Breeding Efforts for Increasing Genetic Gain in Sorghum and Bajra

Millets, also known as nutri-cereals, are nutritionally superior crops with sorghum and pearl millet accounting for the majority of millet production in India. Despite their importance for food, fodder and industry, yields are limited due to both abiotic and biotic stresses, producing significant gaps between potential and realised productivity. Increasing genetic gain through effective breeding is therefore critical, but traditional procedures are limited by long breeding cycles and low selection precision. CMS-based hybrid breeding has greatly enhanced productivity in both crops; yet, reliance on limited cytoplasmic sources has increased disease susceptibility, emphasising the importance of cytoplasmic diversification and integrated resistance breeding. Advances in molecular markers, QTL mapping and genome-assisted breeding have increased selection efficiency, while new methods like genomic selection, speed breeding, gene editing, MAGIC populations, and high-throughput phenotyping provide chances to accelerate genetic improvement. Integrating these approaches is critical for developing high-yielding, stress-resilient, and nutritionally superior sorghum and pearl millet cultivars.