Breeding Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn) for Improvement of Quality Characters and Yield

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn) also known as “ragi” belongs to family “Poaceae” (Gramineae) is an important millet after Jowar and Bajra. Among millets, finger millet is a sustainable future crop which offers a source of food, fodder, forage, energy (fuel), and nutritional security to the world. Finger millet can be eaten as cakes, porridges, pudding, and biscuits. It is better for its suitability to dry land, hilly and tribal agriculture of Asian and African countries. It grows under less irrigated conditions due to its C4 nature and low water requirement (350 mm). It will be grown under various agro-climatic zones and agroecological zones in relative to cereal crops. It can be stored safe for nearly 50 years without pest infestation and can be used during famine. Finger millet has a rich nutritional profile like carbohydrates (65–75%), crude fibers (15–20%), proteins (5–8%), and also a better stock of minerals (2.5–3.5%) like calcium (344 mg/100 g), phosphorus (283 mg/100 g), iron (3.9 mg/100 g), and zinc (2.79 mg/100 g). Men and women are suggested to eat finger millet as it is hypoglycemic due to more amylose to amylopectin ratio, hypocholesterolemic due to high dietary fiber, thereby management of obesity, diabetes, and anemia. Genetic variability in finger millet genotypes is a prior requirement in breeding of crop breeding to develop stable genotypes across the various seasons and locations for their yield and its contributing traits and quality characters. Identifying candidate genes for quality characters like calcium, protein, antioxidants, and “gluten free” finger millet using marker assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection which increases the genetic gain per unit time. Removal of anti-nutritional factors like phytic acid, phenols, and tannins and thereby increases bioavailability of Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg, and Mn. Variability in germplasm of finger millet is to be harnessed for breeding of varieties with high yield and quality.