Characterization of world's Foxtail Millet germplasm collections for morphological traits

Foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P.Beauv.] is one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops. Its domestication and cultivation is estimated to have occurred over 4000 years ago (Chang 1968). It was the most important food crop of the Neolithic culture in China. Foxtail millet ranks second in the world’s total production of millets and is an important staple food for millions of people in southern Europe and Asia (Marathee 1993). There is wide genetic diversity available in foxtail millet, and characterizing these resources is a prerequisite for the genetic improvement of its cultivars. In this article we report the characterization and classification of foxtail millet germplasm conserved at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)-Patancheru, India