Major Diseases of Small Millets and Their Management Strategies

Small millets, also known as coarse cereals comprises finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, kodo millet, barnyard millet, little millet and browntop millet etc. Small millets are considered as super grains since ancient times owing to their excellent attributes viz., climate resilience, richness of minerals (Ca, Zn and Fe etc.), fibers and vitamins etc. Superior nutritional and agroecological traits of millets are capturing global importance as smart foods and smart crops which can serve as potential alternative for staple food grains and contributing to global food and nutritional security. Small millets are being widely cultivated in semi-arid regions like India as rainfed crops. Despite their admirable characteristics, small millets production accounts only 2% of worlds cereal production. This is due to the genetic potential of small millets is hindered by various biotic and abiotic stresses resulting in substantial yield and economic losses. Among the biotic stresses, diseases caused by fungal pathogens such as blast (Magnaporthe spp.), leaf spot or leaf blight (Helminthosporium spp.), rusts, and smuts are the predominant constraints in cultivation of small millets in major millet growing areas. Addressing these challenges on global scale needs better understanding of the disease, causal organism along with their symptomatology and epidemiology for devising effective management strategies. This book chapter accentuates on predominant diseases of small millets, their symptoms, modes of survival, and spread along with integrated mitigation practices as well as novel approaches which can be exploited for managing diseases in millets resulting in increased production and productivity of millets.