Thank you, David, for this information. How about German millet (variety of foxtail) in your collection? Here's a very short video from Renovo Seeds with a comparison of white wonder & golden German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHTF3dgOigQ . These were also mentioned in our recent Millets Webinar. I understand the German millet grains are a bit larger. In China there is a special term for millet - liáng 粱 - that according to Prof. Francesca Bray "appears to denote a large-grained, fine-flavoured sub-species of setaria, probably what is known as 'German millet.'" Interestingly, the Chinese term for sorghum, which was introduced there ages ago, is "tall liáng" - gāoliáng 高粱. Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA On Wed, Mar 12, 2025 at 2:09 PM Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS < david.brenner@usda.gov> wrote:
*Foxtail Millet Seed Curator Perspective*
The US National Plant Germplasm Collection has 764 accessions of foxtail millet (*Setaria italica*) housed here at the National Plant Germplasm station in Ames, Iowa. Our accessions originated in many countries, but mostly India, Taiwan, China, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Hungary. Most can mature seeds here in the field, but some are too late flowering for this climate.
The observation data on the GRIN online database is mixed with the other species of *Setaria*. *https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/crop?id=225 <https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/crop?id=225>* The wild and weedy *Setaria viridis *(204 accessions) is closely related to foxtail millet and is crossing compatible. We also have a substantial collection, 78 accessions of the tropical forage *Setaria sphacelata.*
Some foxtail millet examples with pictures: The moharia type with many stems and small heads. PI 222832 https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1180090
The maxima type with few stems and large drooping heads. PI 436642 https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1331578
An odd type from Taiwan with erect foliage. PI 433444 https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/ImgDisplay?id=1328380 The most important foxtail millet cultivar in the United States is 'White Wonder'. It is grown for seeds in the High Plains south of Interstate Highway 80. The seeds are planted in Texas and similar latitudes as a summer annual fodder crop. If you are looking for something else in foxtail millet you can ask me, and we may have it. I am curious about what people are looking for. The seeds are intended for research and development, including commercial development so we want requests. I grow about 80 accessions in the field each year to get observation data and eventually have field notes and images for the entire foxtail collection.
David Brenner David.Brenner@USDA.GOV
Or: dbrenner@iastate.edu
Plant Introduction Station phone 515-294-6786 Iowa State University
716 Farm House Lane, Ames, IA 50011-1051 USA
*https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/search.aspx <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/search.aspx__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!DqK6hYayk90RYImdFMotOx-sENGT6rrDx411VrQF4iDA_nJq6wGgRF6GIDjvztzMtz8RAu_yzVNtHjn65PlcebnlaXxdnL3p4A$>* ? Curator of: Amaranthus, Celosia, Chenopodium, Coronilla, Dalea, Galega, Melilotus, Perilla, Portulaca, Spinacia, miscellaneous Umbelliferae, and the millets: Echinochloa, Panicum, and Setaria. Hatch Act NC7 Regional Project in the US National Plant Germplasm System
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