Description

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is grown widely in the arid and semi-arid tropical regions in Indian subcontinent and African continent under the most adverse agro-climatic conditions where other cereal crops are fail to produce economic yields. Its grains are valued as human food while its dry stover makes important livestock ration in crop-livestock farming system. In future, pearl millet is likely to play a greater role in providing food and nutritional security. Pearl millet would also be an excellent genomic resource for isolation of candidate genes responsible for tolerance to climatic and edaphic stresses for accelerating further genetic improvement of this crop as well as for their possible deployment in the genetic improvement of other crops.