NOVEL APPROACHES FOR ENHANCING SEED QUALITY AND SEED YIELD IN MILLETS

Abstract

Millets are climate resilient cereals that play a vital role in food and nutritional security in arid and semi-arid regions. However, their productivity and seed quality remain constrained by limited technological interventions. This review highlights recent advances in enhancing seed quality and yield through intergrated approaches. Optimal harvesting at physiological maturity (35-42 days after anthesis) ensures maximum seed vigor and viability. Seed priming techniques including hydropriming, osmopriming, biopriming and nano-priming, significantly improve germination, seedling vigor and stress tolerance. Micronutrient management particularly boron and zinc application, enhances reproductive development, seed filling and nutritional quality. Advances in molecular breeding such as marker-assisted selection, genomic selection and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, enable rapid development of improved millet varieties. Integrated nutrient management and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria further enhance productivity and sustainability. Collectively, these innovations provide a comprehensive strategy for improving millet seed systems under climate change conditions.