Proximate composition of 92 little millet landraces whole grains, rice and bran by using near infrared radiation (NIR) based on locality, colour, size and shape

Millet is one of the oldest cultivated foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain used for the domestic purposes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the little millet landraces for chemical composition. Proximate principles such as moisture, crude protein, crude fat, total mineral matter were analyzed according to standard AOAC procedures. The highest moisture content was found in whole grain millets collected from SS Koppa (5.73%) and least from Karadikoppa (4.37%). Significant difference was found in case of moisture content of bran with maximum creamish brown (5.63%) and minimum in blackish (3.61%) colour and in fibre content having maximum in blackish (30.15%) and minimum in blackish brown (23.08%) colour grains. The significant difference was found only in case of moisture content of whole grain with maximum moisture content in small flattened (5.71%) and minimum in small round (4.87%) grains; in case of fibre content of bran with maximum fibre content in big round (31.86%) and minimum in small round (24.48%) grains and in case of ash content of whole grain with maximum in small lengthy (5.29%) and minimum in small oval shaped grains.