"Millets Get a Genomic Makeover" (research review article)
A recent review article examines advances and directions of research on genomics of millets. First, here's a very readable overview of the article. (Unfortunately, the lead image appears to be an AI-generated view of wheat in a field.) "Millets Get a Genomic Makeover: From Orphan Crops to Climate-Smart Supergrains," BioEngineer.org, October 11, 2026 https://bioengineer.org/millets-get-a-genomic-makeover-from-orphan-crops-to-... And here's the citation and abstract of the article itself: Ceasar, S. A., Rathna, A. S., & Abdi, G. (2026). "Integrative multi-omics and biotechnology for climate resilience and micronutrient biofortification in millets: from trait discovery to precision crop improvement." Current Research in Biotechnology, Article 100426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbiot.2026.100426 ABSTRACT: "Millets are small-seeded cereals of the family Poaceae that tolerate drought, heat and poor soils. Their grains are rich in iron, zinc, calcium and phenolic antioxidants. Finger millet is exceptionally rich in calcium, and pearl millet is a good source of iron and zinc. These properties make millet crops useful for tackling climate change and micronutrient malnutrition. This review brings together recent progress in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, ionomics, epigenomics, phenomics and genome editing in these crops. Foxtail millet, pearl millet and finger millet now have chromosome-scale reference genomes and multi-omics databases, and pan-genome assemblies are available for foxtail millet, pearl millet and proso millet. In these three species, the stress-signaling network is built around abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, several transcription factor families, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and osmolyte metabolism. Genetic transformation was long the main bottleneck, but this is now changing. Foxtail millet supports a set of validated genome edits, including base editing and edits that improve grain amino acid quality. High-throughput and simplified protocols are extending transformation to pearl millet and finger millet and genome editing to pearl millet. Research on proso millet, little millet, kodo millet and barnyard millet lags behind. One major gap remains. The molecular machinery that controls micronutrient loading, including metal transporters, chelators and storage proteins, is still poorly understood. We suggest three priorities: biofortification based on mechanism; a transformation and editing platform that works across millet species; and precision breeding that links genomic prediction with digital phenomics and artificial intelligence." Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
Don, excellent article addressing multiple millets. Whether the lead photo is AI generated or not, it is unfortunate what appears to be qualified millet researchers did not recognize the difference between a wheat and millet photo although wheat is mentioned in the first sentence. Proof millets need more accessible photos. Regarding the study, it states: *"The most consequential technical shift may be the move from single reference genomes to graph-based pan-genomes."* However, genetic analysis does not always tell millets' full agronomic story on water absorption and transpiration which affects nutrient absorption and translocation to seeds. For example, a recent (June 2026) study on millet transpiration addresses differences between customary greenhouse evaluations and actual field observations which are much more difficult to conduct especially on the vast number of millets and thousands of lines. *Greenhouse vs. field differences*: Quote: "Working on this trait in controlled or growth chamber conditions with constant light, the evaporative demand was typically described by the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), which integrates temperature and relative humidity. Although controlled-environment experiments provide precise measurements, they fail to capture field-relevant dynamics, where additional factors of the evaporative demand such as light and wind fluctuate throughout the day and influence plant transpiration [10 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683#bib10>, 20 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683#bib22>*]. Light intensity outdoors is also much higher than in growth chambers" *(Laura Gregoire, et al., Transpiration responds linearly to Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration and varies genetically, both in individual plants and canopies, in large sorghum and pearl millet panels, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683.) Don, your efforts to present increased millets research on various topics is commendable. Keep it up. Obviously, many researchers are realizing the benefits of millets--meaning more research is forthcoming....Gary Wietgrefe On Thu, Oct 15, 2026 at 9:04 AM Don Osborn via Collab < collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
A recent review article examines advances and directions of research on genomics of millets.
First, here's a very readable overview of the article. (Unfortunately, the lead image appears to be an AI-generated view of wheat in a field.)
"Millets Get a Genomic Makeover: From Orphan Crops to Climate-Smart Supergrains," BioEngineer.org, October 11, 2026
https://bioengineer.org/millets-get-a-genomic-makeover-from-orphan-crops-to-...
And here's the citation and abstract of the article itself:
Ceasar, S. A., Rathna, A. S., & Abdi, G. (2026). "Integrative multi-omics and biotechnology for climate resilience and micronutrient biofortification in millets: from trait discovery to precision crop improvement." Current Research in Biotechnology, Article 100426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbiot.2026.100426
ABSTRACT: "Millets are small-seeded cereals of the family Poaceae that tolerate drought, heat and poor soils. Their grains are rich in iron, zinc, calcium and phenolic antioxidants. Finger millet is exceptionally rich in calcium, and pearl millet is a good source of iron and zinc. These properties make millet crops useful for tackling climate change and micronutrient malnutrition. This review brings together recent progress in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, ionomics, epigenomics, phenomics and genome editing in these crops. Foxtail millet, pearl millet and finger millet now have chromosome-scale reference genomes and multi-omics databases, and pan-genome assemblies are available for foxtail millet, pearl millet and proso millet. In these three species, the stress-signaling network is built around abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, several transcription factor families, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and osmolyte metabolism. Genetic transformation was long the main bottleneck, but this is now changing. Foxtail millet supports a set of validated genome edits, including base editing and edits that improve grain amino acid quality. High-throughput and simplified protocols are extending transformation to pearl millet and finger millet and genome editing to pearl millet. Research on proso millet, little millet, kodo millet and barnyard millet lags behind. One major gap remains. The molecular machinery that controls micronutrient loading, including metal transporters, chelators and storage proteins, is still poorly understood. We suggest three priorities: biofortification based on mechanism; a transformation and editing platform that works across millet species; and precision breeding that links genomic prediction with digital phenomics and artificial intelligence."
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
-- Collab mailing list -- collab@lists.millets2023.space To unsubscribe send an email to collab-leave@lists.millets2023.space
-- 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.
Thanks, Gary. Good point to raise about the differences between observation of crop responses in a controlled environment and in the field, and about the inherent difficulties in measuring the latter for many varieties across many settings. I wonder if labs could be designed to better imitate natural conditions and typical fluctuations in factors like wind. But then, it might get so expensive that it makes more sense to return to the field? Otherwise, could research packs be developed for farmers to track particular traits in varieties they grow, as a part of research projects? BTW, I came across mention of another publication on genomics and millets - a special issue of Crop Design entitled "Phenomics and Genomics of Millets and Underutilized Crops" (Last update 6 June 2025) at https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/10WD7G4XDGK . One of the guest editors is Dr. Vetriventhan Mani of ICRISAT, who of course participated in one of our webinars with Prof. Dipak Santra: "Genetics & breeding of proso millet: Status & prospects." NAMA Millets Webinar, 20 Feb. 2025 https://youtu.be/X9NeJHFxCOQ?si=NhA-eLS2m5l6iHQA Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA On Thu, Oct 15, 2026 at 1:02 PM Gary Wietgrefe <gww374@gmail.com> wrote:
Don, excellent article addressing multiple millets. Whether the lead photo is AI generated or not, it is unfortunate what appears to be qualified millet researchers did not recognize the difference between a wheat and millet photo although wheat is mentioned in the first sentence. Proof millets need more accessible photos.
Regarding the study, it states: *"The most consequential technical shift may be the move from single reference genomes to graph-based pan-genomes."* However, genetic analysis does not always tell millets' full agronomic story on water absorption and transpiration which affects nutrient absorption and translocation to seeds. For example, a recent (June 2026) study on millet transpiration addresses differences between customary greenhouse evaluations and actual field observations which are much more difficult to conduct especially on the vast number of millets and thousands of lines.
*Greenhouse vs. field differences*: Quote: "Working on this trait in controlled or growth chamber conditions with constant light, the evaporative demand was typically described by the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), which integrates temperature and relative humidity. Although controlled-environment experiments provide precise measurements, they fail to capture field-relevant dynamics, where additional factors of the evaporative demand such as light and wind fluctuate throughout the day and influence plant transpiration [10 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683#bib10> ,20 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683#bib22>*]. Light intensity outdoors is also much higher than in growth chambers" *(Laura Gregoire, et al., Transpiration responds linearly to Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration and varies genetically, both in individual plants and canopies, in large sorghum and pearl millet panels, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683.)
Don, your efforts to present increased millets research on various topics is commendable. Keep it up. Obviously, many researchers are realizing the benefits of millets--meaning more research is forthcoming....Gary Wietgrefe
On Thu, Oct 15, 2026 at 9:04 AM Don Osborn via Collab < collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
A recent review article examines advances and directions of research on genomics of millets.
First, here's a very readable overview of the article. (Unfortunately, the lead image appears to be an AI-generated view of wheat in a field.)
"Millets Get a Genomic Makeover: From Orphan Crops to Climate-Smart Supergrains," BioEngineer.org, October 11, 2026
https://bioengineer.org/millets-get-a-genomic-makeover-from-orphan-crops-to-...
And here's the citation and abstract of the article itself:
Ceasar, S. A., Rathna, A. S., & Abdi, G. (2026). "Integrative multi-omics and biotechnology for climate resilience and micronutrient biofortification in millets: from trait discovery to precision crop improvement." Current Research in Biotechnology, Article 100426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbiot.2026.100426
ABSTRACT: "Millets are small-seeded cereals of the family Poaceae that tolerate drought, heat and poor soils. Their grains are rich in iron, zinc, calcium and phenolic antioxidants. Finger millet is exceptionally rich in calcium, and pearl millet is a good source of iron and zinc. These properties make millet crops useful for tackling climate change and micronutrient malnutrition. This review brings together recent progress in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, ionomics, epigenomics, phenomics and genome editing in these crops. Foxtail millet, pearl millet and finger millet now have chromosome-scale reference genomes and multi-omics databases, and pan-genome assemblies are available for foxtail millet, pearl millet and proso millet. In these three species, the stress-signaling network is built around abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, several transcription factor families, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and osmolyte metabolism. Genetic transformation was long the main bottleneck, but this is now changing. Foxtail millet supports a set of validated genome edits, including base editing and edits that improve grain amino acid quality. High-throughput and simplified protocols are extending transformation to pearl millet and finger millet and genome editing to pearl millet. Research on proso millet, little millet, kodo millet and barnyard millet lags behind. One major gap remains. The molecular machinery that controls micronutrient loading, including metal transporters, chelators and storage proteins, is still poorly understood. We suggest three priorities: biofortification based on mechanism; a transformation and editing platform that works across millet species; and precision breeding that links genomic prediction with digital phenomics and artificial intelligence."
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
-- Collab mailing list -- collab@lists.millets2023.space To unsubscribe send an email to collab-leave@lists.millets2023.space
-- 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.
Don you asked, "Could research packs be developed for farmers to track particular traits in varieties they grow, as a part of research projects?" That is an area many agricultural entities, besides universities, (e.g. equipment manufacturers, fertilizer manufacturers, pesticide producers, agronomy centers, banks, and etc.) are doing comparing field soil samples matched with GPS tracked fertilizer, chemicals, and biological applications compared to crop and variety planted layered with yields by soil type, drainage systems, tillage systems, and etc. One example is my alma mater, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD has the McFadden Biostress Lab where research is coordinated with wheat organizations often using wheat checkoff funds for research like https://wheatgenomics-sdsu.github.io/....Gary Wietgrefe On Fri, Oct 16, 2026 at 7:36 AM Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> wrote:
Thanks, Gary. Good point to raise about the differences between observation of crop responses in a controlled environment and in the field, and about the inherent difficulties in measuring the latter for many varieties across many settings. I wonder if labs could be designed to better imitate natural conditions and typical fluctuations in factors like wind. But then, it might get so expensive that it makes more sense to return to the field? Otherwise, could research packs be developed for farmers to track particular traits in varieties they grow, as a part of research projects?
BTW, I came across mention of another publication on genomics and millets - a special issue of Crop Design entitled "Phenomics and Genomics of Millets and Underutilized Crops" (Last update 6 June 2025) at https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/10WD7G4XDGK . One of the guest editors is Dr. Vetriventhan Mani of ICRISAT, who of course participated in one of our webinars with Prof. Dipak Santra: "Genetics & breeding of proso millet: Status & prospects." NAMA Millets Webinar, 20 Feb. 2025 https://youtu.be/X9NeJHFxCOQ?si=NhA-eLS2m5l6iHQA
Don
DO, EL, MI, US NAMA
On Thu, Oct 15, 2026 at 1:02 PM Gary Wietgrefe <gww374@gmail.com> wrote:
Don, excellent article addressing multiple millets. Whether the lead photo is AI generated or not, it is unfortunate what appears to be qualified millet researchers did not recognize the difference between a wheat and millet photo although wheat is mentioned in the first sentence. Proof millets need more accessible photos.
Regarding the study, it states: *"The most consequential technical shift may be the move from single reference genomes to graph-based pan-genomes."* However, genetic analysis does not always tell millets' full agronomic story on water absorption and transpiration which affects nutrient absorption and translocation to seeds. For example, a recent (June 2026) study on millet transpiration addresses differences between customary greenhouse evaluations and actual field observations which are much more difficult to conduct especially on the vast number of millets and thousands of lines.
*Greenhouse vs. field differences*: Quote: "Working on this trait in controlled or growth chamber conditions with constant light, the evaporative demand was typically described by the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), which integrates temperature and relative humidity. Although controlled-environment experiments provide precise measurements, they fail to capture field-relevant dynamics, where additional factors of the evaporative demand such as light and wind fluctuate throughout the day and influence plant transpiration [10 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683#bib10> ,20 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683#bib22>*]. Light intensity outdoors is also much higher than in growth chambers" *(Laura Gregoire, et al., Transpiration responds linearly to Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration and varies genetically, both in individual plants and canopies, in large sorghum and pearl millet panels, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683.)
Don, your efforts to present increased millets research on various topics is commendable. Keep it up. Obviously, many researchers are realizing the benefits of millets--meaning more research is forthcoming....Gary Wietgrefe
On Thu, Oct 15, 2026 at 9:04 AM Don Osborn via Collab < collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
A recent review article examines advances and directions of research on genomics of millets.
First, here's a very readable overview of the article. (Unfortunately, the lead image appears to be an AI-generated view of wheat in a field.)
"Millets Get a Genomic Makeover: From Orphan Crops to Climate-Smart Supergrains," BioEngineer.org, October 11, 2026
https://bioengineer.org/millets-get-a-genomic-makeover-from-orphan-crops-to-...
And here's the citation and abstract of the article itself:
Ceasar, S. A., Rathna, A. S., & Abdi, G. (2026). "Integrative multi-omics and biotechnology for climate resilience and micronutrient biofortification in millets: from trait discovery to precision crop improvement." Current Research in Biotechnology, Article 100426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbiot.2026.100426
ABSTRACT: "Millets are small-seeded cereals of the family Poaceae that tolerate drought, heat and poor soils. Their grains are rich in iron, zinc, calcium and phenolic antioxidants. Finger millet is exceptionally rich in calcium, and pearl millet is a good source of iron and zinc. These properties make millet crops useful for tackling climate change and micronutrient malnutrition. This review brings together recent progress in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, ionomics, epigenomics, phenomics and genome editing in these crops. Foxtail millet, pearl millet and finger millet now have chromosome-scale reference genomes and multi-omics databases, and pan-genome assemblies are available for foxtail millet, pearl millet and proso millet. In these three species, the stress-signaling network is built around abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, several transcription factor families, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and osmolyte metabolism. Genetic transformation was long the main bottleneck, but this is now changing. Foxtail millet supports a set of validated genome edits, including base editing and edits that improve grain amino acid quality. High-throughput and simplified protocols are extending transformation to pearl millet and finger millet and genome editing to pearl millet. Research on proso millet, little millet, kodo millet and barnyard millet lags behind. One major gap remains. The molecular machinery that controls micronutrient loading, including metal transporters, chelators and storage proteins, is still poorly understood. We suggest three priorities: biofortification based on mechanism; a transformation and editing platform that works across millet species; and precision breeding that links genomic prediction with digital phenomics and artificial intelligence."
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
-- Collab mailing list -- collab@lists.millets2023.space To unsubscribe send an email to collab-leave@lists.millets2023.space
-- 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.
-- 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.
Thanks, Gary. You're right that this is not a new thing. I was wondering how sophisticated the research could get on the farmer level, especially where we're talking about identification of traits and performance in genomics research. Your response re the research profiled at https://wheatgenomics-sdsu.github.io seems to answer that. Next question would be connecting this methodology with research on millets. On the broader sublect of farmers, participatory research, distributed research, and research agendae, here are three items of possible interest, and then a fourth one on ... fun. This takes us on a tangent that seems interesting: 1. Snapp, S.S., DeDecker, J. and Davis, A.S. (2019), "Farmer Participatory Research Advances Sustainable Agriculture: Lessons from Michigan and Malawi." Agronomy Journal, 111: 2681-2691. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.12.0769 ABSTRACT: "Sustainable production for field crops has proved to be a challenging proposition. Farmer participatory research (FPR) is an important approach to help ensure relevance and define locally adapted solutions for enhanced adoption of sustainable agriculture (SA) technologies. The mother and baby trial (MBT) design has proved effective as a FPR approach to address challenges on smallholder farms. The MBT systematically links long-term “mother” trials, where slow and erratic processes can be monitored, to “baby” trials led by farmers to capture a wide range of farm practices and environmental contexts. Communication and learning is facilitated through MBTs as well. This distributed FPR approach documents the performance of technologies in diverse contexts and provides multiple opportunities for joint planning, observation, and reflection. We describe two MBT case studies, one within a developing country context (Malawi) and the other representing a novel application of MBT within an intensive agriculture context (Michigan). To explore tradeoffs in SA performance, multiple domains (productivity, environmental, and economic) are presented via radar charts as a visualization tool. In both FPR experiences, farmer perspectives and a wide range of practices were revealed. In Malawi, a mesic site was associated with steep SA tradeoffs compared with a marginal site. In Michigan, diversity in tillage practices, field crop performance, and soil health were found to be conditioned by the environment. Overall, the MBT approach supported the development of SA technologies adapted to local conditions." (My note: Interesting that the authors chose to bridge the divide between international ag and domestic ag on this subject.) 2. John Diaz and Ysabel Polanco, "Participatory Action Research in Agriculture: An Introduction," Ask IFAS (IFAS Extension, University of Florida), Publication #AEC840, 22 Jan. 2026 https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC503 (First article in a series, as noted at https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-wc503-2026 ) ABSTRACT: "Participatory action research (PAR) offers a transformative approach to agricultural research by integrating the lived experiences and knowledge of farmers and community stakeholders into every phase of the research process (Baum et al., 2006). Distinct from traditional research methodologies, PAR emphasizes collaboration, mutual learning, and context-specific solutions. This is the first article in a six-part PAR series that introduces a phased framework for implementing PAR in agricultural settings, including stages of problem identification, co-design, implementation, observation, reflection, and iteration. Emphasizing the importance of empowerment, reflexivity, and the democratization of knowledge, this publication outlines how Extension professionals can integrate PAR into their work to foster innovation and resilience in farming communities. Tools, principles, and real-world applications are provided to guide practitioners in effectively adopting and scaling PAR for sustainable agricultural development." (My note: By combining "participatory research." a broad category, with "action research," an iterative approach, PAR tends to accent the agency of the "participants") 3. Gabriela Soto Laveaga, 2026, *The World in a Wheat Field: Mexico, Science, and the Challenge of Ending Global Hunger*, University of California Press (forthcoming in November) https://www.ucpress.edu/books/the-world-in-a-wheat-field/ ABSTRACT: "In the mid-twentieth century, researchers at an experiment station in Sonora's Yaqui Valley designed high-yielding wheat seeds with the promise that increasing crop productivity would end world hunger. The seeds made their way across the world, where accompanying inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides, and irrigation systems transformed global farming in what came to be known as the Green Revolution. Gabriela Soto Laveaga challenges this history—often told from the point of view of philanthropic organizations, development proselytizers, or heroic American scientists—by placing native lands, Sonoran farmers, Mexican innovation, and Mexico-India connections at the center. Presenting groundbreaking archival research, The World in a Wheat Field sheds new light on how global initiatives changed a local place and points to why so many development projects failed to eradicate hunger worldwide." (My note: This quote from the book used for publicity reveals an interesting perspective not fully captured in the abstract: "But in a curious twist, it was farmers who drove the science, not the other way around." This groundbreaking study, which I just learned of this morning, would seem to shift the focus to farmer initiative in research. Obviously, ag research is a partnership - or partnerships, really, as there are many participants - but we should be careful about assumptions based on hierarchical thinking.) 4. On fun ... Back in 2000, I saw a short piece in an ag newsletter or journal on the role of fun in farmers' involvement in research. It has been years since I saw it, and can't recover the citation, but it pointed to a reality that may be discounted in much of the thinking about farming, experimenting with crops, and ag research: Since time immemorial, even as growing food has a serious bottom line from subsistence to commercial levels, one motivator for farmers' trying unfamiliar crops and new methods has been curiosity to find out more. Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA On Fri, Oct 16, 2026 at 12:16 PM Gary Wietgrefe <gww374@gmail.com> wrote:
Don you asked, "Could research packs be developed for farmers to track particular traits in varieties they grow, as a part of research projects?" That is an area many agricultural entities, besides universities, (e.g. equipment manufacturers, fertilizer manufacturers, pesticide producers, agronomy centers, banks, and etc.) are doing comparing field soil samples matched with GPS tracked fertilizer, chemicals, and biological applications compared to crop and variety planted layered with yields by soil type, drainage systems, tillage systems, and etc.
One example is my alma mater, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD has the McFadden Biostress Lab where research is coordinated with wheat organizations often using wheat checkoff funds for research like https://wheatgenomics-sdsu.github.io/....Gary Wietgrefe
On Fri, Oct 16, 2026 at 7:36 AM Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> wrote:
Thanks, Gary. Good point to raise about the differences between observation of crop responses in a controlled environment and in the field, and about the inherent difficulties in measuring the latter for many varieties across many settings. I wonder if labs could be designed to better imitate natural conditions and typical fluctuations in factors like wind. But then, it might get so expensive that it makes more sense to return to the field? Otherwise, could research packs be developed for farmers to track particular traits in varieties they grow, as a part of research projects?
BTW, I came across mention of another publication on genomics and millets - a special issue of Crop Design entitled "Phenomics and Genomics of Millets and Underutilized Crops" (Last update 6 June 2025) at https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/10WD7G4XDGK . One of the guest editors is Dr. Vetriventhan Mani of ICRISAT, who of course participated in one of our webinars with Prof. Dipak Santra: "Genetics & breeding of proso millet: Status & prospects." NAMA Millets Webinar, 20 Feb. 2025 https://youtu.be/X9NeJHFxCOQ?si=NhA-eLS2m5l6iHQA
Don
DO, EL, MI, US NAMA
On Thu, Oct 15, 2026 at 1:02 PM Gary Wietgrefe <gww374@gmail.com> wrote:
Don, excellent article addressing multiple millets. Whether the lead photo is AI generated or not, it is unfortunate what appears to be qualified millet researchers did not recognize the difference between a wheat and millet photo although wheat is mentioned in the first sentence. Proof millets need more accessible photos.
Regarding the study, it states: *"The most consequential technical shift may be the move from single reference genomes to graph-based pan-genomes."* However, genetic analysis does not always tell millets' full agronomic story on water absorption and transpiration which affects nutrient absorption and translocation to seeds. For example, a recent (June 2026) study on millet transpiration addresses differences between customary greenhouse evaluations and actual field observations which are much more difficult to conduct especially on the vast number of millets and thousands of lines.
*Greenhouse vs. field differences*: Quote: "Working on this trait in controlled or growth chamber conditions with constant light, the evaporative demand was typically described by the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), which integrates temperature and relative humidity. Although controlled-environment experiments provide precise measurements, they fail to capture field-relevant dynamics, where additional factors of the evaporative demand such as light and wind fluctuate throughout the day and influence plant transpiration [10 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683#bib10> ,20 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683#bib22>*]. Light intensity outdoors is also much higher than in growth chambers" *(Laura Gregoire, et al., Transpiration responds linearly to Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration and varies genetically, both in individual plants and canopies, in large sorghum and pearl millet panels, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2643651526000683.)
Don, your efforts to present increased millets research on various topics is commendable. Keep it up. Obviously, many researchers are realizing the benefits of millets--meaning more research is forthcoming....Gary Wietgrefe
On Thu, Oct 15, 2026 at 9:04 AM Don Osborn via Collab < collab@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
A recent review article examines advances and directions of research on genomics of millets.
First, here's a very readable overview of the article. (Unfortunately, the lead image appears to be an AI-generated view of wheat in a field.)
"Millets Get a Genomic Makeover: From Orphan Crops to Climate-Smart Supergrains," BioEngineer.org, October 11, 2026
https://bioengineer.org/millets-get-a-genomic-makeover-from-orphan-crops-to-...
And here's the citation and abstract of the article itself:
Ceasar, S. A., Rathna, A. S., & Abdi, G. (2026). "Integrative multi-omics and biotechnology for climate resilience and micronutrient biofortification in millets: from trait discovery to precision crop improvement." Current Research in Biotechnology, Article 100426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbiot.2026.100426
ABSTRACT: "Millets are small-seeded cereals of the family Poaceae that tolerate drought, heat and poor soils. Their grains are rich in iron, zinc, calcium and phenolic antioxidants. Finger millet is exceptionally rich in calcium, and pearl millet is a good source of iron and zinc. These properties make millet crops useful for tackling climate change and micronutrient malnutrition. This review brings together recent progress in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, ionomics, epigenomics, phenomics and genome editing in these crops. Foxtail millet, pearl millet and finger millet now have chromosome-scale reference genomes and multi-omics databases, and pan-genome assemblies are available for foxtail millet, pearl millet and proso millet. In these three species, the stress-signaling network is built around abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, several transcription factor families, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and osmolyte metabolism. Genetic transformation was long the main bottleneck, but this is now changing. Foxtail millet supports a set of validated genome edits, including base editing and edits that improve grain amino acid quality. High-throughput and simplified protocols are extending transformation to pearl millet and finger millet and genome editing to pearl millet. Research on proso millet, little millet, kodo millet and barnyard millet lags behind. One major gap remains. The molecular machinery that controls micronutrient loading, including metal transporters, chelators and storage proteins, is still poorly understood. We suggest three priorities: biofortification based on mechanism; a transformation and editing platform that works across millet species; and precision breeding that links genomic prediction with digital phenomics and artificial intelligence."
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
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-- 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.
-- 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.
participants (2)
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Don Osborn -
Gary Wietgrefe