- Collab - lists.millets2023.space

Mapping little millet's genome - recent milestone
by Don Osborn 15 Feb '26

15 Feb '26

A near-complete genome of little millet (Panicum sumatrense) has been decoded by an Indo-Canadian team led by the ICAR - Indian Institute of Millets Research's Global Centre of Excellence on Millets. Little millet is an allotetraploid, like its cousin, proso or broomcorn millet (P. miliaceum), meaning that it has two sets of chromosomes. That evolution would have long predated its domestication, which occurred prior to the Early Harappan period in the Indus valley region some 5000 years ago. Here are links to two descriptions of the little millet genome work, and to the research article on which they are based: * "Genome map of little millet paves way for nutrient-rich climate-resilient crops," Nature India, 30 Nov. 2025 https://www.nature.com/articles/d44151-025-00224-w * "ICAR with International Collaboration Releases First Chromosome-Scale Genome of Little Millet, Unlocking New Era in Climate-Smart Millet Improvement," ICAR, n.d., https://icar.org.in/en/icar-international-collaboration-releases-first-chro… * Gali, K.K., Koh, K.C., Satyavathi, T.C., et al. "Little millet genome reveals evolutionary insights into tetraploid structure and genetic basis of micronutrient density." Nature Communications17, 74 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66716-6 Abstract from the research article: "Little millet is a hardy and nutrient-rich cereal which improves food and nutritional security in marginal environments. Despite its importance, genomic resources for this orphan crop have been limited. Here, we report a high quality, chromosome-scale genome assembly of little millet comprising 18 chromosomes and 59,045 genes. Eleven chromosomes are assembled from telomere to telomere, revealing an 850 Mb tetraploid genome that closely resembles broomcorn millet. Comparative analyses indicate early stages of diploidization, characterized by gene loss and subgenome-specific expression biases that vary across genes and tissues. Resequencing of 300 accessions uncovers extensive genetic diversity, including single-nucleotide polymorphism and structural variants. Genome-wide association studies identify genetic loci linked to grain micronutrient traits, including several associated with high iron content. These genomic and phenotypic resources provide a foundation for molecular breeding and marker-assisted selection, enabling the improvement of little millet as a climate-resilient crop to support global food and nutritional security." Other institutional partners in the research include University of Saskatchewan, National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada, and University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. The full list of contributing authors to the research article: Krishna Kishore Gali, Kevin C. Koh, Tara Chellapilla Satyavathi, Ganapathy Kuyyamudi Nanaiah, K. B. Palanna, Morgan W. Kirzinger, Sandeep Nanjundappa, Sampath Perumal, Deekshitha Bomireddy, H. B. Mahesh, Harshal Eknath Patil, Raju Chaudhary, Loveleen Kaur Dhillon, Venkat Bandi, V. B. Reddy Lachagari, Surya Teja Veeramachaneni, Renuka Malipatil, Peng Gao, Shankar Pahari, Andrew G. Sharpe, Thomas D. Warkentin, Raju Soolanayakanahally, M. K. Prasannakumar, Nepolean Thirunavukkarasu & Sateesh Kagale Little millet is NAMA's millet-of-the-month in February. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Japanese barnyard millet precursor as "resurrection millet"
by Don Osborn 10 Feb '26

10 Feb '26

A research article published this past summer examined the capability of Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass) to recover after severe water deprivation. This species is considered to be the wild precursor of E. esculenta, a cultivated millet known in the US as Japanese millet, and also as Japanese barnyard millet. This plant is apparently able to reverse "embolism," which is an intracellular condition induced in plants experiencing severe water deprivation. An article about the research summarizes this dynamic and research on it: "Resurrection Millet - A Plant that Revives After Severe Drought," USDA Agricultural Research Service Research news, 3 June 2025 https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2025/resurrection-m… Here's a link to the research article itself followed by its statement on the significance of the study reported: J.J. Stewart, B.S. Allen, S.K. Polutchko, T.W. Ocheltree, & S.M. Gleason, "Xylem embolism refilling revealed in stems of a weedy grass," *Proceedings of the. National Academy of Sciences* (U.S.A.) 122 (13) e2420618122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2420618122 (2025). "Significance "Water transport through the xylem tissue of plants is critical for supporting growth and, consequently, terrestrial primary productivity. This process can fail due to the formation of gas bubbles, or embolism, which can be caused by extreme stress events. Xylem functionality is thought to be restored by the active removal of these gas bubbles, or “refilling,” but the existence of this process has been debated for decades. We provide evidence of complete and functional xylem embolism refilling in intact plants through direct and repeated observation. These results highlight a need to study this phenomenon in other species and identify underlying mechanisms, which could be leveraged to increase agricultural productivity and food security in the face of climate change." FYI, additional notes and Collab archive references: E. crus-galli is generally considered a weed, and is noted in rice fields. However, varieties of it apparently were cultivated among at least two Native American communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. See (in reverse chronological order): * Echinochloa spp., rice-farming, & provenance of what the Mojave & Yuma grew. (31 Aug 2025) https://lists.millets2023.space/archives/list/collab@lists.millets2023.spac… (the broken links to old Collab archive urls are to posts in the thread linked below) * Ankee or 'anki, a Mojave barnyard millet? (13 Jul 2024; thread) https://lists.millets2023.space/archives/list/collab@lists.millets2023.spac… Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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"Teff, Ethiopia’s National Grain, Finds New Home In Sacramento"
by Don Osborn 04 Feb '26

04 Feb '26

Article from last October about Zion Taddese's efforts to grow teff in northern California. She is the owner of Queen Sheba restaurant in Sacramento, and established Sheba Farm for growing teff. "Teff, Ethiopia’s National Grain, Finds New Home In Sacramento," by Williamena Kwapo, The Sacramento Observer, October 2, 2025 https://sacobserver.com/2025/10/ethiopian-grain-teff-california/ Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Re: Collab Digest, Vol 48, Issue 5
by Gary Wietgrefe 04 Feb '26

04 Feb '26

Bronze age European millets article was extremely interesting because millet introduction appeared to enhance civilization, likely by adding more nutrients and diversifying soil use. Any agricultural system used year-after-year, century-after-century depletes available nutrients. Benefits from crop rotation had been well understood since ancient Rome when Cato the Elder published De agri cultura - Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_agri_cultura>. As a millet agronomist, here are some basic reasons why millets should be rotated with other crops: *Soil structural changes*: Millets have a fine root system exploring soil and extracting minerals and moisture trapped where large roots from other crops, like corn, have no access. After millet is harvested, its fine roots die allowing soil organisms and angleworms to invade those dead roots. Worms and soil bioenvironment to further break down millets small soil clumps into nutrient and moisture havens for the next crop to access through reduced soil compaction. Millets are shallow rooted which work well in rotation with deep rooted crops like corn and alfalfa and legume crops like soybeans and field peas. Deep rooted crops access nutrients unavailable to millets. After the deep-rooted crops die, their roots also provide worms and soil’s biodiversity to go deeper into the soil profile for water and nutrients while stalks, stems and leaves converted to soil cover get destroyed through biodegradation at the surface where millet can access those previously untapped nutrients. Legumes, like deep-rooted alfalfa, and medium rooted soybeans and field peas convert atmospheric nitrogen to leaf and seed protein and deposit more root and seed nitrogen for subsequent crops. Planting the same crop or two crops (bi-crop monoculture e.g. corn/soybean) creates a system of gradually decreasing grain nutrients because they constantly use the same soil profile while allowing pests to get comfortable in that cycle. *Soil Compaction*: Flooded soils are compacted as air is removed from natural soil composition. Crops like rice (100% irrigated in the U.S.), and irrigated corn, especially flood irrigated, cause soil compaction. Machinery tracks over water-logged soils compact the soil even more. Rather than using mechanical deep tillage to break some of that man-made compaction, millets and legumes should be rotated with rice and irrigated corn to use plant roots to naturally disrupt compaction from previous crops. *Disrupt pests*: Weeds are pest and naturally look for environments to grown and produce seed. Corn’s slow-growing seedlings in wide rows allow cool season grasses and broadleaf weeks an opportunity to germinate. Hence, billions-of-dollars-per-year are spent on purchasing, applying and ever-expanding research to find new pre and post emergent herbicides to combat weed pests cycles that can be managed through crop rotation. An example could be cool-season field peas planted and harvested early followed by warm-season millets planted as a second crop rather than just one corn crop. Soybeans could be planted the second year followed by corn in a four-crop/three-year rotation. Fungi and nematode pests are somewhat crop specific. For example, soybean cyst nematodes attack soybeans and decrease soybean yields. That is why soybeans are never continuously planted year-after-year-after-year. Millets are not susceptible to soybean cyst nematodes—in fact millet disrupt the cyst cycle and decrease soybean cyst populations. Likewise, fungi causing sudden death syndrome in soybeans (possibly stimulated by soybean cyst nematode) is not a problem in millets. *Change row spacing*: Corn performs best in wide rows (usually 30 inch rows) with some hybrids yielding best in 20 or 15 inch rows. Corn farmers that rotate with soybeans almost always use the same planter. Consequently, soybeans get planted at the same row width. Small-seeded grain millets, like proso and foxtail, perform best in narrow rows (6-10 inch spacing). Rotating crops with various row spacings and deep and shallow root systems access nutrients and moisture in the full soil profile. *Crop rotation = Agronomic diversity*: Rotating crops of different crop species with wide and narrow rows benefit all the categories above: · more nutrient and micronutrient availability; · access to more nutrients and moisture in the full soil profile; · keep a specific pest from overwhelming the intended crop; · increase soil biodiversity; · reducing human-caused compaction; and · decreasing pest pressures (weeds, insects, fungi, nematodes, etc.). On Sat, Jan 31, 2026 at 8:52 PM <collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > Send Collab mailing list submissions to > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send a message with subject or > body 'help' to > collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space > > You can reach the person managing the list at > collab-owner(a)lists.millets2023.space > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Collab digest..." > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Additional webinar segment & links (Re: Jan. 15 Millets Webinar: A > discussion with Leon Kriesel on proso & more) > (Don Osborn) > 2. Proso millet improved life in late Bronze Age Europe (Don Osborn) > 3. "Water Shortage Cure--Millets," article by Gary Wietgrefe > (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2026 22:22:54 -0500 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > Subject: [Collab] Additional webinar segment & links (Re: Jan. 15 > Millets Webinar: A discussion with Leon Kriesel on proso & more) > To: "NAMA's Collab list" <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibWkmVta3G8d4y9ubk3a87qF2zs9BS8XivTLzfDoELrvrQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Here's the link to another 16 minutes of conversation on millets - and > particularly proso - with Leon Kriesel. This was recorded after the formal > webinar itself was completed, so is kind of a bonus. Thanks to Leon for > staying with us for this: > > https://youtu.be/8j7t0pi3IIA > > Also, two links of interest relating to this webinar production. First a > link to the Kriesel Certified Seed website: www.krieselcertifiedseed.com > > ... and second, an article discussing UNL's waxy proso millet variety that > Leon grows: "Waxy millet varieties may tap new human food markets," by Curt > Arens, Farm Progress, 8 Dec. 2023 > > https://www.farmprogress.com/crops/waxy-millet-varieties-may-tap-new-human-… > > > DO, EL, MI, US > NAMA > > > On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 12:38 AM Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > wrote: > > > For our first webinar of 2026, we've taken a different approach - shorter > > and without audience. > > > > Our guest, Leon Kriesel of Kriesel Certified Seed in western (panhandle) > > Nebraska, gave a short presentation on his operation - which produces > > quality seed for small grained crops, including millets, as well as grain > > proso for food. One of the varieties of proso that they produce is a waxy > > (or "sticky") grained type that has markets in Asia, but is also > attracting > > attention for food applications in other regions. > > > > "Waxy proso & other millets: Growing, processing & marketing" - NAMA > > Millets Webinar, 15 Jan. 2026 https://youtu.be/WrGEzzV3gcM (45:01) > > > > Discussion, led by Gary Wietgrefe, touched on various aspects of Leon's > > operation, which includes processing of seed and grain that they grow. In > > addition to proso millet, they also produce seed for foxtail and pearl > > millets, as well as some other small grains. > > > > This webinar is a shorter length than our previous ones, and it did not > > involve an audience. We are experimenting with our format. As it turned > out > > in this case, however, we continued the discussion for an additional > > segment after the one linked above, and we'll share that soon. > > > > All together, we covered a lot of interesting ground mainly about proso > > millet, and giving insights into an established farming and processing > > business that focuses on small grains. > > > > Our video productions can be accessed at > > https://www.youtube.com/@MilletsAlliance . > > > > Don Osborn, PhD > > (East Lansing, MI, US) > > North American Millets Alliance > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2026 22:41:58 -0500 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > Subject: [Collab] Proso millet improved life in late Bronze Age Europe > To: "NAMA's Collab list" <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibWt9bN3xSbAeFVaP5eMbmCmX0KLAOYMNBsGL60_PZokTg(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Interesting recent research using new archeological techniques found that > introduction of proso millet (aka broomcorn millet) in Central Europe in > the Late Bronze Age appeared to have led to more sedentary culture, > improved diets, and reduced inequality. > > An article about the research: > "Millet farming marked a turning point in life during the Bronze Age," > bySanjana Gajbhiye, Earth.com, 06-08-2025 > > https://www.earth.com/news/millet-farming-marked-a-turning-point-in-life-du… > > The research article & its abstract: > Cavazzuti, C., Horváth, A., Gémes, A. et al. "Isotope and archaeobotanical > analysis reveal radical changes in mobility, diet and inequalities around > 1500 BCE at the core of Europe." Sci Rep 15, 17494 (2025). > https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01113-z > > Abstract: > "The transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age (around 1500 BCE) in > the Carpathian Basin was parallel by drastic cultural changes in > Central-Europe, which strongly influenced the dynamic of prehistoric > Europe. The cultural fragmentation of the Middle Bronze Age (2000 − 1500 > BCE) Carpathian Basin was followed by a more homogeneous development at the > beginning of the Late Bronze Age (1500 − 1300 BCE), with the appearance of > the Tumulus culture. In the beginning of this period, the long-used > tell-settlements were abandoned, furthermore new pottery styles and metal > types appeared. Whether these changes were caused by immigration, or a > local adaptation to external influxes, has long been a matter of debate. > Our study investigates this transition from the point of view of diet and > mobility from several key-sites of Hungary. Our results show (1) low > migration rates and a shift of migration trajectories; that (2) the > beginning of the systematic consumption of Panicum miliaceum was from 1540 > − 1480 BCE; that (3) the decrease of average animal protein intake was > parallel by an increase of cereal consumption and a tendency to less > unequal diet. Overall, our results shed new light on the dynamics of > complex change in Bronze Age Europe." > > > Don Osborn, PhD > (East Lansing, MI, US) > North American Millets Alliance > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2026 22:51:57 -0500 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > Subject: [Collab] "Water Shortage Cure--Millets," article by Gary > Wietgrefe > To: "NAMA's Collab list" <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Message-ID: > <CA+RHibX75Dbpcn4Zsg8Gn+YAA=tWoHy=- > aeehh2tLzx96naePw(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > Agronomist and NAMA board member Gary Wietgrefe wrote an article > spotlighting the roles that water-efficient hashtag#millets can play in > agriculture in the wake of drier conditions and depleted aquifers. Millets > are a group of small-grained "ancient" crops grown for food, forage, and > other uses, which need less irrigation than that needed by major crops (or > none at all). It was posted on LinkedIn at > > https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/water-shortage-cure-millets-gary-wietgrefe-y… > > Below is the text of the article for your reference: > > > *"Water Shortage Cure--Millets"* > Gary Wietgrefe > Author at GWW Books > January 26, 2026 > > *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Editorial by Gary W. Wietgrefe January 26, 2026* > > Never in human history have so many lived in water-limited environments. > Never in human history has water waste been concentrated on such few crops. > > Transition to drought tolerant millets is not only prudent—ancient people > considered it necessary. > > Why were drought tolerant millets developed on several continents over ten > thousand years ago? > > Food. > > Tired of foraging daily, our ancestors selected and collected the best > grassy seed heads of millets to store and eat when no other food was > available. > > Their results? > > Based on necessity, extremely healthy grains which grew and matured in a > narrow rain-fed season were easily stored for travel or winter. Millets > produced seed even during droughts. > > Anticipation of famine, drought hardy millets placed in pottery or grain > storage remained viable for decades. > > Millets are gaining attention in the U.S. food industry and > health-conscious consumers. Farmers and ranchers are looking for grains and > forages to produce on ever-shrinking water supplies[ii]. > > Changing cropping systems can save far more water than a toilet flushing > every other use. > > Two world studies found food production used 87.1 percent of global water > use; industries used 9.6 percent and domestic use only 3.4 percent[iii]. > > Where do we need to conserve water? Agriculture. > > Proso millet cooked, baked and processed, for example, can substitute for > rice. Proso has a better dietary portfolio and twice the protein while > using the same rice cooker. Plus, there are a million acres of various > millets already produced annually in the U.S.—most used as wild bird food > and forages. Birds and cattle know what’s good for them and humans. > > Rice uses about three hundred gallons of water per pound of grain produced. > Proso millet uses only about 127 gallons per pound of grain. Rice needs > irrigation. Proso does not. > > One hundred percent of U.S. rice production is irrigated but only 1.2% of > U.S. proso millet grown for seed and grain is irrigated. > > Slight crop rotation shifts can half water use, and possibly save > humanity’s dietary foolishness. > > About 400,000 acres of proso are grown annually for grain in three states, > Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota[iv]. Millions of wheat and corn acres > can be rotated with proso millet in most states. > > For 2026, the North American Millets Alliance announced two proso varieties > specifically for the food industry. A University of Nebraska—Scottsbluff > waxy (amylose-free starch) proso and a conventional variety, DLG317, has > been food-tested and released by Dryland Genetics. > > Shallow rooted proso only needs about four inches of precipitation to > generate its first pound of grain. Wheat needs five inches whereas corn > needs about nine inches[v]. > > The U.S. Department of Agriculture identified millets’ low water > requirements in 1913 when the Bureau of Plant Industry published bulletin > 284[vi]. “Of the crops which produce grain, millet and sorghum consume > about one-half the amount of water required by oats, barley and wheat….” > > America's drought-prone, water-short southwest irrigates about a million > acres of alfalfa a year. > > Can forage millets replace alfalfa forage? Absolutely. > > When water is limited, is it ludicrous to irrigate alfalfa for forage? > > Five U.S. southwest states’ (AZ, CA, NM, NV and UT) ground water, natural > lakes, and dammed rivers are drying up. Some consider that area to be in a > thousand-year drought. Yet, they irrigate about a million acres of alfalfa > annually. > > Alfalfa, a perennial, needs moisture year around to survive in the U.S. > southwest. Whereas millets, like high protein, leafy pearl millet, can be > planted each year and cut multiple times only when moisture or irrigation > water is available with millet forage easily stored for later feed use. > > The same 1913 USDA publication stated, “…Millet produces almost four times > as much dry matter with the same amount of water as alfalfa….” > > Can we afford to waste water on water-hungry forages, like alfalfa? > > When can water-wasting rice and alfalfa be exchanged for consumer-healthy > millets? In 2026. > > ************* > > Gary W. Wietgrefe has been involved with millets, primarily proso, most of > his life. For thirty years, he has been a certified (CCA) agronomist, > researched proso millet in the U.S., Mongolia, and Turkey, and has written > two books on millets. Previously Wietgrefe was a USDA certified grain > grader and certified millet seed conditioner. He is a board member of the > North American Millets Alliance. Wietgrefe has six patents, degrees in > agricultural business and economics, and has authored eleven books. > > [i] North American Millets Alliance: https://millets2023.space/. > > [ii] Severe Water Deficiency during the Mid-Vegetative and Reproductive > Phase has Little Effect on Proso Millet Performance: > https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/10/2155. > > [iii] How much water does rice use: > > https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bas-Bouman-2/publication/281474989_How… > . > > [iv] U.S. Grain Production: https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/. > > [v] EC08-137 Producing and Marketing Proso Millet in the Great Plains: > > https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5806&context=ext… > . > > [vi] Water requirements of plants: > > https://books.google.com.mx/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rkIZAAAAYAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA5&d… > . > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > > > -- > Collab mailing list -- collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > To unsubscribe send an email to collab-leave(a)lists.millets2023.space > > > ------------------------------ > > End of Collab Digest, Vol 48, Issue 5 > ************************************* > -- Author, Gary W. Wietgrefe, https://www.RelatingtoAncients.com/ Enjoy Wietgrefe's (pronounced "wit' grif") dozen books, patents, and international research on millets, agronomy, cultural changes, travel adventure, poetry, and history.

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"Water Shortage Cure--Millets," article by Gary Wietgrefe
by Don Osborn 01 Feb '26

01 Feb '26

Agronomist and NAMA board member Gary Wietgrefe wrote an article spotlighting the roles that water-efficient hashtag#millets can play in agriculture in the wake of drier conditions and depleted aquifers. Millets are a group of small-grained "ancient" crops grown for food, forage, and other uses, which need less irrigation than that needed by major crops (or none at all). It was posted on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/water-shortage-cure-millets-gary-wietgrefe-y… Below is the text of the article for your reference: *"Water Shortage Cure--Millets"* Gary Wietgrefe Author at GWW Books January 26, 2026 *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Editorial by Gary W. Wietgrefe January 26, 2026* Never in human history have so many lived in water-limited environments. Never in human history has water waste been concentrated on such few crops. Transition to drought tolerant millets is not only prudent—ancient people considered it necessary. Why were drought tolerant millets developed on several continents over ten thousand years ago? Food. Tired of foraging daily, our ancestors selected and collected the best grassy seed heads of millets to store and eat when no other food was available. Their results? Based on necessity, extremely healthy grains which grew and matured in a narrow rain-fed season were easily stored for travel or winter. Millets produced seed even during droughts. Anticipation of famine, drought hardy millets placed in pottery or grain storage remained viable for decades. Millets are gaining attention in the U.S. food industry and health-conscious consumers. Farmers and ranchers are looking for grains and forages to produce on ever-shrinking water supplies[ii]. Changing cropping systems can save far more water than a toilet flushing every other use. Two world studies found food production used 87.1 percent of global water use; industries used 9.6 percent and domestic use only 3.4 percent[iii]. Where do we need to conserve water? Agriculture. Proso millet cooked, baked and processed, for example, can substitute for rice. Proso has a better dietary portfolio and twice the protein while using the same rice cooker. Plus, there are a million acres of various millets already produced annually in the U.S.—most used as wild bird food and forages. Birds and cattle know what’s good for them and humans. Rice uses about three hundred gallons of water per pound of grain produced. Proso millet uses only about 127 gallons per pound of grain. Rice needs irrigation. Proso does not. One hundred percent of U.S. rice production is irrigated but only 1.2% of U.S. proso millet grown for seed and grain is irrigated. Slight crop rotation shifts can half water use, and possibly save humanity’s dietary foolishness. About 400,000 acres of proso are grown annually for grain in three states, Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota[iv]. Millions of wheat and corn acres can be rotated with proso millet in most states. For 2026, the North American Millets Alliance announced two proso varieties specifically for the food industry. A University of Nebraska—Scottsbluff waxy (amylose-free starch) proso and a conventional variety, DLG317, has been food-tested and released by Dryland Genetics. Shallow rooted proso only needs about four inches of precipitation to generate its first pound of grain. Wheat needs five inches whereas corn needs about nine inches[v]. The U.S. Department of Agriculture identified millets’ low water requirements in 1913 when the Bureau of Plant Industry published bulletin 284[vi]. “Of the crops which produce grain, millet and sorghum consume about one-half the amount of water required by oats, barley and wheat….” America's drought-prone, water-short southwest irrigates about a million acres of alfalfa a year. Can forage millets replace alfalfa forage? Absolutely. When water is limited, is it ludicrous to irrigate alfalfa for forage? Five U.S. southwest states’ (AZ, CA, NM, NV and UT) ground water, natural lakes, and dammed rivers are drying up. Some consider that area to be in a thousand-year drought. Yet, they irrigate about a million acres of alfalfa annually. Alfalfa, a perennial, needs moisture year around to survive in the U.S. southwest. Whereas millets, like high protein, leafy pearl millet, can be planted each year and cut multiple times only when moisture or irrigation water is available with millet forage easily stored for later feed use. The same 1913 USDA publication stated, “…Millet produces almost four times as much dry matter with the same amount of water as alfalfa….” Can we afford to waste water on water-hungry forages, like alfalfa? When can water-wasting rice and alfalfa be exchanged for consumer-healthy millets? In 2026. ************* Gary W. Wietgrefe has been involved with millets, primarily proso, most of his life. For thirty years, he has been a certified (CCA) agronomist, researched proso millet in the U.S., Mongolia, and Turkey, and has written two books on millets. Previously Wietgrefe was a USDA certified grain grader and certified millet seed conditioner. He is a board member of the North American Millets Alliance. Wietgrefe has six patents, degrees in agricultural business and economics, and has authored eleven books. [i] North American Millets Alliance: https://millets2023.space/. [ii] Severe Water Deficiency during the Mid-Vegetative and Reproductive Phase has Little Effect on Proso Millet Performance: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/10/2155. [iii] How much water does rice use: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bas-Bouman-2/publication/281474989_How… . [iv] U.S. Grain Production: https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/. [v] EC08-137 Producing and Marketing Proso Millet in the Great Plains: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5806&context=ext… . [vi] Water requirements of plants: https://books.google.com.mx/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rkIZAAAAYAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA5&d… .

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Proso millet improved life in late Bronze Age Europe
by Don Osborn 01 Feb '26

01 Feb '26

Interesting recent research using new archeological techniques found that introduction of proso millet (aka broomcorn millet) in Central Europe in the Late Bronze Age appeared to have led to more sedentary culture, improved diets, and reduced inequality. An article about the research: "Millet farming marked a turning point in life during the Bronze Age," bySanjana Gajbhiye, Earth.com, 06-08-2025 https://www.earth.com/news/millet-farming-marked-a-turning-point-in-life-du… The research article & its abstract: Cavazzuti, C., Horváth, A., Gémes, A. et al. "Isotope and archaeobotanical analysis reveal radical changes in mobility, diet and inequalities around 1500 BCE at the core of Europe." Sci Rep 15, 17494 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01113-z Abstract: "The transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age (around 1500 BCE) in the Carpathian Basin was parallel by drastic cultural changes in Central-Europe, which strongly influenced the dynamic of prehistoric Europe. The cultural fragmentation of the Middle Bronze Age (2000 − 1500 BCE) Carpathian Basin was followed by a more homogeneous development at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age (1500 − 1300 BCE), with the appearance of the Tumulus culture. In the beginning of this period, the long-used tell-settlements were abandoned, furthermore new pottery styles and metal types appeared. Whether these changes were caused by immigration, or a local adaptation to external influxes, has long been a matter of debate. Our study investigates this transition from the point of view of diet and mobility from several key-sites of Hungary. Our results show (1) low migration rates and a shift of migration trajectories; that (2) the beginning of the systematic consumption of Panicum miliaceum was from 1540 − 1480 BCE; that (3) the decrease of average animal protein intake was parallel by an increase of cereal consumption and a tendency to less unequal diet. Overall, our results shed new light on the dynamics of complex change in Bronze Age Europe." Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Jan. 15 Millets Webinar: A discussion with Leon Kriesel on proso & more
by Don Osborn 01 Feb '26

01 Feb '26

For our first webinar of 2026, we've taken a different approach - shorter and without audience. Our guest, Leon Kriesel of Kriesel Certified Seed in western (panhandle) Nebraska, gave a short presentation on his operation - which produces quality seed for small grained crops, including millets, as well as grain proso for food. One of the varieties of proso that they produce is a waxy (or "sticky") grained type that has markets in Asia, but is also attracting attention for food applications in other regions. "Waxy proso & other millets: Growing, processing & marketing" - NAMA Millets Webinar, 15 Jan. 2026 https://youtu.be/WrGEzzV3gcM (45:01) Discussion, led by Gary Wietgrefe, touched on various aspects of Leon's operation, which includes processing of seed and grain that they grow. In addition to proso millet, they also produce seed for foxtail and pearl millets, as well as some other small grains. This webinar is a shorter length than our previous ones, and it did not involve an audience. We are experimenting with our format. As it turned out in this case, however, we continued the discussion for an additional segment after the one linked above, and we'll share that soon. All together, we covered a lot of interesting ground mainly about proso millet, and giving insights into an established farming and processing business that focuses on small grains. Our video productions can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/@MilletsAlliance . Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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"Two Food Millets Announced for 2026"
by Don Osborn 13 Jan '26

13 Jan '26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE by North American Millets Alliance: January 12, 2026 *Two Food Millets Announced for 2026* Enough food-selected seed varieties of proso millet are available for planting in 2026. In the past, food characteristics, empirical analysis, and varietal selection of proso biotypes have limited significant volume of millets in the U.S. food chain. “Having designated food-grade millet varieties is exciting news for millets and the food chain,” said Joni Kindwall-Moore, CEO of Snacktivist Inc. and founding member of the North American Millets Alliance. Don Osborn co-founder of the North American Millets Alliance went on to explain, “Industry changes come in steps. The first was North American Millets Alliance’s release of proso millet grading standards in 2025 in order to properly segregate food grade millets from farm to prepared foods.” University and private plant breeding have developed two different food quality proso millet varieties. One is an amylose-free starch or “waxy” proso, named Plateau, developed by the University of Nebraska—Scottsbluff. A nearby seed producer and proso processor, Kriesel Certified Seed, Gurley, Nebraska has completed expansion to hull Plateau for the food industry. Dryland Genetics, a proso-focused plant breeding company, released their first food-designated millet in 2024 named DLG317. Large quantities of identity preserved DLG317 are available for 2026. Besides its unique aroma and yellow colored endosperm, DLG317 has unique bioflavonoids—antioxidants known to be heart-healthy. “In an era of severe water shortages and growing population desiring healthy foods, proso has the lowest water-use efficiency of any grain crop,” stated Gary Wietgrefe, a senior millet agronomist and international millet researcher. “Plateau and DLG317 are the perfect food varieties to replace water-hungry rice, corn and wheat.” Contacts: Dryland Genetics https://www.drylandgenetics.com/; Kriesel Certified Seed: https://www.krieselcertifiedseed.com/; North American Millets Alliance: https://millets2023.space/ --- DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

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Millets in masa for folic acid? (ref. Calif. law AB 1830)
by Don Osborn 02 Jan '26

02 Jan '26

Happy New Year 2026 to all! Here's something I'm looking into today. California law AB 1830 took effect yesterday (1/1/26) and requires processors of corn masa flour (which is used for tortillas, for example) to fortify their products with folic acid. This is a key nutrient missing from this staple, and diets deficient in this nutrient in pregnant women can lead to birth defects. Folic acid fortification was already mandated by the FDA for enriched wheat, rice, and corn flour, but not masa. So this CA law extends benefits to largely Hispanic populations that use a lot of masa. See https://www.supermarketperimeter.com/articles/13589-california-law-for-foli… So here's the question I have: Could sufficient levels of folic acid in masa be achieved by mixing in a certain percentage of a millet flour, while not greatly changing the character or palatability of the masa? When Hector Williams-Alanís wrote about millets in Mexico, he noted small millet (species not specified) worked well at 1:9 proportions in tortillas, and even at 100%. https://lists.millets2023.space/archives/list/collab@lists.millets2023.spac… Folic acid levels in masa now required by the CA law are 0.7 mg / lb.for dry masa, and 0.4 mg / lb for wet masa. Folic acid levels vary among millets, and varieties of any given millet. From a quick search, it looks like millets in general have higher levels of this than corn, and foxtail and pearl millets tend to be the highest. One research article on foxtail millet showed: "When N (N+) was supplied, the folate levels of 29 foxtail millet cultivars ranged from 42.36 ± 2.91 to 72.89 ± 0.50 μg per 100 g grains and 42.84 ± 1.60 to 69.20 ± 2.13 μg per 100 g grains for 2020 and 2021, respectively..."/* The highest level showed in this research would be the equivalent to.0.33 mg / lb So, if my math is correct, mixing any millet flour into masa does not appear likely to reach the folic acid levels required by Calif. AB 1830. I'd be pleased to be proven incorrect on this .... Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance Note: * Wang Y, Wang JS, Dong EW, Liu QX, Wang LG, Chen EY, Jiao XY, Diao XM. "Foxtail millet [*Setaria italica* (L.) P. Beauv.] grown under nitrogen deficiency exhibits a lower folate contents." Frontiers in Nutrition 2023 Jan 18;10:1035739. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1035739. PMID: 36742438; PMCID: PMC9889834. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9889834/

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P.J. Wester and adlay (Job's tears)
by Don Osborn 31 Dec '25

31 Dec '25

About a century ago, the Swedish-American botanist Peter Jansen Wester,/1 who was many years in the Philippines with the USDA, promoted Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi)/2 as a food crop with great potential. He used the Cebuano (or possibly Tagalog) name "adlay" in his writing, and that term is widely used today. Like other grain crops, adlay has significant genetic variation. One major distinction is between varieties where the seed is enclosed in a soft shell, which facilitate dehulling and use as food, and those with a hard shell, which sometimes find use as beads in crafts. Another variation is in height with some being short, and others, such as in the photo on page 222 of Wester's 1922 article on adlay,/3 which grow taller than the average person. Adlay was grown in various localities in Asia ages before Wester's efforts to bring this food crop to wider attention. While it did not achieve widespread adoption after Wester's promotion of it, adlay is currently grown commercially in several parts of Asia, and is packaged for export to retailers, including in the US and Canada. (Sometimes it is labelled as "Chinese pearl barley," altho it is not closely related to barley.) It is not, to our knowledge, grown as a food crop anywhere in North America. Adlay has cultural roots where it has long been cultivated. For example, in Arunachala Pradesh, India, it is promoted as a traditional crop among the Adi people./4 And adlay features in Chinese traditional medicine, being considered to have a mild diuretic effect. There has been some intriguing research on culinary uses of adlay and on health effects of compounds in this grain, and there is a need for further work in these areas. Adlay, or Job's tears, is NAMA's millet of the month in December. Notes: 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Jansen_Wester 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adlay 3. Wester, P.J. (1922) "Adlay — A New Grain Plant From the Orient: A Relative of Indian Corn Found in Eastern Asia in a Great Number of Varietal Forms — Offering an Untouched Field of Work for the Plant Breeder." Journal of Heredity, Vol. 13, Issue 5, May 1922, pp. 221–227, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a102209 (full text here - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/The_journal_of_heredity… - search "adlay") 4. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cropsecure-agritech-private-limited-company_… Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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