Floral Biology, Pollination, Genetics, Origin, and Diversity in Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.)

Proso millet is a diet crop that was domesticated about 10,000 years ago, and it has been rampant throughout the ancient civilization. At present, this crop is cultivated across Asia, Australia, North America, Europe, and Africa. In developed nations, it serves as both bird and livestock feed, while in certain Asian regions, it is consumed as a food source for humans. This marginal crop displays high variation in its morphological features and is appropriate for dry-land agriculture. It exhibits exceptional water-use efficiency, necessitating the minimum water requirement among all cereal crops. Furthermore, it boasts a nutritional profile abundant in protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential micronutrients like Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn, in comparison to other primary cereal crops. Globally, plant breeders are employed to create upgraded cultivars using traditional and innovative breeding methodologies. The germplasm encompassing a broad range of crop genetic diversity is safeguarded by many countries in gene banks. Nonetheless, the absence of a linkage map information and sufficient genomic tools have impeded the progress of crop enhancement. Therefore, proso millet must receive extra consideration from the scientific community and superior advancement is essential in genetic improvement and associated research.