AMRUTHA V AUDIPUDI, THULASI BAI VADITHE, AVINASH SINGODE, USHA T. N, NILAMANI DIKSHIT, MALATHI M. V, SAIDA N. V, VENKATESWARLU. R, SRINIVASAN R AND SEVA NAYAK DHEERAVATHU*
Department of Microbiology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), India
ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad (Telangana), India
Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and
Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga (Karnataka), India
ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), India
ANGRAU-Agricultural Research Station, Jangameswarapuram, Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), India
*(e-mail : sevanayak2005@gmail.com)
(Received : 12 March 2023: Accepted : 28 March 2023)
SUMMARY
Millets are nutrient-dense staple crop grown in a wide range of agro-ecological conditions, including plains, coasts, and hilly regions, throughout the semiarid tropics of Asia and Africa. Millets are a potential agricultural crop with several uses, including food, feed, fodder, and raw materials for the brewing and biofuel industries. Climate resilience and the rising demand for nutrient-dense food, feed and hay have given them a remarkable importance in agriculture. Salinity stress severely hinders the growth and development of crop plants. Salinity affects over 20% of the world’s irrigated land, which lowers agricultural output by 20%. Therefore, it is necessary to develop salinity tolerance in the major forage and nutri-cereal crops for sustainable global food, nutritional, biofuel and fodder security.
Key words: Forage crops, millets, salt-overly-sensitive (SOS3)