Quick follow-up on this item about little millet: It turns out that SSSA and sister organizations like Crop Science Society of America, have research journals (no surprise), and that articles in these suggest topics for articles on their website targeted to wider audiences.

In this case, the research article in question was: Mani Vetriventhan, Hari D Upadhyaya, Vania CR Azevedo, Victor Allan, and Seetha Anitha, "Variability and trait-specific accessions for grain yield and nutritional traits in germplasm of little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth. Ex. Roem. & Schult.)," Crop Science 61(4): 2658-2679.  July/August 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20527

There still seem to me to be some outstanding questions about the potential of this particular millet in North America, so watch this space.

DO

------- Original Message -------
On Tuesday, March 8th, 2022 at 2:23 PM, Don Osborn via Collab <collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) featured an article on its website last year entitled "The Big Potential of Little Millet."/1

Part of what's interesting about little millet is that it's in the same genus as proso millet./2 It is shorter than proso, but from photos (see the article or the Pinterest section on little millet/3), its panicles bear resemblance to those of proso.

Not aware that it is grown in North America, but could this be easily added as a crop? Could harvesting techniques for proso be adapted for it? Anyone anywhere done taste tests on the two?

I have inquired why SSSA featured an article on this particular millet, and will share whatever I learn.

Of possible interest for further reading (if you have access to Jstor or a university library) is a book chapter by Steven A. Weber and Arunima Kashyap entitled "Panicum sumatrense: The Forgotten Millet."/4

DO


  1. www.soils.org/news/science-news/big-potential-little-millet/
  2. Little millet = Panicum sumatrense; proso millet = Panicum miliaceum. Among the dozen or so cultivated millets, these represent the only two from a common genus.
  3. https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/millets-plural/little-millet/
  4. MINNIS, PAUL E., ed. New Lives for Ancient and Extinct Crops. University of Arizona Press, 2014. Chapter 8, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1mgmcgt.11