Cultivation and Utilization of Grain Sorghum and Small Millets from Nandurbar District of Maharashtra State

Landraces of sorghum and small millets were collected from a newly constituted tribal district Nandurbar in Maharashtra in Maharashtra state. The collections includes 61 accessions of 13 sorghum landraces, II of proso millet, 11 of little millet, 28 of foxtail millet, 18 of barnyard millet, II of finger millet and 8 of kodo millet. The accessions show variability in morphogenetic characters. The tribals of Nandurbar district utilize these millets in nine different cooking styles and prepare as many as 72 items. But there is a gradual decline in the area of cultivation of these crops. Measures for evaluation and conservation of the rich genetic diversity of these millet crops are urgently required. The scope for bringing more area under their cultivation is also discussed.