Rapid Screening of Small Millet Varieties for Seedling Stage Drought Stress Tolerance

Aim: Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses that affect the yield of crops globally. The present investigation was conducted to identify small millet genotypes tolerant to seedling stage drought stress. Study Design: The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications with genotypes and stress treatments as factors. Place and Duration of Study: It was carried out at Department of millets, Centre for plant breeding and genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during 2019. Methodology: Ten varieties of various small millets, CO 7 (foxtail millet), CO 4 and ATL 1 (little millet), CO 15 and CO 9 (finger millet), ATL 1 and CO (PV) 5 (proso millet), MDU 1 and CO 2 (barnyard millet) and CO 3 (kodo millet), were used for the study. In vitro screening of the seedlings in Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-induced water stress at four levels (0, -3, -5 and -7 bars) were carried out based on germination percent, shoot and root length, plant height stress tolerance index (PHSI), root length stress tolerance index (RLSI) and seedling vigour index (SVI). Results: Analysis of variance of the genotypes and PEG treatments revealed significant variation for genotypes, treatments and genotype x treatment interactions at P< 0.001. A declining trend for germination percent, shoot length and root length was observed as the stress levels were increased. However, at mild and moderate stress root length was slightly increased. Under mild (-3 bars) and high stress (-7 bars), CO 7 (foxtail millet) recorded the highest SVI percent over control values (165% and 65% respectively). Under moderate stress CO 4 (little millet) recorded the highest SVI (191%). The lowest SVI values under high stress, 4% and 8%, were recorded for ATL 1 (little millet) and CO 3 (kodo millet) respectively. Conclusion: Based on invitro screening of small millet varieties for seedling stage water stress, foxtail millet variety CO 7 and kodo millet variety CO 3 can be concluded as the tolerant and susceptible varieties respectively. Further a controlled field experiment may be carried out to understand the field level tolerance of the varieties and their growth stages to drought.

A Case Study on Using Millets in Daily Diet for Weight Loss

Millets are nutritious, easily digestible, gluten-free whole grains. They are good sources of proteins, fibers and iron content. They are also good sources of polyphenols, flavonoids and other phytochemicals that have anti-inflammatory effects. This case study aims to show that eating millets twice a day for breakfast and dinner helps to lose weight. Kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet and barnyard millet were included in the diet. Consuming these millets for four weeks, the average weight loss per week was noted as 1.2kg. Body Mass Index (BMI) was reduced from 28.8 to 26.6.

Standardization of Different Pre-sowing Seed Treatments on Growth, Yield and Yield Attributing Traits of Kodo Millet (Paspalum scorbiculatum)

Background: Paspalum scorbiculatum is an annual crop and has superior nutritional properties including high micronutrients, dietary fiber content and gluten free. It has low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrate diets help in prevention of Obesity, Diabeties and Cardiovascular diseases, etc. The current study was aimed to find out the suitable pre- sowing seed treatments for Kodo millet. Methods: During the Kharif season 2019- 2020 total of 12 pre- sowing seed treatments were subjected with Botanicals, Magnetic and Electric fields, Thermal (Hot water) treatments and to fix the best treatment based on Seed Quality and Morphological traits of treated seeds. Morphological traits play an major role in crop growth and development where as, the present investigation was carried out with farmer’s variety in field (RBD) design in 3 replications and laboratory (CRD) design in 4 replications in order to “Standardization of different pre- sowing seed treatments on growth, yield and yield attributing traits of Kodo millet (Paspalum scorbiculatum). Seeds were subjected to various pre- sowing seed treatments viz. (T0) control, exposure to Magnetic field at 100 mT, 200 mT, 400 mT for 15,30 and 45 min; exposure to Electric field at 50 mA, 100 mA, 150 mA for 5,10, 15 min. Treatment with botanicals cow dung (5 gm) and Datura leaf extract (2.5 ml) for 12 hrs; Thermal hot water treatment at 46°C and 50°C for 10 min. Result: Among all the treatments, T4-Magnetic field (200 mT) gave the best results in field and lab conditions of field emergence (98.610) and germination% (98.5), Magnetic field (400 mT) shown the good results and significantly higher values of all other yield (45.867, 78.833, 660.480, 165.120) and morphological traits as well as seed quality parameters like shoot length (86.925), root length (44.55), seedling length (13.131), vigour index- I and II (1267.138 and 5.058), fresh (0.343) and dry (0.0524) weight of seedlings and comparatively control (T0) was observed lowest to other treatments. As such, Magnetic treatment is quite effective for seedling establishment to overcome low germination and yield which helps in Qualitative and Quantiative seed production of Millets in sustainable agriculture.

Antiamylase, Antiglucosidase, and Antiglycation Properties of Millets and Sorghum from Sri Lanka

The present study evaluated a range of biological activities of selected millet types and sorghum varieties in Sri Lanka in relation to diabetes and its complications management. Five millet types, namely, proso millet, white finger millet, kodo millet, foxtail millet, and finger millet (Oshadha and Rawana), and two sorghum varieties, namely, sweet sorghum and sorghum ICSV 112, were used in this study. Methanolic extracts of whole grains were studied for antiamylase, antiglucosidase, and early- and middle-stage antiglycation and glycation reversing activities in vitro. Tested millets and sorghum showed significant ( p < 0.05) and dose-dependent antiamylase (IC50: 33.34 ± 1.11–1446.70 ± 54.10 μg/ml), early-stage antiglycation (IC50: 15.42 ± 0.50–270.03 ± 16.29 μg/ml), middle-stage antiglycation (135.08 ± 12.95–614.54 ± 6.99 μg/ml), early-stage glycation reversing (EC50: 91.82 ± 6.56–783.20 ± 61.70 μg/ml), and middle-stage glycation reversing (393.24 ± 8.68–1374.60 ± 129.30 μg/ml) activities. However, none of the studied millet and sorghum showed antiglucosidase activity. Out of the samples studied, pigmented samples, namely, sweet sorghum, Oshadha, and Rawana, exhibited significantly high ( p < 0.05) antiamylase and early- and middle-stage antiglycation and glycation reversing activities compared to other millet and sorghum samples. Interestingly, sweet sorghum exhibited nearly four times potent antiamylase activity compared to the standard drug acarbose (IC50 111.98 ± 2.68 μg/ml) and sweet sorghum, kodo millet, Oshadha, and Rawana showed comparable early-stage antiglycation activities in comparison to the reference standard Rutin (IC50 21.88 ± 0.16 μg/ml). Therefore, consumption of whole grains of pigmented millet and sorghum in Sri Lanka may play an important role in the prevention and management of diabetes and its complications. Interestingly, this is the 1st study to report all the tested biological activities for millet and sorghum in Sri Lanka and the 1st study to report both early- and middle-stage glycation reversing activities of millet and sorghum worldwide.

Optimization of Agrobacterium Mediated Genetic Transformation in Paspalum scrobiculatum L. (Kodo Millet)

An efficient and reproducible protocol for Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated genetic transformation was developed for kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.) by optimizing various parameters. Agrobacterium strains EHA 105 and LBA 4404 harboring plasmids pCNL 56 and pCAMBIA 2300, respectively, provided the highest transformation efficiency. Addition of acetosyringone (AS) in infection medium (200 µM EHA 105, 250 µM–LBA 4404) and co-cultivation medium (50 µM) increased the transformation efficiency. Transient and stable expression of gus gene was confirmed with histochemical assay of infected embryos and leaves of transformed plants, respectively. The best GUS response was obtained by pretreatment of callus with an antinecrotic mixture (10 mg/L Cys + 5 mg/L Ag + 2.5 mg/L As) at infection time of 20 min followed by co-cultivation for 3 days (EHA 105) and 5 days (LBA 4404) in dark. Regenerated transgenic plants were obtained after 8 to 10 weeks of selection on callus induction medium (NAA 0.5 mg/L, BAP 1 mg/L) containing 50 mg/L Kan + 250 mg/L Cef and were rooted for 2 weeks on MS medium containing PAA (1 mg/L) and phytagel. The plantlets established in greenhouse showed normal growth. Therefore, the protocol developed in the present study can be used for development of improved varieties of kodo millet.