Sorghum And Millet Economies In Asia

Shorghum and millet: production trends, utilization, stocks, international trade, international market prices, international marketing and domestic policies, technological change, enviromental issues and focus of research, medium-term outlook. Annex I: types of millet. Annex II: relative importance of millet species, 1992-94. Sorghum and millet statistics.

Both sorghum and pearl millet are staple food crops for the poor people in the semi-arid tropics (SAT). However, during the last two decades both crops are becoming less important as staple food crops in SAT countries. Demand for course cereals (such as sorghum and pearl millet) as human food is decreasing in many countries, due to increased production and availability of preferred cereals (such as rice and wheat) at subsidized prices. The poor farmers in rainfed SAT cannot grow other crops, and are economically impacted negatively, as they do not get reasonable price for their produce. However, possibilties of alternative uses of sorghum and pearl millet are creating new opportunities that have potential to increase market demand and income to farmers.

We are no longer able to provide the world population with a healthy diet and, at the same time, sustainably balance our planetary resources to ensure resilient and viable livelihoods for smallholder farmers. For the past fifty years, diets have become less nutritionally balanced, contribute significantly to climate change, and have accelerated the process of biodiversity erosion. We have reduced the number of species that are cultivated for food, and for each species, we are growing fewer varieties. While agriculture has moved towards uniformity, biodiversity is the basis of healthy and nutritious diets, and biodiversity is paramount for adapting crops to climate change. Hence, it is important to build resilient and sustainable food systems by re-introducing diversity into our agricultural systems and introducing “Smart Food” from smart crops into our diets. Smart Food is food that fulfills the criteria for being good for you (nutritious and healthy), good for the planet (environmentally sustainable); and beneficial to the farmers who grow these crops (resilient and viable). The aim of this Research Topic is to provide researchers, research managers, funding agencies, and government agencies with scientifically backed information to foster awareness, increased use, and support for research into Smart Food.

The growth of human population has increased the demand for improved yield and quality of crops and horticultural plants. However, plant productivity continues to be threatened by stresses such as heat, cold, drought, heavy metals, UV radiations, bacterial and fungal pathogens, and insect pests. Long noncoding RNAs are associated with various developmental pathways, regulatory systems, abiotic and biotic stress responses and signaling, and can provide an alternative strategy for stress management in plants. Long Noncoding RNAs in Plants: Roles in development and stress provides the most recent advances in LncRNAs, including identification, characterization, and their potential applications and uses. Introductory chapters include the basic features and brief history of development of lncRNAs studies in plants. The book then provides the knowledge about the lncRNAs in various important agricultural and horticultural crops such as cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and fiber crop cotton, and their roles and applications in abiotic and biotic stress management. Includes the latest advances and research in long noncoding RNAs in plants Provides alternative strategies for abiotic and biotic stress management in horticultural plants and agricultural crops Focuses on the application and uses of long noncoding RNAs

The purpose of this book is to present a comprehensive picture of the role of rice in the food and agricultural sectors of Asian nations.

A compilation of the history, breeding, production, grain chemistry, nutritional quality, handling, and uses of sorghum and millet. Thirteen chapters cover history, taxonomy, and distribution; production and importance; agronomic principles; structure and chemistry; nutritional properties; storage, including drying for storage, with particular reference to tropical areas and the mycotoxin problem; traditional uses; new milling techniques and products; lager beers from sorghum; opaque beers; forage and feed; sweet sorghum substrate for industrial alcohol; and quality evaluation and trading standards. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This latest edition of the Survey analyzes current economic and social developments in the region against the background of events in the world economy. It also focuses on the serios problems of growth and transformation of the area's least developed and Pacific Island developing economies.