Current Breeding Approaches in Pearl Millet to Enhance the Nutritional Quality

Pearl millet is an important millet crop, as it is a powerhouse of nutrition with capability to grow at harsh climatic conditions. It is able to overcome sudden climate changes and other natural disasters which can create food security problem by raising the price of foods there by reduce the availability of food materials. Pearl millet can be an alternative nutritious crop for the poor men which provide enough nutrition for active and healthy life. It is cheap source of nutrition when compared to other major cereal crops. While having its nutrition and health benefits, utilization of this crop is restricted due to lack of knowledge and poor keeping quality.

Different breeding strategies like biofortification breeding, making of synthetic and composites, hybridization techniques by using A,B,R lines, Genomics, Speed breeding are frequently utilized in worldwide. Different improved lines with enhanced zinc and iron content may be used under hybridization programme to overcome the problem of low zinc and iron varieties. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide the information about nutritional profile, health benefits, biofortification process, current breeding approaches and future prospects.