Nutri Cereal Pearlmillet: Way Forward

Pearl millet is the most important food crop in area and production after paddy and wheat in India with more than 90% of the total pearl millet production of world. It is a staple food for poor and small farmers and also source of livestock feed and fodder in the rainfed regions of the country. It is highly resistant to high temperature, adaptable to poor soil, low vulnerability to disease, insect-pests and has good nutritive value. Its tolerance to drought, heat and soil salinity and its high water use efficiency makes it a climate smart crop. With its high protein and mineral content (especially iron and zinc), high dietary fibre, gluten-free protein and amazing health benefits makes it a nutri-cereal. Despite being nutrient dense its use is limited due to rancidity and off-odour during storage. Pearl millet grains contain a higher amount of lipids than any other cereals. High fat content with highly active lipases causes hydrolysis of fats to fatty acids causing bitter and mousy odour. This hinders the commercialization of nutri-cereal pearl millet. Exploring the relationship between grain contents and different mechanisms of rancidity with their determinants would be helpful in development of a rancidity free pearl millet hybrid/variety. Also by altering the grain composition with desired parameters may prove to be more effective in controlling the development of rancidity.