**3.4 Proso millet (Bangla: Cheena;** *Panicum miliaceum* **L.) and foxtail millet (Bangla: Kaon;** *Setaria italica* **(L.) P. Beauvois)**

Proso millet is rich in protein, minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients; it is gluten-free and therefore, ideal for the gluten intolerant people. The nutritive parameters of proso millet are comparable to or better than common cereals [24]. Under drought and poor soil conditions, it also gives a better yield compared to all other crops, where there is a probability of complete failure of other grain crops [25]. Foxtail millet is an underutilized, drought-tolerant crop that stands to become much more important in a potentially much warmer and dryer future environment [26]. In 2007–8, the coverage and total productions were only 1770.44 ha and 1466 t, respectively which decreased to 809.72 ha and produced 1000 t in 2019 (**Table 9**). The only cultivar of Cheena, Tushar, and four cultivars of Kaon, *viz*. Titas, BARI Kaon-2, BARI Kaon-3 and BARI Kaon-4, are released by BARI [19]. One hundred ninety-seven proso millet accessions and 515 foxtail millet accessions are also conserved at BARI [18]. Two proso millet-based cropping patterns, *viz*. Millet (Cheena) − Fallow−Fallow and Millet (Cheena) − Jute−Fallow, occupied 0.018% of the net cropped area [7]. The proso millet and foxtail millet were grown in small patches especially the char land areas in Bogura and Rangpur regions of the country [20, 27]. A recent study shows that the cultivation of proso and foxtail millets is expanding in north, north-west, central parts (in the vicinity of mighty rivers *viz*. Padma/Ganges, Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Meghna) and hilly regions of the country and provide grain yield 400–1500 kg ha−1 (Biswas and Biswas, unpublished data).

## **3.5 Other cereals (finger millet, ditch millet, rye, oat, triticale, pseudo-cereal buckwheat, quinoa, etc.)**

Finger millet and ditch millet are grown on a very limited area in the districts of Kushtia and Rajshahi; others are cultivated all over Bangladesh with little inputs in poor and marginal lands including the river beds [28]. Oats and rye are extremely nutritious, with a higher fat content than most cereals and an excellent grade of dietary fiber. In 2007–8, the coverage and total productions were only 8110.12 ha and 5048 t, respectively which decreased to 404.86 ha and produced 485 t in 2017 (**Table 9**). Moreover, on cultivation data/information was available for subsequent years [4], perhaps went to out of cultivation also. A new cereal crop "*Binnidana*" was cultivated in 225.10 ha of land and produced 5 t grains in 2018–2019 [4]. A few accessions of other minor cereals germplasms *viz*. 5 accessions each of Buckwheat and Triticale, 2 accessions of Teff and 1 accession of Oat, are also conserved at the PGRC, BARI [18].
