Finger Millet Scientific Cultivation and Its Uses in India

*Brijesh Kumar, Magan Singh, Avaneesh Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Ankit Kumar Singh, Rakesh Kumar and Sandeep Kumar*

#### **Abstract**

Finger millet (*Eleusine coracana* L.) is a prevalent grain crop in the dry parts of Asia and Africa. It prolongs to be a staple food and is known locally as "Ragi" in southern states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, especially in Karnataka. It serves as fodder as well as grain. Its grain is the richest source of calcium and it is utilized in a wide range of food products, including cakes, puddings, sweets, and other baked products. There are many homemade products prepared with finger millet and some of the well-known products are ragi roti, ragi dosa, ragi balls, ragi porridge, ragi upma, ragi cakes, and ragi biscuits. In addition, it is used to manufacture beer and liquor (known as arake or areki in Ethiopia), and also its different products are fed to animals. Due to its high fiber, mineral, vitamin, macro and micro-nutrient, phytochemicals contents, and its endowing ability to fight off chronic diseases. A cheap, satisfying, and healthful diet can be made by including finger millet in a regular diet.

**Keywords:** finger millet, cultivation, nutritional importance, quality, uses

#### **1. Introduction**

Finger millet (*Eleusine coracana*) is a domesticated crop of African origin and it is spread throughout the world. It is also known as korakan, ragi, or dagusa in India. Even though the wild progenitor species (*Eleusine africana*) is well recognized, this species was first domesticated in Africa [1]. Ecologically, it is thought to originate from a highland region as a crop and is frequently planted in hilly regions [2]. The crop is grown in a wide range of challenging environmental situations. Finger millet blessing for vast arid and semi-arid regions because it can be cultivated on low-fertility soils [3]. Finger millet is clearly regarded as a staple food and it is used as animal feed (straw) in industrialized countries and as food (grains) in underdeveloped [4]. It is a major crop of semi-arid and arid regions and developing nations of Asia and Africa [5]. Finger millet is the fourth most produced millet in the world, behind sorghum (*Sorghum bicolor*), pearl millet (*Pennisetum glaucum*), and foxtail millet (*Setaria italica*) [6]. Millet grains are rich in vitamins,

iron, carbohydrates, calcium (Ca), potassium, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and vital amino acids, they are also nutritionally superior to rice and wheat [7]. The seed coat (testa), embryo, and endosperm are the three primary components of the finger millet grain. Finger millet grain are red, yellow, white, tan, red, brown, and violet, in color and this type of variety grown around the world. It is compared to other millets including foxtail millet, pearl millet, Kodo millet, and proso millet, finger millet distinctive due to the existence of five layered testa. This might be one of the reasons why finger millet has a greater level of dietary fiber [8]. Finger millet's ability to withstand droughts may be linked to its high antioxidant content. In underdeveloped countries, there is huge potential for millet grains to be transformed into foods and beverages with additional value [9].

#### **2. Nutritional importance of finger millet**

Next to fine cereal grains [10] and gluten-free cereal goods [7], finger millets are a prominent diet in Asia and Africa's resource-poor nations since they account for 75% of total caloric consumption. Because of the high amount of dietary fiber, iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B, and essential amino acids, it is nutritionally superior to wheat and rice [11, 12]. In comparison to other millets, finger millet has higher levels of lysine, threonine, and valine [13, 14]. It contains some of the anti-nutrients *viz*., Phytates, polyphenols, tannins, trypsin dietary fiber, and inhibitory substances. Dietary fiber and polyphenols in finger millet have a number of health advantages, including actions that are anti-diabetic, antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, anti-microbial, delay nutrient absorption, raise fecal bulk, and lower blood lipid levels [15]. It was discovered that finger millet contains more than 50 phenolic compounds from a variety of groups, including phenolic acids and their derivatives, dehydrodiferulates, dehydrotriferulates, flavan-3-ol monomers and dimers, flavonols, flavones, and flavanonols [7]. Furthermore, finger millet is helpful in managing a number of physiological conditions, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, vascular fragility, hypercholesterolemia, and the prevention of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation [16]. The risk of cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, gastrointestinal malignancies, and other health problems can be reduced by consuming finger millet and its products on a daily basis [17].

#### **3. Status area and production**

The majority of finger millet is grown in semi-arid tropical regions of Asia and Africa. The southern states of India are where finger millet is primarily grown in Asia, and these regions have ideal growing conditions. Finger millet is the fourth most produced millet in the world after sorghum, pearl millet (*Cenchrus americanus*), and foxtail millet (*Setaria italica*). India produces 1.70 million tonnes of finger millet, which is grown over 1.07 million hectares' area [18]. The states Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana are important producers of finger millet. In addition to being utilized for direct human consumption, finger millet has a wide range of other uses, including animal feed, distilleries, and food processing for value-added goods [19].
