- Collab - lists.millets2023.space

Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 17, Issue 21
by Gary Wietgrefe 07 Jul '23

07 Jul '23

I appreciate your map comments. Here are my simple responses: 1. Yes, "Japanese" millet is problematic without scientific names. Indian barnyard millet (E. frumentacea) seems like a nice clarification and Japanese barnyard millet (E. esculenta) the common one planted in the U.S. mainly for non-seed harvesting would make references easier. 2. I highly doubt much millet of any kind is grown in Japan. See my 1989 comments about U.S. exports to Japan (p-.91-92 in Proso Millet: A Trade Summary) and Argentine millet exports to Japan (pg. 120). 3. Japan has probably been importing millet shortly after WWII occupation. Farmland is so valuable, and millet relatively an economical import that Japan would find it much more economical to import. About twenty years ago when I was testing various millets for ethanol, Japanese were most interested in glutenous proso rather than common proso millet. I've never seen a request in Japan for Japanese millet, however, I have been out of that loop way too long to be knowledgeable about Japanese millet imports. Like other countries, Japan millet imports are very likely used as a rice substitute/supplement. 4. Can Japanese barnyard millet be grown in the U.S./Canada (more humid areas) and harvested for seed for human consumption? Sure it can. But, what is possible is often unlikely. Why? Japanese barnyard millet produced in any Corn Belt state would likely be discriminated against for the same reason proso millet is not grown in the Corn Belt. First, it is not price competitive with corn or soybeans. Secondly, and most importantly, volunteer Japanese barnyard millet would be construed to be a "barnyard" grassy weed, or potential one--just like proso millet is confused by agronomists and farmers in the Corn Belt with wild proso millet. To me, their ignorance is astounding about proso for grain. I know. Traveling around the country as an agronomist, I've had those discussions. I wasted breath. However, those using millets, including Japanese, in cover crops and wildlife plots have spread beyond southeastern U.S., but we can assume it is mixed with other seed species with very very little harvested for grain. 5. Are both E. frumentacea and E. esculenta grown throughout the U.S.? My assumption is NO. Based on seed suppliers, at least ones that list the type of Japanese millet (i.e. Johnston Seed), I must assume E. esculenta may be the only type used. I am not an expert on Japanese millet and look forward to July's discussions....Gary On Sat, Jun 24, 2023 at 10:30 PM <collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > Send Collab mailing list submissions to > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > or, 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. Echinochloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: Collab Digest, > Vol 17, Issue 11) (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2023 00:30:20 -0400 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: [Collab] Echinochloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: Collab > Digest, Vol 17, Issue 11) > Message-ID: > <CA+RHibU90SMEAHDhpqeskOU= > S+Uyg1wKbxHrKVCGQT6fb6rS-A(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Thank you, Gary, this is helpful. > > I have the impression that the appellation Echinochloa crus-galli (var.) > frumentacea is fairly old, so any confusion would not be your fault. A USDA > guide has it listed as an "alternate" scientific name for E. esculenta./1 > On the other hand, the GRIN database has this same name as a synonym for E. > frumentacea,/2 The scientific namespace for these species is > challenging, so as not to say confusing. However, the various and sometimes > overlapping common name usages are even more so, with that of "Japanese > millet" seeming to me to be particularly problematic (as a sometimes > catch-all) > > I personally (again, without claiming any expertise) found it useful to > think of the two lines as "Japanese barnyard millet" (E. esculenta) and > "Indian barnyard millet" (E. frumentacea)./3 /4 The latter seems to be > produced for food, primarily in India, much more than the former, but in > the US is sometimes called "billion dollar grass." > > In the US, as you point out in your book,/5 and which I noted also in the > USDA descriptions,/1 /6 these species are grown primarily for forage and > wildlife. It looks like the seed that you note is available in the US from > Johnston Seeds and Specialty Seeds, is mainly intended for these uses. > > As far as I can tell, most "barnyard millet" in food products is Indian > barnyard millet (E. frumentacea), and is produced and packaged in India./7 > One would assume that food grade Japanese barnyard millet (E. esculenta) is > still cultivated in parts of Japan. It is apparently also grown in Europe > for grain for food,/8 /9 although it's hard to be certain about the > species. I'm personally wondering if food grade E. esculenta might be a > potential crop for the conditions of the more humid areas of northern US > and southern Canada./10 > > Finally, a couple of comments about the map (fig. 20) on p. 201 of your > book/5 (a copy of the map is attached). First, it is helpful to have such > overview maps of millets in North America, even though this is now over 3 > decades old. Second, I'm noting from your source for Japanese millet's > placement on the map, that even though this millet may be most grown in > the SE US, it is also present across the continental US. I'd be curious to > know how its distribution compares, say, with E. frumentacea (to the extent > one can be clear that names in different sources are being used in a > consistent way). > > Anyway, that's a lot more detail than I had intended to get into. However, > it's useful to try to clarify some of the nomenclature and verify that > there are indeed two main cultivated species of Echinochloa, before we get > to talking about "barnyard millet(s)" as millet-of-the-month in July. > > All the best, > Don > > DO, EL, MI, US > NAMA > > Notes: > 1. See the USDA plant guide for E. esculenta - both under alternate names > and a couple of the references dating to the 1980s: > https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_eces.pdf > 2. USDA GRIN database "Taxon: Echinochloa frumentacea (Echinochloa colona > Frumentacea Group)" > https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=14828 > 3. The following recent article also uses this common name distinction, in > the context of a very useful survey of the two "complexes," along with a > third of lesser importance that I may return to later: Renganathan VG, > Vanniarajan C, Karthikeyan A, Ramalingam J. "Barnyard Millet for Food and > Nutritional Security: Current Status and Future Research Direction." > Frontiers in Genetics. 2020 Jun 23;11:500. > https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffgene.2020.00500 PMID: 32655612; PMCID: > PMC7325689. > 4. The USDA GRIN database also lists these common names, citing a 1992 > article by H. Scholz in Taxon https://doi.org/10.2307/1222824 . From the > GRIN page on Echinochloa, at > https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/cropdetail?type=species&id=224 , > go > to the pages for E. esculenta and E. frumentacea and select the tab "Common > names" to see. > 5. I downloaded it from > > https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284179184_How_to_Produce_Proso_Mil… > 6. See discussion in the context of one particular variety of E. > frumentacea at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/mspmcrb13988.pdf > 7. https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/millets-plural/barnyard-millet/ > 8. For example, "Japanese barnyard millet grits" from a Lithuanian farm > (per "Place of Origin") > https://www.urbanfood.lt/en/japanese-millet-grits-500-g > 9. An interesting survey in French of millets in France, posted on LinkedIn > by Philippe Pointereau, mentions "millet japonais (Echinochloa > frumentacea)," but without clarity as to whether and for what this is > cultivated there: > https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7075488061702168576/ > 10. Interestingly, Michigan Flora notes E. esculenta in the wild - > "occasionally cultivated and escaped" - in two counties in the SW of the > state: https://michiganflora.net/record/2869 > 11. Mitchell, Wilma A. 1989. Japanese millet ("Echinochloa Crusgalli" var. > "frumentacea") : Section 7.1.6, US Army Corps of Engineers wildlife > resources management manual > https://erdc-library.erdc.dren.mil/jspui/handle/11681/7217 > > > On Tue, Jun 20, 2023 at 11:05?AM Joni Kindwall-Moore < > joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> wrote: > > > Thanks Gary > > > > On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 4:13?PM Gary Wietgrefe via Collab < > > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > > > >> More on Japanese millet: > >> In the back of my 1990 book, *How to Produce Proso Millet: A Farmer's > >> Guide,* I describe several other millets that had been grown in the > >> U.S., Japanese millet was one (pp. 197-198). Perhaps I led to some of > the > >> confusion as I subtitled the category Echinochloa Crusgalli/Frumentacea. > >> In the 1980s, a South Dakota seed company tried to grow Japanese millet, > >> I assume Echinochloa esculenta, for seed. It was not a particularly good > >> year for crops in general and my field inspection indicated it was not > as > >> drought hardy as proso or foxtail millets we customarily grow at this > >> latitude. The seed company, which sold out twenty years ago, did not > try to > >> grow it again (to my knowledge). > >> Lastly, there is production of Japanese millet, Echinochloa esculenta, > in > >> the U.S. See link to Johnson Seed Company, Enid, OK which offers 50 > lb/bags > >> for $57.00 (=$1.14 lb. for seed) which seems reasonable JAPANESE MILLET > >> - Johnston Seed Company > >> <https://www.johnstonseed.com/product/japanese-millet/>. Southeast Seed > >> Inc., Trenton, FL also offers Japanese millet for sale Home - Southeast > >> Seed Inc <https://southeastseed.com/> as does Speciality Seed Co. out > of > >> Anguilla, MS Japanese Millet - Specialty Seed > >> <https://specialtyseed.com/japanese-millet/>. > >> > >> I hope this provides some clarification....Gary Wietgrefe > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 12:50?PM < > collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> > >> wrote: > >> > >>> Send Collab mailing list submissions to > >>> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > >>> > >>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > >>> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > >>> or, 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. Echinocloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: National Public > >>> Radio on millets, June 8, 2023) (Don Osborn) > >>> > >>> > >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>> > >>> Message: 1 > >>> Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2023 14:50:12 -0400 > >>> From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > >>> To: "collab(a)lists.millets2023.space" <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > >>> Cc: Joni Kindwall-Moore <joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com>, Dipak Santra > >>> <dsantra2(a)unl.edu>, "Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS" > >>> <david.brenner(a)usda.gov> > >>> Subject: [Collab] Echinocloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: National > >>> Public Radio on millets, June 8, 2023) > >>> Message-ID: > >>> <CA+RHibWMpVQCuwjyBxY4j03XJKr0vB8on7= > >>> izdx4k3QFEp2i2Q(a)mail.gmail.com> > >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > >>> > >>> Thanks Dipak for your clarifications, and Joni for your question. I'm > >>> proposing to retitle this fork in the thread to make it easier for > others > >>> to find later in the list archives. > >>> > >>> I'm interested in clarifying this space, because there are two species > of > >>> Echinochloa (primarily) that are referred to with various related > common > >>> names, and sometimes the same one. Here's my layperson's understanding > of > >>> what is obviously a very complicated space: > >>> > >>> * E. esculenta, is apparently descended from the wild E. crus-galli, > and > >>> domesticated in Japan as a food crop./1 I see one extension page where > >>> E. > >>> crus-galli is listed as a forage crop, with the common name "barnyard > >>> grass,"/2 and others where E. esculenta with common name "Japanese > >>> millet," > >>> is also listed as a forage crop,/3 or cover crop as DIpak indicated. E. > >>> esculenta is often called Japanese millet or Japanese barnyard millet. > >>> > >>> * E. frumentacea, is apparently descended from the wild E. colona, and > >>> domesticated somewhere in South Asia (?)./4 E. frumentacea as a forage > >>> crop > >>> is also called Japanese millet,/5 unhelpfully, as well as billion > dollar > >>> grass./6 It is sometimes considered a weed./7 I have the impression > that > >>> most if not all of the commercialized "barnyard millet" food products > >>> from > >>> India are from E. frumentacea. Another term is "Indian barnyard > millet." > >>> > >>> One extension site, also unhelpfully, lumps the two species together > >>> under > >>> the name "Japanese millet," as forage crops./8 > >>> > >>> I'd be most interested to know of cases where either of the above are > >>> grown > >>> in North America for food quality grain, on a commercial or even a > >>> small-scale, basis, for whatever use or market. No idea, Joni, about > the > >>> particular issues with dehulling any of these. > >>> > >>> This is very quick and inadequate, but hopefully not misleading. > >>> > >>> By the way, this subgroup of millets will collectively be the > >>> "millet-of-the-month," under the heading "barnyard millet," in July > >>> > >>> Don. > >>> > >>> DO, EL, MI, US > >>> NAMA > >>> > >>> Notes (sorry, these were hastily and unsystematically gathered): > >>> 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinochloa_esculenta > >>> 2. > >>> > >>> > https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail/?project=misin&id=256&cname=Barnyard… > >>> 3. > >>> > >>> > https://www.canr.msu.edu/potatooutreach/research/mpic%20report%202018%20upd… > >>> (page 93) > >>> 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinochloa_frumentacea > >>> 5. For example at > >>> > >>> > https://midwestcovercrops.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/MCCC_Proceedings-2… > >>> (page 51 in the concatenation of documents with individual page > numbers) > >>> 6. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/mspmcrb13988.pdf (this > >>> document > >>> concerns a variety called "chiwapa") > >>> 7. https://weedid.cals.vt.edu/profile/237 > >>> 8. https://www.midwestcovercrops.org/species/grasses/millet/ > >>> > >>> > >>> On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 1:28?PM Joni Kindwall-Moore < > >>> joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> wrote: > >>> > >>> > Has anyone had experience with dehulling Japanese millet? Is it > >>> similar to > >>> > dehulling Proso millet? > >>> > > >>> > On Sun, Jun 11, 2023 at 2:06?PM Dipak Santra via Collab < > >>> > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > >>> > > >>> >> Japanese millet (Echinochloa esculenta), also called barnyard > millet, > >>> >> possibly is used in cover crop mix and as human food 9after > dehulling > >>> (like > >>> >> other millet) for ethnic population (mainly Indian) in North > America. > >>> It is > >>> >> very popular in India grocery stores what I have seen. > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> Dipak > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> Dipak Santra, Ph.D. > >>> >> > >>> >> *Associate Professor (Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist)* > >>> >> > >>> >> President, International Broomcorn Millet Association > >>> >> > >>> >> Department of Agronomy and Horticulture > >>> >> > >>> >> University of Nebraska?Lincoln > >>> >> > >>> >> Panhandle Research & Extension Center > >>> >> > >>> >> 4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 > >>> >> > >>> >> *(*308) 632-124 <3086321372>4 (work) / (*308) 765-2324* (cell) > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> *From:* Collab <collab-bounces(a)lists.millets2023.space> *On Behalf > >>> Of *Don > >>> >> Osborn > >>> >> *Sent:* Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:47 PM > >>> >> *To:* Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS <david.brenner(a)usda.gov> > >>> >> *Cc:* collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > >>> >> *Subject:* Re: [Collab] National Public Radio on millets, June 8, > 2023 > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> Non-NU Email > >>> >> ------------------------------ > >>> >> > >>> >> Thank you, David, I appreciate your sharing this. It's of course > >>> another > >>> >> version of the radio segment that aired last month on a more local > >>> scale > >>> >> (Kansas CIty, apparently): > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> https://www.kcur.org/2023-05-17/millets-drought-climate-united-nations > >>> >> < > >>> > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.kcur.org/2023-05-17/millets-drought-… > > > >>> . > >>> >> Altho shorter, the NPR Morning Edition version captures all the main > >>> >> points. And of course it went out nationally in the US, which is > >>> great. > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> Regarding the content of the segment, I'm particularly curious to > know > >>> >> more about the Japanese millet (Echinochloa esculenta) that Linus > >>> >> Rothermich is growing - what are the markets for this grain in > >>> >> North America? I am aware of the plant's use as forage and for > >>> wildlife in > >>> >> the US. > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> TIA for any more info, > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> Don > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> DO, EL, MI, US > >>> >> > >>> >> NAMA > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> bcc: Rob Myers > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> On Fri, Jun 9, 2023 at 1:18?PM Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS < > >>> >> david.brenner(a)usda.gov> wrote: > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> > https://www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1180964010/the-united-nations-declares-2023-… > >>> >> < > >>> > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1180964010/the-un… > >>> > > >>> >> > >>> >> [image: Image removed by sender.] > >>> >> < > >>> > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1180964010/the-un… > >>> > > >>> >> > >>> >> The United Nations declares 2023 the International Year of Millets > >>> >> < > >>> > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1180964010/the-un… > >>> > > >>> >> > >>> >> Millets, an alternative crop to corn and soybeans, is getting new > >>> >> attention in the U.S. The resilient grain could help U.S. farmers > >>> survive > >>> >> climate change. > >>> >> > >>> >> www.npr.org > >>> >> < > >>> > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.npr.org__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!BRDQvnZU… > >>> > > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> ------------------------------ > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA > >>> solely > >>> >> for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this > >>> message > >>> >> or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate > >>> the law > >>> >> and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you > >>> believe you > >>> >> have received this message in error, please notify the sender and > >>> delete > >>> >> the email immediately. > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> > >>> >> -- > >>> >> Collab mailing list > >>> >> Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > >>> >> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > >>> >> > >>> > > >>>

3 7

Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 18, Issue 13
by Gary Wietgrefe 07 Jul '23

07 Jul '23

I will by no means discourage anyone from producing millet (in the Corn Belt or elsewhere). NAMA and Year of Millets will certainly help others to try millet recipes. If I find out more about Japanese millet currently used in Japan, I will let you know....Gary On Fri, Jul 7, 2023 at 11:41 AM <collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > Send Collab mailing list submissions to > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > or, 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. Re: Echinochloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: Collab > Digest, Vol 17, Issue 21) (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2023 13:40:27 -0400 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: Gary Wietgrefe <gww374(a)gmail.com> > Cc: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: Re: [Collab] Echinochloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: > Collab Digest, Vol 17, Issue 21) > Message-ID: > <CA+RHibVzRo8Guj8zysOVz3PYzPCwGhz25GmoLP-18FqT-= > ax8g(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Thank you, Gary, for this background. It is always of interest to know more > about each others' experience and observations regarding millets (and the > contexts in which these grains may or may not be found). > > The article by Takahiro Mitsui that you shared is very good and helpful. > > I dug up some items online that indirectly address the question of Japanese > (barnyard) millet growing in Japan today. First, I'd note that in parts of > Asia, at least, there is renewed interest in traditional crops such as > millets (see for example Prof. Francesca Bray's presentation about China in > the 3rd of our Millets Webinars at https://youtu.be/IUeLldImLzE ; and of > course, India is promoting millets on many levels). So, one question I > would have for Prof. Mitsui would be whether there is a similar recent > trend beginning anywhere in Japan, especially with the International Year > of Millets. > > The links are: > > 1. A 17 grain product on the Echigo Ojiya Takano site, in which "Japanese > barnyard millet" is listed among the ingredients. (That list is a little > confusing as millet or millets are listed 3 times in English translation.) > https://takano-niigata.co.jp/english/products/seventeen-grain-rice/ > > 2. A "Japanese barnyard millet" product apparently from Japan (altho this > particular item is currently out of stock): > https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B017GKDDTG > > 3. A farm in Nagano prefecture (more or less in the middle of Honshu > island), where "Japanese barnyard millet had been cultivated for a long > time" (along with some other crops): It's not clear when that apparently > ended or if it's being cultivated now apart from their current main crop: > http://furutanosato.starfree.jp/top_english.htm > > All these, of course, are in English translation, so I suspect that a well > crafted search in Japanese might turn up more. > > Regarding Michigan and this part of North America, I have no particular > expectations, and appreciate your cautions about millets in this region. > Still I'm thinking that it is useful to investigate selected millets as > potential additional "alternative crops" in the interest of more food-crop > diversity. > > There is much to learn and I appreciate your engaging in the process. > > All the best, > > Don > > DO, EL, MI, US > NAMA > > > On Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 10:51?PM Gary Wietgrefe <gww374(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > I need to fill you in on my experience in Japan where I lived for a year > > and a half (1973-1975). My brother also lived in Japan for ten years and > > his wife, my sister-in-law (for the past 49 years) is a Japanese farmer's > > daughter from the southern island prefecture of Fukuoka. > > First, I lived in southeast Aomori Prefecture and bicycled often through > > the mountainous countryside. Never once did I see any millet planted in > > fields. I was in the U.S. Air Force at the time and we were encouraged to > > employ Japanese women, mostly farmers' wives, to clean our rooms, laundry > > and do odd chores. My room was only 6'x8' but I had my mama-san, clean my > > room twice per week which was economical even on my enlisted pay. Keep in > > mind, I was there about twenty years after WWII occupation and yet that > was > > still a poor area of Japan. Our mama-sans tended fields of (transplanted) > > rice and tobacco, and beautiful vegetable fields during the growing > season > > and lived in small one-room, wooden-sided (assuming wood heated) > one-level > > homes. > > My sister-in-law was from a large farming family and had three brothers. > > While my brother and her lived on Fukuoka (here island) for six years, > each > > year my brother would help her aging father and mother harvest bamboo > > shoots in spring, and rice, and mikan oranges in the fall. > > When I asked my brother and his wife, Chifumi, if she ate Japanese millet > > in Japan, she responded a hardy "No.!" They did not grow nor harvest > > Japanese millet. I'm told that is a traditional millet of mountainous > areas > > of northern Japan. Attached is a link my brother sent which I think you > > will find astounding as to why Japanese do not eat (poor man's food) > millet > > to this day. > > Chifumi read the attached article and fully agreed with it. She went on > to > > say when she was young (born in 1950--three years after WWII) they, like > > area farmers, were very poor. They raised rice (for sale) and barley. > When > > she was school age, her mom would send her to school with barely mixed > with > > rice as her lunch. She was ashamed because they could not afford to eat > > pure rice like some of the other students so she ate with others that had > > barely/rice meals. Although my sister-in-law is extremely talented in > many > > areas, including art, she loves to cook and bake. She received a degree > > from a high-end culinary school a decade ago. Recruited to work in > > restaurants, instead she is on her 11th year making (mostly) pastries > for a > > Colorado homeless shelter. To this day, she will not eat barely nor cook > > with it. > > Perhaps a younger generation of Japanese will again accept the health > > benefits of millet, the post-war stigma will not be overcome for those > over > > sixty. > > Please review this article on the demise of Japanese millet between 1950 > > and 1965. See A decrease in eating barnyard millet in Iwate prefecture: a > > literature review of Iwate no Hoken (hygiene in Iwate) | Journal of > Ethnic > > Foods | Full Text (biomedcentral.com) > > < > https://journalofethnicfoods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42779-020-… > > > > . > > You suggest Michigan for growing Japanese millet, but please keep in mind > > there are many corn and wheat herbicides (e.g. quinclorac, glyphosate, > > flucarbazone) designed to kill barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli). > As > > I explained before, millets in the Corn Belt are weeds!!!! > > > > I look forward to learning more about Japanese millet....Gary Wietgrefe > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Jul 4, 2023 at 10:03?AM Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > > wrote: > > > >> Thank you, Gary, for your answers and thoughts on barnyard millets > >> (Echinochloa spp.). > >> > >> Re #1, I am finding various recent literature, using the terms "Indian > >> barnyard millet" (E. frumentacea) and "Japanese barnyard millet" (E. > >> esculenta), so it would make sense to continue to use these. More on > those > >> sources in a later post on barnyard millet(s) as "millet-of-the-month" > for > >> July. > >> > >> Re nos. 2 & 3: I hope to share more info on Japanese barnyard millet in > >> Japan. You are right, of course, that arable land in Japan is not > >> abundant, and what land is devoted to agriculture has other priorities. > >> However, my limited understanding is that some areas are more suited to > >> millets than rice culture. Also, if there is a cultural importance to > this > >> minor crop, one imagines it would be a niche that some farmers would > find > >> profitable. More later. > >> > >> Re #4, I am thinking of Japanese barnyard millet (grown for grain) only > >> as a potential alternative crop in the more humid Great Lakes region, > for > >> example. Only two small problems: availability of a food-grade variety > >> suitable for the region, and lack of a market (domestic or > international). > >> So this is long range musing. > >> > >> I wouldn't expect Michigan to compete with the plains states on > >> production of proso millet or sorghum. Some growers may find success > with > >> either of these (seeking examples), but it's something like the one > farm in > >> the state growing grain teff (truly still an alternative crop in the US, > >> even if it is established in parts of the northwest of the country) that > >> gets attention and finds a niche market (in this case via association > with > >> the Teffola brand line of products) So maybe that's the route for other > >> selected small millets here and in North America in general? > >> > >> Finally, re #5 (distro of the two Echinochloa spp. in North America), I > >> do also find US sources for Indian barnyard millet / billion dollar > grass / > >> "Japanese millet" (again that name) meaning E. frumentacea: > >> * > >> > https://seedvilleusa.com/products/150-japanese-millet-billion-dollar-grass-… > >> * > >> > https://www.amkhaseed.com/products/millet-japanese-echinochloa-frumentacea > >> (altho the company is now apparently in a transition) > >> > >> Regarding distribution, Flora of North America has this page on E. > >> frumentacea (Indian BYM), noting that "It is found occasionally in the > >> contiguous United States and southern Canada, the primary source being > >> birdseed mixes." > >> http://floranorthamerica.org/Echinochloa_frumentacea > >> > >> Compare with this page on their site about E. esculenta (Japanese BYM). > >> Apparently they see much less distribution: > >> http://floranorthamerica.org/Echinochloa_esculenta > >> > >> Hopefully David Brenner can weigh in on this. > >> > >> All the best, > >> > >> Don > >> > >> DO, EL, MI, US > >> NAMA > >> > >> > >> On Sun, Jun 25, 2023 at 2:09?AM Gary Wietgrefe via Collab < > >> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > >> > >>> I appreciate your map comments. Here are my simple responses: > >>> 1. Yes, "Japanese" millet is problematic without scientific names. > >>> Indian barnyard millet (E. frumentacea) seems like a nice > clarification and > >>> Japanese barnyard millet (E. esculenta) the common one planted in the > U.S. > >>> mainly for non-seed harvesting would make references easier. > >>> 2. I highly doubt much millet of any kind is grown in Japan. See my > 1989 > >>> comments about U.S. exports to Japan (p-.91-92 in Proso Millet: A Trade > >>> Summary) and Argentine millet exports to Japan (pg. 120). > >>> 3. Japan has probably been importing millet shortly after WWII > >>> occupation. Farmland is so valuable, and millet relatively an > economical > >>> import that Japan would find it much more economical to import. About > >>> twenty years ago when I was testing various millets for ethanol, > Japanese > >>> were most interested in glutenous proso rather than common proso > millet. > >>> I've never seen a request in Japan for Japanese millet, however, I have > >>> been out of that loop way too long to be knowledgeable about > >>> Japanese millet imports. Like other countries, Japan millet imports are > >>> very likely used as a rice substitute/supplement. > >>> 4. Can Japanese barnyard millet be grown in the U.S./Canada (more humid > >>> areas) and harvested for seed for human consumption? Sure it can. But, > what > >>> is possible is often unlikely. Why? Japanese barnyard millet produced > in > >>> any Corn Belt state would likely be discriminated against for the same > >>> reason proso millet is not grown in the Corn Belt. First, it is not > price > >>> competitive with corn or soybeans. Secondly, and most importantly, > >>> volunteer Japanese barnyard millet would be construed to be a > "barnyard" > >>> grassy weed, or potential one--just like proso millet is confused by > >>> agronomists and farmers in the Corn Belt with wild proso millet. To me, > >>> their ignorance is astounding about proso for grain. I know. Traveling > >>> around the country as an agronomist, I've had those discussions. I > wasted > >>> breath. However, those using millets, including Japanese, in cover > crops > >>> and wildlife plots have spread beyond southeastern U.S., but we can > assume > >>> it is mixed with other seed species with very very little harvested for > >>> grain. > >>> 5. Are both E. frumentacea and E. esculenta grown throughout the U.S.? > >>> My assumption is NO. Based on seed suppliers, at least ones that list > the > >>> type of Japanese millet (i.e. Johnston Seed), I must assume E. > esculenta > >>> may be the only type used. > >>> > >>> I am not an expert on Japanese millet and look forward to July's > >>> discussions....Gary > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> On Sat, Jun 24, 2023 at 10:30?PM < > collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> > >>> wrote: > >>> > >>>> Send Collab mailing list submissions to > >>>> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > >>>> > >>>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > >>>> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > >>>> or, 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. Echinochloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: Collab Digest, > >>>> Vol 17, Issue 11) (Don Osborn) > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>>> > >>>> Message: 1 > >>>> Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2023 00:30:20 -0400 > >>>> From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > >>>> To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > >>>> Subject: [Collab] Echinochloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: Collab > >>>> Digest, Vol 17, Issue 11) > >>>> Message-ID: > >>>> <CA+RHibU90SMEAHDhpqeskOU= > >>>> S+Uyg1wKbxHrKVCGQT6fb6rS-A(a)mail.gmail.com> > >>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > >>>> > >>>> Thank you, Gary, this is helpful. > >>>> > >>>> I have the impression that the appellation Echinochloa crus-galli > (var.) > >>>> frumentacea is fairly old, so any confusion would not be your fault. A > >>>> USDA > >>>> guide has it listed as an "alternate" scientific name for E. > >>>> esculenta./1 > >>>> On the other hand, the GRIN database has this same name as a synonym > >>>> for E. > >>>> frumentacea,/2 The scientific namespace for these species is > >>>> challenging, so as not to say confusing. However, the various and > >>>> sometimes > >>>> overlapping common name usages are even more so, with that of > "Japanese > >>>> millet" seeming to me to be particularly problematic (as a sometimes > >>>> catch-all) > >>>> > >>>> I personally (again, without claiming any expertise) found it useful > to > >>>> think of the two lines as "Japanese barnyard millet" (E. esculenta) > and > >>>> "Indian barnyard millet" (E. frumentacea)./3 /4 The latter seems to > be > >>>> produced for food, primarily in India, much more than the former, but > in > >>>> the US is sometimes called "billion dollar grass." > >>>> > >>>> In the US, as you point out in your book,/5 and which I noted also in > >>>> the > >>>> USDA descriptions,/1 /6 these species are grown primarily for forage > and > >>>> wildlife. It looks like the seed that you note is available in the US > >>>> from > >>>> Johnston Seeds and Specialty Seeds, is mainly intended for these uses. > >>>> > >>>> As far as I can tell, most "barnyard millet" in food products is > Indian > >>>> barnyard millet (E. frumentacea), and is produced and packaged in > >>>> India./7 > >>>> One would assume that food grade Japanese barnyard millet (E. > >>>> esculenta) is > >>>> still cultivated in parts of Japan. It is apparently also grown in > >>>> Europe > >>>> for grain for food,/8 /9 although it's hard to be certain about the > >>>> species. I'm personally wondering if food grade E. esculenta might > be a > >>>> potential crop for the conditions of the more humid areas of northern > US > >>>> and southern Canada./10 > >>>> > >>>> Finally, a couple of comments about the map (fig. 20) on p. 201 of > your > >>>> book/5 (a copy of the map is attached). First, it is helpful to have > >>>> such > >>>> overview maps of millets in North America, even though this is now > over > >>>> 3 > >>>> decades old. Second, I'm noting from your source for Japanese millet's > >>>> placement on the map, that even though this millet may be most grown > in > >>>> the SE US, it is also present across the continental US. I'd be > curious > >>>> to > >>>> know how its distribution compares, say, with E. frumentacea (to the > >>>> extent > >>>> one can be clear that names in different sources are being used in a > >>>> consistent way). > >>>> > >>>> Anyway, that's a lot more detail than I had intended to get into. > >>>> However, > >>>> it's useful to try to clarify some of the nomenclature and verify that > >>>> there are indeed two main cultivated species of Echinochloa, before we > >>>> get > >>>> to talking about "barnyard millet(s)" as millet-of-the-month in July. > >>>> > >>>> All the best, > >>>> Don > >>>> > >>>> DO, EL, MI, US > >>>> NAMA > >>>> > >>>> Notes: > >>>> 1. See the USDA plant guide for E. esculenta - both under alternate > >>>> names > >>>> and a couple of the references dating to the 1980s: > >>>> https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_eces.pdf > >>>> 2. USDA GRIN database "Taxon: Echinochloa frumentacea (Echinochloa > >>>> colona > >>>> Frumentacea Group)" > >>>> https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=14828 > >>>> 3. The following recent article also uses this common name > distinction, > >>>> in > >>>> the context of a very useful survey of the two "complexes," along > with a > >>>> third of lesser importance that I may return to later: Renganathan VG, > >>>> Vanniarajan C, Karthikeyan A, Ramalingam J. "Barnyard Millet for Food > >>>> and > >>>> Nutritional Security: Current Status and Future Research Direction." > >>>> Frontiers in Genetics. 2020 Jun 23;11:500. > >>>> https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffgene.2020.00500 PMID: 32655612; PMCID: > >>>> PMC7325689. > >>>> 4. The USDA GRIN database also lists these common names, citing a 1992 > >>>> article by H. Scholz in Taxon https://doi.org/10.2307/1222824 . From > >>>> the > >>>> GRIN page on Echinochloa, at > >>>> > https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/cropdetail?type=species&id=224 > >>>> , go > >>>> to the pages for E. esculenta and E. frumentacea and select the tab > >>>> "Common > >>>> names" to see. > >>>> 5. I downloaded it from > >>>> > >>>> > https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284179184_How_to_Produce_Proso_Mil… > >>>> 6. See discussion in the context of one particular variety of E. > >>>> frumentacea at > >>>> https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/mspmcrb13988.pdf > >>>> 7. > >>>> https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/millets-plural/barnyard-millet/ > >>>> 8. For example, "Japanese barnyard millet grits" from a Lithuanian > farm > >>>> (per "Place of Origin") > >>>> https://www.urbanfood.lt/en/japanese-millet-grits-500-g > >>>> 9. An interesting survey in French of millets in France, posted on > >>>> LinkedIn > >>>> by Philippe Pointereau, mentions "millet japonais (Echinochloa > >>>> frumentacea)," but without clarity as to whether and for what this is > >>>> cultivated there: > >>>> > >>>> > https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7075488061702168576/ > >>>> 10. Interestingly, Michigan Flora notes E. esculenta in the wild - > >>>> "occasionally cultivated and escaped" - in two counties in the SW of > the > >>>> state: https://michiganflora.net/record/2869 > >>>> 11. Mitchell, Wilma A. 1989. Japanese millet ("Echinochloa Crusgalli" > >>>> var. > >>>> "frumentacea") : Section 7.1.6, US Army Corps of Engineers wildlife > >>>> resources management manual > >>>> https://erdc-library.erdc.dren.mil/jspui/handle/11681/7217 > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On Tue, Jun 20, 2023 at 11:05?AM Joni Kindwall-Moore < > >>>> joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > Thanks Gary > >>>> > > >>>> > On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 4:13?PM Gary Wietgrefe via Collab < > >>>> > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > >>>> > > >>>> >> More on Japanese millet: > >>>> >> In the back of my 1990 book, *How to Produce Proso Millet: A > Farmer's > >>>> >> Guide,* I describe several other millets that had been grown in the > >>>> >> U.S., Japanese millet was one (pp. 197-198). Perhaps I led to some > >>>> of the > >>>> >> confusion as I subtitled the category Echinochloa > >>>> Crusgalli/Frumentacea. > >>>> >> In the 1980s, a South Dakota seed company tried to grow Japanese > >>>> millet, > >>>> >> I assume Echinochloa esculenta, for seed. It was not a particularly > >>>> good > >>>> >> year for crops in general and my field inspection indicated it was > >>>> not as > >>>> >> drought hardy as proso or foxtail millets we customarily grow at > this > >>>> >> latitude. The seed company, which sold out twenty years ago, did > not > >>>> try to > >>>> >> grow it again (to my knowledge). > >>>> >> Lastly, there is production of Japanese millet, Echinochloa > >>>> esculenta, in > >>>> >> the U.S. See link to Johnson Seed Company, Enid, OK which offers 50 > >>>> lb/bags > >>>> >> for $57.00 (=$1.14 lb. for seed) which seems reasonable JAPANESE > >>>> MILLET > >>>> >> - Johnston Seed Company > >>>> >> <https://www.johnstonseed.com/product/japanese-millet/>. Southeast > >>>> Seed > >>>> >> Inc., Trenton, FL also offers Japanese millet for sale Home - > >>>> Southeast > >>>> >> Seed Inc <https://southeastseed.com/> as does Speciality Seed Co. > >>>> out of > >>>> >> Anguilla, MS Japanese Millet - Specialty Seed > >>>> >> <https://specialtyseed.com/japanese-millet/>. > >>>> >> > >>>> >> I hope this provides some clarification....Gary Wietgrefe > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> > >>>> >> On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 12:50?PM < > >>>> collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> > >>>> >> wrote: > >>>> >> > >>>> >>> Send Collab mailing list submissions to > >>>> >>> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > >>>> >>> > >>>> >>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > >>>> >>> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > >>>> >>> or, 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. Echinocloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: National Public > >>>> >>> Radio on millets, June 8, 2023) (Don Osborn) > >>>> >>> > >>>> > >>> > >>> [ . . . ] > >> > > > > > > -- > > Author, Gary W. Wietgrefe, > > https://www.RelatingtoAncients.com/ > > *Destination North Pole--5,000 km by bicycle* is an exciting, endearing, > > humorous, dangerous and sometimes quirky travel adventure. Hardcover, > > paperback and e-books are available on Amazon or other on-line retailers. > > My other books tie education, school system, parenting, technology, and > > business with 21st century culture and learning. > > >

1 0

Invitation to join the Millets Community of Practice
by Dimitrova, Zdravka (NSP) 07 Jul '23

07 Jul '23

Dear colleagues, We are delighted to invite you to join the Millets Community of Practice (CoP)<https://dgroups.org/fao/millets>! The Millets CoP provides a platform for farmers' organizations, cooperatives, civil society organizations, research centres, NGOs, policymakers, decision-makers and the private sector working in millet value chain with the common goal of identifying opportunities and gaps to promote a shift towards sustainable food systems. This community exchanges information and ideas on millets production and processing best practices, projects, lessons learned, initiatives, programmes, public policies, research and development and innovation among others. It is an open platform, with moderated management. The community serves to: * Share and co-create knowledge among stakeholders, with a particular focus on successful agricultural technologies and innovations, best practices and case studies on millets (in areas such as crop production, post-harvest and marketing, natural resource management, nutrition and food security, capacity development, Indigenous Peoples' knowledge and traditions, climate change and disaster risk reduction); * Systematize practices and technologies to make them available to a wider audience as a legacy of the International Year of Millets; * Identify gaps in knowledge and support research community for data collection; * Foster knowledge and information dissemination for concrete actions and policy-making in support of millets production and processing services; * Encourage sharing and collaboration between practitioners. * Disseminate information on events and other opportunities related to millet value chain; * Provide support to deal with shared challenges in millet value chain; * Support collective efforts to influence relevant policy areas; and, * Promote the consumption of millets and integrating millets in diversified and healthy diets. To join the community, please register at the following link: https://dgroups.org/fao/millets. Kind regards, Secretariat of the International Year of Millets 2023 Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Address: Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy [cid:image001.png@01D9AE92.88FD2510]

2 1

SDSN millets webinar series #2, this Friday 7 July 2023
by Don Osborn 05 Jul '23

05 Jul '23

A courtesy reminder for those of you following the SDSN webinar series on millets, that the second in their series of three will be held this Friday 7 July at 10 am PST | 1 pm EDT | 7 pm CEST | 8 pm EAT. For more info, see https://www.unsdsn.org/sdsn-commemorates-international-year-of-millets This webinar will review the sustainability aspects of growing millet, including the reduced need for inputs (e.g., water, fertilizer, pesticides), as well as its resilience to climate change. Featured speakers include: * Dr . Rebbie Harawa, Country Representative for Kenya and Regional Director for Eastern & Southern Africa, ICRISAT * Chef Pierre Thiam, Executive Chef of Nok by Alara (Lagos, Nigeria); Signature Chef of the Pullman Hotel (Dakar, Senegal); Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Teranga (New York City, USA) * Lauren Barredo, Chief of Staff of the SDSN DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

1 0

Millets Webinar updates: Video of 6th & info on 7th
by Don Osborn 03 Jul '23

03 Jul '23

Some updates about the Millets Webinars: 1) The recording of our 6th Millets Webinar (21 June 2023), which included presentations on what millets bring to the table, from Chef Nazim Khan, and Chef Pierre Thiam is available at: https://youtu.be/c7pyH6ucN2U .I apologize for the delay in disseminating this information. As before, links to recordings of all past Millets Webinars are accessible at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy7IvZCKUBap-6AaoCjPSFTMMq772t_Yb 2) Our 7th Millets Webinar, on Wed. 19 July at 5 pm EDT, will be on the nutritional benefits of #millets: "Millets as nutrition powerhouses." More details forthcoming. 3) Hard to believe we're already halfway through the International Year of Millets (IYM). As we look ahead, here FYI are the 8th thru 12th Millets Webinars, all on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5 pm Eastern time: Aug. 16 - On and off the shelf: Millet products in markets today Sep. 20 - Drink up! Millet beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic Oct. 18 - More than small change: Millets in community and economic development Nov. 15 - Not just for the birds: Millets and animal farming Dec. 20 - Innovations in millets: A food systems approach 4) We're also hoping to do a wrap-up webinar in January, to review the IYM. And we are thinking long-term as well - stay tuned! DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

1 0

FW: SAVE THE DATE - IYM 2023 Global Webinar Series::::Historical Aspects of Millets, 11 July 2023 12:00 - 13:00 (CEST)
by Taguchi, Makiko (NSP) 03 Jul '23

03 Jul '23

Dear all, The timing may not be optimal for most of you in the US, but if possible, please join! You can also register to receive the link to the recording later. Best regards Makiko [cid:image001.png@01D9AD96.C14D7980] S A V E T H E D A T E 11 July 2023 | 12:00 - 13:00 CEST Historical aspects of millets An online event in English, with interpretation in Chinese REGISTER HERE<https://fao.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kzHAw6QuTySTfG6Br2vLSg#/registration> The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th Session in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023)<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/en>. As part of the IYM 2023 celebration, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing a four-part “IYM Global Webinar Series” to shed light on the various environmental, social and economic benefits of millets, their rich heritage and their vast potential. Millets were among the first domesticated plants and remain a traditional staple crop for millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia as the grains can thrive in poor soils, resist crop diseases and pests, and are resilient in adverse climatic conditions. As a fundamental crop for multiple Indigenous Peoples’ food systems around the world, millets have been an important crop for millennia, and even today can help overcome food scarcity in difficult periods, contributing to the food security and nutrition of vulnerable populations. Join this webinar to learn more about the historical, anthropological, archaeological aspects of millets and their evolving heritage today! AGENDA Time  Agenda item and presenter  12:00–12:05    Opening remarks by Mr Jingyuan Xia, Director of FAO Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), FAO 12:05-12:15    Archaeological and anthropological aspects in millets tradition by Ms Nuria Sanz, Regional Director of UNESCO Cairo Office, Egypt 12:15 –12:25  History of millets in Japan by Mr Mikio Kimata, Ethnobotany and Principle for Learning Environment Emeritus Professor of Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan  12:25 –12:35  Connecting tradition to markets by Mr Haiqing Liu, Young Entrepreneur of Aohan Banner, an Agricultural Cultural Heritage Site, China  12:35 –12:55  Q&A session 12:55 –13:00  Closing remarks by Mr Jingyuan Xia, NSP Director, FAO The webinar will be moderated by Ms Makiko Taguchi, Agricultural Officer, NSP, FAO Stay tuned for the upcoming IYM 2023 webinars: § 5 September 2023 14:00-15:00 CEST – Climate resilience of millets § 19 September 2023 14:00-15:00 CEST – Opportunities for processing millets For more information, please contact: International-Year-Millets(a)fao.org<mailto:International-Year-Millets@fao.org>

2 1

Fwd: Connecting: Sorghum Field Sensor Technology Trials
by Don Osborn 30 Jun '23

30 Jun '23

Forwarding this from Nate Blum of Sorghum United. If interested, please contact Nate at the Sorghum United email in his sig, or me, for contact info for Dr. Mural. Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance don(a)milletsalliance.org ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Sorghum United Date: Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 6:45 PM Subject: Connecting: Sorghum Field Sensor Technology Trials To: (addresses removed) All: I am writing to introduce you to Dr. Ravi Mural. Dr. Mural and his team at the University of Nebraska Lincoln and the University of Utah, are looking for farmers to partner with in regard to trialing precision pest and carbon measuring technologies in the field. Dr. Mural is also interested in connecting more with food processors in the sorghum and millets space. Dr. Mural: Those cc'd on this email include: 1) Del Ficke and Kerry Hoffschneider (The Grazemaster Group) 2) Dr. Kelly Bruns (UNL Extension North Platte) 3) Joni Kindwall-Moore (North American Millets Association/Snacktivist Foods) 4) Don Osborn (North American Millets Association) 5) Klint Stewart (Nebraska Sorghum Farmer and former state and national board member) All the best and happy connecting! > >> -- > *Nate Blum* > Chief Executive Officer > Sorghum United > +1 402 802 1850 > sorghumunited(a)gmail.com > > -- Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US - +1 202-621-3911) North American Millets Alliance

1 0

Sorghum in the month of June (& can you help publicize?)
by Don Osborn 28 Jun '23

28 Jun '23

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is our "millet-of-the-month" in June (the MotM calendar is appended and attached). Sorghum is also the "grain-of-the-month" of our friends at the Whole Grains Council. Sorghum, sometimes also called "great millet," is a grain with many varieties and uses, Its total global production is on the order of 60 million MT/year (which is maybe twice that of all other #millets combined, but less than a tenth of a major cereal like wheat or rice). Sorghum was first domesticated in Africa - probably somewhere in the eastern Sahel. It spread to Asia in ancient times, and is now a global crop. For more about sorghum: * Encyclopaedia Britannica (a brief intro): https://www.britannica.com/plant/sorghum-grain * WIkipedia (a longer intro): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorghum_bicolor * Whole Grains Council: https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/grain-month-calendar/sorghu… * National Sorghum Growers; Sorghum 101: https://sorghumgrowers.com/sorghum-101/ * Sorghum Checkoff, Sorghum 101: https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/sorghum-101/ * Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sorghum * Half-Scratched (recipes): https://www.halfscratched.com/sorghum-recipes/ (there are many sites online with sorghum recipes; this page lists 23 examples with photos, descriptions, outlinks for the actual recipes, so it seems a decent starting place) And see also the website of our friends at Sorghum United: http://sorghumunited.com/ ---------- The "millet-of-the-month" calendar, and how you can help The aim of "Millet-of-the-month" is to spotlight individual millets out of this often poorly understood group of grains. I do think that we have progressed from reference to "millet" (sounds like one thing, even if it is meant as a collective reference) to "millets" (okay, there are several of them), but that needs disambiguation. In some International Year of Millets publicity, one sees "millets" promoted, but that seems to beg the question: What are they? And the answers to that question most productively arrive at their individual identities: Where and under what conditions does each grow well? How does a particular millet work in cooking, and why might one choose one over another in a dish? What are their respective histories, and the cultures of farming and food that bring them to us? We're halfway through the calendar, and if you've been watching this space, you'll have noted that we (or mainly I) have been late each month to get info out on the current millet-of-the-month. And then that info is relatively limited in scope and reach. So here's the ask: If you have tie and interest, please consider posting on social media about the current "millet-of-the-month" - per the calendar below and in attachment - using the hashtag #milletofthemonth and the name of the month (and obviously the name of the millet, altho that may be in the item posted anyway). And, if you see such an item posted - such as on our twitter account at https://twitter.com/NAmericaMillets - feel free to repost it. Jan., proso millet, Panicum miliaceum Feb., finger millet, Eleusine coracana Mar., foxtail millet, Setaria italica Apr., pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum May, fonio, Digitaria spp. June, sorghum, Sorghum bicolor July, barnyard millet, Echinochloa spp. Aug., little millet, Panicum sumatrense Sep., browntop & Guinea, Brachiaria spp. Oct., kodo millet, Paspalum scrobiculatum Nov., teff, Eragrostis tef Dec., adlay/Job’s Tears, Coix lacryma-jobi Thanks for considering helping us out with this. And try something new with sorghum! Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

1 0

Echinochloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: Collab Digest, Vol 17, Issue 11)
by Don Osborn 25 Jun '23

25 Jun '23

Thank you, Gary, this is helpful. I have the impression that the appellation Echinochloa crus-galli (var.) frumentacea is fairly old, so any confusion would not be your fault. A USDA guide has it listed as an "alternate" scientific name for E. esculenta./1 On the other hand, the GRIN database has this same name as a synonym for E. frumentacea,/2 The scientific namespace for these species is challenging, so as not to say confusing. However, the various and sometimes overlapping common name usages are even more so, with that of "Japanese millet" seeming to me to be particularly problematic (as a sometimes catch-all) I personally (again, without claiming any expertise) found it useful to think of the two lines as "Japanese barnyard millet" (E. esculenta) and "Indian barnyard millet" (E. frumentacea)./3 /4 The latter seems to be produced for food, primarily in India, much more than the former, but in the US is sometimes called "billion dollar grass." In the US, as you point out in your book,/5 and which I noted also in the USDA descriptions,/1 /6 these species are grown primarily for forage and wildlife. It looks like the seed that you note is available in the US from Johnston Seeds and Specialty Seeds, is mainly intended for these uses. As far as I can tell, most "barnyard millet" in food products is Indian barnyard millet (E. frumentacea), and is produced and packaged in India./7 One would assume that food grade Japanese barnyard millet (E. esculenta) is still cultivated in parts of Japan. It is apparently also grown in Europe for grain for food,/8 /9 although it's hard to be certain about the species. I'm personally wondering if food grade E. esculenta might be a potential crop for the conditions of the more humid areas of northern US and southern Canada./10 Finally, a couple of comments about the map (fig. 20) on p. 201 of your book/5 (a copy of the map is attached). First, it is helpful to have such overview maps of millets in North America, even though this is now over 3 decades old. Second, I'm noting from your source for Japanese millet's placement on the map, that even though this millet may be most grown in the SE US, it is also present across the continental US. I'd be curious to know how its distribution compares, say, with E. frumentacea (to the extent one can be clear that names in different sources are being used in a consistent way). Anyway, that's a lot more detail than I had intended to get into. However, it's useful to try to clarify some of the nomenclature and verify that there are indeed two main cultivated species of Echinochloa, before we get to talking about "barnyard millet(s)" as millet-of-the-month in July. All the best, Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA Notes: 1. See the USDA plant guide for E. esculenta - both under alternate names and a couple of the references dating to the 1980s: https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_eces.pdf 2. USDA GRIN database "Taxon: Echinochloa frumentacea (Echinochloa colona Frumentacea Group)" https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=14828 3. The following recent article also uses this common name distinction, in the context of a very useful survey of the two "complexes," along with a third of lesser importance that I may return to later: Renganathan VG, Vanniarajan C, Karthikeyan A, Ramalingam J. "Barnyard Millet for Food and Nutritional Security: Current Status and Future Research Direction." Frontiers in Genetics. 2020 Jun 23;11:500. https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffgene.2020.00500 PMID: 32655612; PMCID: PMC7325689. 4. The USDA GRIN database also lists these common names, citing a 1992 article by H. Scholz in Taxon https://doi.org/10.2307/1222824 . From the GRIN page on Echinochloa, at https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/cropdetail?type=species&id=224 , go to the pages for E. esculenta and E. frumentacea and select the tab "Common names" to see. 5. I downloaded it from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284179184_How_to_Produce_Proso_Mil… 6. See discussion in the context of one particular variety of E. frumentacea at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/mspmcrb13988.pdf 7. https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/millets-plural/barnyard-millet/ 8. For example, "Japanese barnyard millet grits" from a Lithuanian farm (per "Place of Origin") https://www.urbanfood.lt/en/japanese-millet-grits-500-g 9. An interesting survey in French of millets in France, posted on LinkedIn by Philippe Pointereau, mentions "millet japonais (Echinochloa frumentacea)," but without clarity as to whether and for what this is cultivated there: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7075488061702168576/ 10. Interestingly, Michigan Flora notes E. esculenta in the wild - "occasionally cultivated and escaped" - in two counties in the SW of the state: https://michiganflora.net/record/2869 11. Mitchell, Wilma A. 1989. Japanese millet ("Echinochloa Crusgalli" var. "frumentacea") : Section 7.1.6, US Army Corps of Engineers wildlife resources management manual https://erdc-library.erdc.dren.mil/jspui/handle/11681/7217 On Tue, Jun 20, 2023 at 11:05 AM Joni Kindwall-Moore < joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> wrote: > Thanks Gary > > On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 4:13 PM Gary Wietgrefe via Collab < > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > >> More on Japanese millet: >> In the back of my 1990 book, *How to Produce Proso Millet: A Farmer's >> Guide,* I describe several other millets that had been grown in the >> U.S., Japanese millet was one (pp. 197-198). Perhaps I led to some of the >> confusion as I subtitled the category Echinochloa Crusgalli/Frumentacea. >> In the 1980s, a South Dakota seed company tried to grow Japanese millet, >> I assume Echinochloa esculenta, for seed. It was not a particularly good >> year for crops in general and my field inspection indicated it was not as >> drought hardy as proso or foxtail millets we customarily grow at this >> latitude. The seed company, which sold out twenty years ago, did not try to >> grow it again (to my knowledge). >> Lastly, there is production of Japanese millet, Echinochloa esculenta, in >> the U.S. See link to Johnson Seed Company, Enid, OK which offers 50 lb/bags >> for $57.00 (=$1.14 lb. for seed) which seems reasonable JAPANESE MILLET >> - Johnston Seed Company >> <https://www.johnstonseed.com/product/japanese-millet/>. Southeast Seed >> Inc., Trenton, FL also offers Japanese millet for sale Home - Southeast >> Seed Inc <https://southeastseed.com/> as does Speciality Seed Co. out of >> Anguilla, MS Japanese Millet - Specialty Seed >> <https://specialtyseed.com/japanese-millet/>. >> >> I hope this provides some clarification....Gary Wietgrefe >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 12:50 PM <collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> >> wrote: >> >>> Send Collab mailing list submissions to >>> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>> >>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit >>> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab >>> or, 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. Echinocloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: National Public >>> Radio on millets, June 8, 2023) (Don Osborn) >>> >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> Message: 1 >>> Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2023 14:50:12 -0400 >>> From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> >>> To: "collab(a)lists.millets2023.space" <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> >>> Cc: Joni Kindwall-Moore <joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com>, Dipak Santra >>> <dsantra2(a)unl.edu>, "Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS" >>> <david.brenner(a)usda.gov> >>> Subject: [Collab] Echinocloa spp. / Japanese / barnyard (Re: National >>> Public Radio on millets, June 8, 2023) >>> Message-ID: >>> <CA+RHibWMpVQCuwjyBxY4j03XJKr0vB8on7= >>> izdx4k3QFEp2i2Q(a)mail.gmail.com> >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" >>> >>> Thanks Dipak for your clarifications, and Joni for your question. I'm >>> proposing to retitle this fork in the thread to make it easier for others >>> to find later in the list archives. >>> >>> I'm interested in clarifying this space, because there are two species of >>> Echinochloa (primarily) that are referred to with various related common >>> names, and sometimes the same one. Here's my layperson's understanding of >>> what is obviously a very complicated space: >>> >>> * E. esculenta, is apparently descended from the wild E. crus-galli, and >>> domesticated in Japan as a food crop./1 I see one extension page where >>> E. >>> crus-galli is listed as a forage crop, with the common name "barnyard >>> grass,"/2 and others where E. esculenta with common name "Japanese >>> millet," >>> is also listed as a forage crop,/3 or cover crop as DIpak indicated. E. >>> esculenta is often called Japanese millet or Japanese barnyard millet. >>> >>> * E. frumentacea, is apparently descended from the wild E. colona, and >>> domesticated somewhere in South Asia (?)./4 E. frumentacea as a forage >>> crop >>> is also called Japanese millet,/5 unhelpfully, as well as billion dollar >>> grass./6 It is sometimes considered a weed./7 I have the impression that >>> most if not all of the commercialized "barnyard millet" food products >>> from >>> India are from E. frumentacea. Another term is "Indian barnyard millet." >>> >>> One extension site, also unhelpfully, lumps the two species together >>> under >>> the name "Japanese millet," as forage crops./8 >>> >>> I'd be most interested to know of cases where either of the above are >>> grown >>> in North America for food quality grain, on a commercial or even a >>> small-scale, basis, for whatever use or market. No idea, Joni, about the >>> particular issues with dehulling any of these. >>> >>> This is very quick and inadequate, but hopefully not misleading. >>> >>> By the way, this subgroup of millets will collectively be the >>> "millet-of-the-month," under the heading "barnyard millet," in July >>> >>> Don. >>> >>> DO, EL, MI, US >>> NAMA >>> >>> Notes (sorry, these were hastily and unsystematically gathered): >>> 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinochloa_esculenta >>> 2. >>> >>> https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail/?project=misin&id=256&cname=Barnyard… >>> 3. >>> >>> https://www.canr.msu.edu/potatooutreach/research/mpic%20report%202018%20upd… >>> (page 93) >>> 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinochloa_frumentacea >>> 5. For example at >>> >>> https://midwestcovercrops.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/MCCC_Proceedings-2… >>> (page 51 in the concatenation of documents with individual page numbers) >>> 6. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/mspmcrb13988.pdf (this >>> document >>> concerns a variety called "chiwapa") >>> 7. https://weedid.cals.vt.edu/profile/237 >>> 8. https://www.midwestcovercrops.org/species/grasses/millet/ >>> >>> >>> On Sat, Jun 17, 2023 at 1:28?PM Joni Kindwall-Moore < >>> joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> wrote: >>> >>> > Has anyone had experience with dehulling Japanese millet? Is it >>> similar to >>> > dehulling Proso millet? >>> > >>> > On Sun, Jun 11, 2023 at 2:06?PM Dipak Santra via Collab < >>> > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: >>> > >>> >> Japanese millet (Echinochloa esculenta), also called barnyard millet, >>> >> possibly is used in cover crop mix and as human food 9after dehulling >>> (like >>> >> other millet) for ethnic population (mainly Indian) in North America. >>> It is >>> >> very popular in India grocery stores what I have seen. >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> Dipak >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> Dipak Santra, Ph.D. >>> >> >>> >> *Associate Professor (Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist)* >>> >> >>> >> President, International Broomcorn Millet Association >>> >> >>> >> Department of Agronomy and Horticulture >>> >> >>> >> University of Nebraska?Lincoln >>> >> >>> >> Panhandle Research & Extension Center >>> >> >>> >> 4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361 >>> >> >>> >> *(*308) 632-124 <3086321372>4 (work) / (*308) 765-2324* (cell) >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> *From:* Collab <collab-bounces(a)lists.millets2023.space> *On Behalf >>> Of *Don >>> >> Osborn >>> >> *Sent:* Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:47 PM >>> >> *To:* Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS <david.brenner(a)usda.gov> >>> >> *Cc:* collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>> >> *Subject:* Re: [Collab] National Public Radio on millets, June 8, 2023 >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> Non-NU Email >>> >> ------------------------------ >>> >> >>> >> Thank you, David, I appreciate your sharing this. It's of course >>> another >>> >> version of the radio segment that aired last month on a more local >>> scale >>> >> (Kansas CIty, apparently): >>> >> >>> >> >>> https://www.kcur.org/2023-05-17/millets-drought-climate-united-nations >>> >> < >>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.kcur.org/2023-05-17/millets-drought-…> >>> . >>> >> Altho shorter, the NPR Morning Edition version captures all the main >>> >> points. And of course it went out nationally in the US, which is >>> great. >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> Regarding the content of the segment, I'm particularly curious to know >>> >> more about the Japanese millet (Echinochloa esculenta) that Linus >>> >> Rothermich is growing - what are the markets for this grain in >>> >> North America? I am aware of the plant's use as forage and for >>> wildlife in >>> >> the US. >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> TIA for any more info, >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> Don >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> DO, EL, MI, US >>> >> >>> >> NAMA >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> bcc: Rob Myers >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> On Fri, Jun 9, 2023 at 1:18?PM Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS < >>> >> david.brenner(a)usda.gov> wrote: >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> https://www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1180964010/the-united-nations-declares-2023-… >>> >> < >>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1180964010/the-un… >>> > >>> >> >>> >> [image: Image removed by sender.] >>> >> < >>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1180964010/the-un… >>> > >>> >> >>> >> The United Nations declares 2023 the International Year of Millets >>> >> < >>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1180964010/the-un… >>> > >>> >> >>> >> Millets, an alternative crop to corn and soybeans, is getting new >>> >> attention in the U.S. The resilient grain could help U.S. farmers >>> survive >>> >> climate change. >>> >> >>> >> www.npr.org >>> >> < >>> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.npr.org__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!BRDQvnZU… >>> > >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> ------------------------------ >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA >>> solely >>> >> for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this >>> message >>> >> or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate >>> the law >>> >> and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you >>> believe you >>> >> have received this message in error, please notify the sender and >>> delete >>> >> the email immediately. >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> -- >>> >> Collab mailing list >>> >> Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>> >> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab >>> >> >>> > >>>

1 0

Submitting my contact
by DRABO, Inoussa (CIMMYT-Senegal) 23 Jun '23

23 Jun '23

i.drabo(a)cgiar.org<mailto:i.drabo@cgiar.org> Inoussa Drabo CIMMYT Senegal

1 0