V A Tonapi

Breeding for Insect Resistance in Sorghum and Millets

Sorghum and millets are crucial to food, fodder, and nutritional security in arid and semiarid tracts of the world. Sorghum is vulnerable to several insect pests. Among them, shoot fly, spotted stem borer, greenbug, midge, and head bugs are the most important worldwide. The pearl millet and small millets are relatively less subjected to pest attack and are more susceptible to diseases though sporadic instances of insect attack are reported. However, stem borers and grain midge are of regular occurrence in pearl millet. White grubs in India and spike worms in West Africa are assuming importance. The chapter covers the resistance sources, resistance mechanisms, resistant traits, gene action governing the major traits, and biotechnological advances for the economically important pests in sorghum and millets. Several genotypes resistant to shoot fly and to a lesser extent to stem borer, midge, aphids, and shoot bug have been identified. Development of multiple pest- and disease-resistant cultivars is emphasized.

Role of millets in smallholder farming system for improved food and nutritional security under changing climate scenario

Millets are a major source of staple food for human, forage for the livestock, and industrial raw material. These are grown in semi-arid climate due to their ability to grow and complete their life cycle in less than 400mm rainfall. They have huge potential to enhance livelihood of the resource poor farmers in dryland and rainfed agriculture using location-specific improved production technology, trait-specific production, millets supply chain management, buyback arrangements, value-addition of millets, refinement and commercialization of technologies and entrepreneurship development, market development for domestic and export purposes, policy advocacy and creation of awareness, which needs to be implemented at grass-root level with diversified approach. Some issues related to millets are; low remuneration, low adoption of production technologies, biotic and abiotic stress, and lack of policy support unlike other cereals need to be addressed strategically. It requires synergy among technologies, marketing systems, input supplies, credit, policies and institutions to achieve the goal of enhancing farmers’ livelihood in resource-poor areas.