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The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one, based on similar characteristics and uses.
Millet flour (called "Bajari" in Marathi) has been commonly used in Western India for hundreds of years to make the local staple flat bread (called "Bhakri"). Typically, "Bhakri" is made from "Jowar" (Sorghum) flour.
The millets include species in several genera, mostly in the subfamily Panicoideae, of the grass family Poaceae. The most widely cultivated species in order of worldwide production[1] are:
Minor millets include:
Teff (Eragrostis tef) and fonio (Digitaria exilis) are also often called millets, as more rarely are sorghum (Sorghum spp.) and Job's tears (Coix lacrima-jobi).
Major research on millets is carried out by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Andhra Pradesh, India, and by the USDA-ARS at Tifton, Georgia, USA.
A 4000 year old bowl of noodles made from Foxtail millet and Broomcorn millet was found at the Lajia archeological site in China.
Millet sprays are often recommended as healthy treats to finicky pet birds, as they are easily eaten and (in the case of destructive-prone hookbills) easily broken.