Genetic Improvement of Foxtail Millet Through Advanced Biotechnological Methods

Foxtail millet has been under cultivation since 5000 years in Asia and is a rich source of nutrients. Foxtail millet has been a well-known crop for its drought and salinity tolerance as well as high water use efficiency. In the last 50 years, various efforts have been made to improve foxtail millet through traditional and modern breeding methods. To feed the ever-raising population and to meet the quality standards of the consumers, emphasis should now be placed on the application of advanced biotechnological methods like transgenics and non-transgenics (ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR). In this chapter, various genetic improvement methods were discussed in brief with respect to foxtail millet. Ample scope is available for furthering the research and development in use of such advanced methods for making foxtail millet acceptable to growers and consumers, as well make it safe to environment.