Browntop millet: Review of crop, & use in nutrient-rich muffins
Browntop millet, along with Guinea millet, are spotlighted as "millet-of-the-month" in September. These are both in the *Urochloa *or* Brachiaria *genus. Here are two items on browntop - one older but concise and still useful review of it as a crop, and the other a very recent article evaluating muffins in which its flour is the primary ingredient: Bhat, Sujata, et al. (2018). "Browntop Millet- A Review." *Agricultural Research & Technology: Open Access Journal*. 14. 10.19080/ARTOAJ.2018.14.555937. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331655537_Browntop_Millet-_A_Review ABSTRACT: "Browntop millet is a warm season annual grass that is a heavy seed producer. This millet seed is grown in a variety of soils and climates. Browntop millet is used as a wild life food plot crop, livestock summer grazing crop, for erosion control, hay production and as a food grain crop. Under ideal conditions seed will germinate within five days and forage or seed will be ready to harvest within two months time. Browntop millet is an effective nurse crop, much like oats, in stabilizing erosive hill slopes and providing cover for slower growing target species to become established. With the ability to easily reseed and that seed to remain viable in the soil profile for years, makes browntop millet an excellent regenerating food plot for wild life." Bano, S., Awasthi, M., Tripathi, A.D. *et al.* "Formulation and shelf life evaluation of nutrient rich *Urochloa ramosa* muffins enriched with *Madhuca longifolia* extract." *Scientific Reports* *15*, 30616 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12486-6 ABSTRACT: "This study investigates the development and shelf life of nutrient-enriched muffins suspended with Mahua flower extract (MFE) and brown top millet (BTM) flour. BTM is a nutrient-dense grain, while mahua flowers are rich in bioactive compounds. Muffins were prepared with varying BTM (5–7%; w/w), MFE (4–6%; v/w) levels and baking temperature (170–180 °C) and their physicochemical properties, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), and sensory qualities were analyzed. Process optimization was done by CCRD (Central Composite Rotatable Design) using design expert software tools. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) increases in proximate composition and bioactive compounds in MFE-enriched muffins. Muffins with 6% BTM flour and 5% MFE, baked at 175 °C showed maximum scores for sensorial properties and overall acceptability. Similarly, TPC and TFC were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in optimized muffins compared to the control. The muffins maintained their quality over 28 days storage, demonstrating the potential of mahua and BTM in enhancing nutritional value and extending shelf life in baked goods. UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) Analysis of optimized muffin showed p-benzoic acid, caffeic acid, mericitin and catechin as potential phenolics having antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. SEM EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) showed optimized muffin having better hygroscopicity and high amount of potassium, sulphur and phosphorus. Future work should aim to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale formulation and industrial application, including detailed assessments of consumer perception, product positioning, and market readiness." Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
Don, USDA nor states segregate and report Brown Top millet acreages, but if growers are part of USDA's 2025 Farm Services Agency reporting, Brown Top Millet would fall into several different categories: "Common Millet" (354,500 acres), "Wildlife Plots" (191,100 acres), "Mixed Forages" (34,449,300 acres), "Cover Crops" (6,659,400 acres), or perhaps some other category of combinations of various crops. Brown top millet seed is available throughout the South and can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. or even exported by several companies including: Handcock's Seed, Dade City, FL email: info@hadcockseed.com, Hancock's Brown Top Millet Seed – Hancock Seed <https://hancockseed.com/products/hancocks-brown-top-millet-seed> East Texas Seed, Tyler, TX, ph. 903-597-6637, MILLET, BROWNTOP (50 POUNDS) | East Texas Seed Company <https://easttexasseedcompany.com/product/millet-browntop/> Victory Seed, Roanoke, TX email: info@victoryseeds.com, Browntop Millet - Victory Seed Company <https://victoryseeds.com/products/browntop-millet> Seed World, Odessa, FL ph. 813-540-7777, Brown Top Millet Seeds | Seed World <https://www.seedworldusa.com/products/brown-top-millet-seed> Eagle Seeds, Weiner, AK, ph. 870-684-7377, email: sales@eagleseed/com, Brown Top Millet - Eagle Seed, LLC <https://www.eagleseed.com/product/brown-top-millet/> Clemmons & Hamner Seed, Killen, AL ph. 256-757-9996, Brown Top Millet <https://clemmonshamnerseed.com/?page_id=247> Parker Seed Co., Stockdale, TX email: parkerseedco@gmail.com, Brown Top Millet <https://www.parkerseedco.com/browntop%20millet.html> MBS Seed, Krum, TX, email: info@mbsseed.com, Browntop Millet - 50 lb bag | MBS Seed <https://mbsseed.com/product/browntop-millet-50lb-bag/> Speciality Seed, Anguilla, MS, ph. 62-836-6451, Browntop Millet - Specialty Seed <https://specialtyseed.com/browntop-millet/> Caudill Seed, Louisville, KY, email: seed@caudillseed.com, Caudill Seed | Brown Top Millet Seed <https://www.caudillseed.com/product/brown-top-millet-seed> These are only ten of many suppliers I found quickly, but I am sure there are many local farm/ranch seed stores throughout the South that stock or can order Brown Top millet seed for planting next spring....Gary Wietgrefe On Sat, Sep 20, 2025 at 10:41 AM Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> wrote:
Browntop millet, along with Guinea millet, are spotlighted as "millet-of-the-month" in September. These are both in the *Urochloa *or* Brachiaria *genus.
Here are two items on browntop - one older but concise and still useful review of it as a crop, and the other a very recent article evaluating muffins in which its flour is the primary ingredient:
Bhat, Sujata, et al. (2018). "Browntop Millet- A Review." *Agricultural Research & Technology: Open Access Journal*. 14. 10.19080/ARTOAJ.2018.14.555937.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331655537_Browntop_Millet-_A_Review
ABSTRACT: "Browntop millet is a warm season annual grass that is a heavy seed producer. This millet seed is grown in a variety of soils and climates. Browntop millet is used as a wild life food plot crop, livestock summer grazing crop, for erosion control, hay production and as a food grain crop. Under ideal conditions seed will germinate within five days and forage or seed will be ready to harvest within two months time. Browntop millet is an effective nurse crop, much like oats, in stabilizing erosive hill slopes and providing cover for slower growing target species to become established. With the ability to easily reseed and that seed to remain viable in the soil profile for years, makes browntop millet an excellent regenerating food plot for wild life."
Bano, S., Awasthi, M., Tripathi, A.D. *et al.* "Formulation and shelf life evaluation of nutrient rich *Urochloa ramosa* muffins enriched with *Madhuca longifolia* extract." *Scientific Reports* *15*, 30616 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12486-6
ABSTRACT: "This study investigates the development and shelf life of nutrient-enriched muffins suspended with Mahua flower extract (MFE) and brown top millet (BTM) flour. BTM is a nutrient-dense grain, while mahua flowers are rich in bioactive compounds. Muffins were prepared with varying BTM (5–7%; w/w), MFE (4–6%; v/w) levels and baking temperature (170–180 °C) and their physicochemical properties, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), and sensory qualities were analyzed. Process optimization was done by CCRD (Central Composite Rotatable Design) using design expert software tools. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) increases in proximate composition and bioactive compounds in MFE-enriched muffins. Muffins with 6% BTM flour and 5% MFE, baked at 175 °C showed maximum scores for sensorial properties and overall acceptability. Similarly, TPC and TFC were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in optimized muffins compared to the control. The muffins maintained their quality over 28 days storage, demonstrating the potential of mahua and BTM in enhancing nutritional value and extending shelf life in baked goods. UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) Analysis of optimized muffin showed p-benzoic acid, caffeic acid, mericitin and catechin as potential phenolics having antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. SEM EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) showed optimized muffin having better hygroscopicity and high amount of potassium, sulphur and phosphorus. Future work should aim to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale formulation and industrial application, including detailed assessments of consumer perception, product positioning, and market readiness."
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
-- 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.
Thanks, Gary, for the clarification on lack of statistics on browntop millet as such, and the list of vendors selling seed of it. Here's a selection of articles on browntop millet in the US, with focus on the southeast, where it is more commonly grown, mainly for wildlife plots (for hunting). There's lots more online. GENERAL BROWNTOP MILLET INFO * USDA Plant Guide, "Browntop Millet, *Urochloa ramosa* (L.) Nguyen" https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_urra.pdf * Mississippi State University - Extension, "Browntop Millet (Panicum ramosum)" https://extension.msstate.edu/browntop-millet-panicum-ramosum (NB- this species is no longer categorized under the genus Panicum, but rather Brachiaria or Urochloa) BROWNTOP FOR WILDLIFE (FOR HUNTING) * "Plenty of time to plant for this year’s dove shoots," by Kevin Tate, The Dispatch (Columbus, MS), July 19, 2025 https://cdispatch.com/sports/plenty-of-time-to-plant-for-this-years-dove-sho... (Browntop millet figures prominently in the discussion; note also separate mention of "millet," which may be reference to proso?) * "Plantings for Wildlife," posted by Mark D. Smith, et al, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, March 4, 2019 https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/plantings-for-wildlife/ BROWNTOP FOR FORAGE * University of Georgia, CAES / Forages / Species & Varieties / Warm Season / Browntop Millet, signed by Dr. Dennis Hancock https://georgiaforages.caes.uga.edu/species-and-varieties/warm-season/brownt... BROWNTOP AS A WEED * "Weed of the Week: Browntop Millet, " by Jason Bond, Mississippi State University Extension, August 13, 2012 https://www.mississippi-crops.com/2012/08/13/weed-of-the-week-browntop-mille... DO, EL, MI, US NAMA On Mon, Sep 22, 2025 at 2:19 PM Gary Wietgrefe <gww374@gmail.com> wrote:
Don, USDA nor states segregate and report Brown Top millet acreages, but if growers are part of USDA's 2025 Farm Services Agency reporting, Brown Top Millet would fall into several different categories: "Common Millet" (354,500 acres), "Wildlife Plots" (191,100 acres), "Mixed Forages" (34,449,300 acres), "Cover Crops" (6,659,400 acres), or perhaps some other category of combinations of various crops.
Brown top millet seed is available throughout the South and can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. or even exported by several companies including: Handcock's Seed, Dade City, FL email: info@hadcockseed.com, Hancock's Brown Top Millet Seed – Hancock Seed <https://hancockseed.com/products/hancocks-brown-top-millet-seed> East Texas Seed, Tyler, TX, ph. 903-597-6637, MILLET, BROWNTOP (50 POUNDS) | East Texas Seed Company <https://easttexasseedcompany.com/product/millet-browntop/> Victory Seed, Roanoke, TX email: info@victoryseeds.com, Browntop Millet - Victory Seed Company <https://victoryseeds.com/products/browntop-millet> Seed World, Odessa, FL ph. 813-540-7777, Brown Top Millet Seeds | Seed World <https://www.seedworldusa.com/products/brown-top-millet-seed> Eagle Seeds, Weiner, AK, ph. 870-684-7377, email: sales@eagleseed/com, Brown Top Millet - Eagle Seed, LLC <https://www.eagleseed.com/product/brown-top-millet/> Clemmons & Hamner Seed, Killen, AL ph. 256-757-9996, Brown Top Millet <https://clemmonshamnerseed.com/?page_id=247> Parker Seed Co., Stockdale, TX email: parkerseedco@gmail.com, Brown Top Millet <https://www.parkerseedco.com/browntop%20millet.html> MBS Seed, Krum, TX, email: info@mbsseed.com, Browntop Millet - 50 lb bag | MBS Seed <https://mbsseed.com/product/browntop-millet-50lb-bag/> Speciality Seed, Anguilla, MS, ph. 62-836-6451, Browntop Millet - Specialty Seed <https://specialtyseed.com/browntop-millet/> Caudill Seed, Louisville, KY, email: seed@caudillseed.com, Caudill Seed | Brown Top Millet Seed <https://www.caudillseed.com/product/brown-top-millet-seed>
These are only ten of many suppliers I found quickly, but I am sure there are many local farm/ranch seed stores throughout the South that stock or can order Brown Top millet seed for planting next spring....Gary Wietgrefe
On Sat, Sep 20, 2025 at 10:41 AM Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org> wrote:
Browntop millet, along with Guinea millet, are spotlighted as "millet-of-the-month" in September. These are both in the *Urochloa *or* Brachiaria *genus.
Here are two items on browntop - one older but concise and still useful review of it as a crop, and the other a very recent article evaluating muffins in which its flour is the primary ingredient:
Bhat, Sujata, et al. (2018). "Browntop Millet- A Review." *Agricultural Research & Technology: Open Access Journal*. 14. 10.19080/ARTOAJ.2018.14.555937.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331655537_Browntop_Millet-_A_Review
ABSTRACT: "Browntop millet is a warm season annual grass that is a heavy seed producer. This millet seed is grown in a variety of soils and climates. Browntop millet is used as a wild life food plot crop, livestock summer grazing crop, for erosion control, hay production and as a food grain crop. Under ideal conditions seed will germinate within five days and forage or seed will be ready to harvest within two months time. Browntop millet is an effective nurse crop, much like oats, in stabilizing erosive hill slopes and providing cover for slower growing target species to become established. With the ability to easily reseed and that seed to remain viable in the soil profile for years, makes browntop millet an excellent regenerating food plot for wild life."
Bano, S., Awasthi, M., Tripathi, A.D. *et al.* "Formulation and shelf life evaluation of nutrient rich *Urochloa ramosa* muffins enriched with *Madhuca longifolia* extract." *Scientific Reports* *15*, 30616 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12486-6
ABSTRACT: "This study investigates the development and shelf life of nutrient-enriched muffins suspended with Mahua flower extract (MFE) and brown top millet (BTM) flour. BTM is a nutrient-dense grain, while mahua flowers are rich in bioactive compounds. Muffins were prepared with varying BTM (5–7%; w/w), MFE (4–6%; v/w) levels and baking temperature (170–180 °C) and their physicochemical properties, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), and sensory qualities were analyzed. Process optimization was done by CCRD (Central Composite Rotatable Design) using design expert software tools. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) increases in proximate composition and bioactive compounds in MFE-enriched muffins. Muffins with 6% BTM flour and 5% MFE, baked at 175 °C showed maximum scores for sensorial properties and overall acceptability. Similarly, TPC and TFC were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in optimized muffins compared to the control. The muffins maintained their quality over 28 days storage, demonstrating the potential of mahua and BTM in enhancing nutritional value and extending shelf life in baked goods. UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) Analysis of optimized muffin showed p-benzoic acid, caffeic acid, mericitin and catechin as potential phenolics having antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. SEM EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) showed optimized muffin having better hygroscopicity and high amount of potassium, sulphur and phosphorus. Future work should aim to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale formulation and industrial application, including detailed assessments of consumer perception, product positioning, and market readiness."
Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
-- 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.
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