C₄ plant and is a major coarse grain crop of the world. The plant has a mechanism for efficient photosynthesis and rapid translocation of food materials from source to sink (grains) favours it to withstand drought conditions. It is highly resistant to high temperature, adaptable to poor soil, low vulnerability to disease and insect, pests and has good nutritive value. Its tolerance to drought, heat and soil salinity and its high water use efficiency make it a climatesmart crop and called poorman’s food. It is grown in drought prone areas where it performs better than other cereals and is a major crop for food stay in hot and arid areas of India and Africa. It provides sufficient energy to the field workers at a very low cost. In India alone, 90 per cent of the world and in Rajasthan 65 per cent of country’s total pearl millet is grown. In the state of Rajasthan, it is grown on 4.9 m ha of area (only 2% area is under irrigation) with a production of 6.43 mt while it is grown on 8.7 mha with a production of 10.05 mt as a country as whole (Vital Agricultural Statistics 2011-12, GOR, Jaipur). The other states like Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh grow pearl millet and their contribution is less than 1.0 lakh ha., individually. The districts of Rajasthan those grow pearl millet have a cropping intensity less than 120 per cent. It is a major source of dietary energy for a large number of people and provides quality feed to animals also in these areas where the major source (50-75%) of livelihood is animal based. The pearl millet grains have a biological value similar to wheat and rice and impart substantial energy to body. Its nutritive values designated pearl millet as nutri-cereals and are excellent nutritious food for those who are habituated to this food. The few varieties like ICTP-8203 have high iron content and governments of some states promoted to grow it for removal of malnutrition caused due to iron deficiency or anemia. The composition of amino acids like lysine, threonine and methionine were inversely correlated and leucine, isoleucine and tryptophan were positively correlated with the protein contents.