Common millet

Common millet Panicum miliaceum L., barnyard grass E. crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., bristly foxtail Setaria verticillata (L.) P. Beauv., redroot pigweed Amaranthus retroflexus L. 

Panicum miliaceum (family Gramineae) Commonly known as common millet and distributed in eastern and southern Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean region. It is a short-duration crop containing about 18% protein and can be used for similar products as the Digitaria spp. 

Occasionally in maize crops some of the important tropical grass weeds sueh as common millet and green bristle grass have emerged but never at populations that would affect yields. Any changes in climate eould affect incidence of these grasses in the future. 

Foxtail millet is possibly one of the oldest grain crops. Its name is due to the characteristic panicle that resembles the tail of a fox. It is especially important in China, Japan, and India. Its cultivation in China dates to 3000 BC. On the other hand, Proso or common millet (P. miliaceum) appears to be even older. It originated in Manchuria, and first appeared as a crop in Transcaucasia and China around 5000 BC. It has been reportedly found in Neolithic sites in Georgia and East China. It is extensively cultivated in India, China, Russia, Ukraine, Middle East, Turkey, and Rumania. Proso is considered one of the most drought-resistant millets. It is documented that Proso continued to be used as bread grain in Europe until medieval times. The kernels are small (2-3 mm) and can be cream, yellow, orange-red, or brown in color. Kernels are usually traditionally milled into flours for preparation of a wide array of traditional foods. Today, Proso millet is also of economic importance in developed countries becanse of its use for birdseed (National Research Council 1996). 

Test organism Hordeum vulgare (barley), Latuca sativa (lettuce), Pancurn miliaceum (millet seeds), Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato), Cucumis sativus (cucumber), Glycine max (soybean), Brassica oleracea (cabbage), Avena sativa (oat), Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass), Allium cepa (common onion), Daucus carota (carrot), Zea mays (corn). 

Flavones are much less common and were identified in sweet red pepper (luteolin) and celery (apigenin). Cereals such as millet and wheat contain C-glycosides of flavones. -" ... 

In Africa, numerous traditional fermented cereal-based foodstuffs are produced in small-scale production units in urban areas (Chavan Kadam, 1989). Some examples of African traditional fermented cereal-based products are summarised in Table 6.1. Cereal grains including sorghum, maize and millet are common substrates for lactic acid-fermented gruels and beverages known by different names such as, for... 

Based on these steps, the biosynthetic pathway for C-glycosyl-flavones, which commonly occur in pearl millet, is outlined in Fig. 8. 

Monocotyledonae Poaceae sorghum, common (or shattercane or durra, vdiite or millet, great) Sorghum bicolor L. 

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