Millets as Strategic Crops for Climate Adaptation, Resource Conservation and Sustainable Food Systems

Abstract

Climate change is creating increasing challenges for agricultural production through rising temperatures, recurrent drought, irregular rainfall, soil degradation and increasing competition for water and other natural resources. These challenges are particularly severe in rainfed and semi-arid production environments, where crop productivity is strongly dependent on seasonal rainfall. Diversification with crops adapted to environmental stress is therefore an important strategy for strengthening agricultural resilience. Millets comprise a diverse group of cereal crops with considerable potential for climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture. Their adaptation to high temperature and water-limited environments, relatively short growth duration, efficient resource utilization and nutritional value make them suitable components of diversified farming systems. Most cultivated millets utilize the C4 photosynthetic pathway, while several species possess root and phenological characteristics that support productivity under drought and heat stress. In addition to their agronomic importance, millets provide carbohydrates, proteins, dietary fibre, minerals and bioactive compounds and can contribute to nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Their integration into crop rotations, intercropping systems and crop–livestock systems can distribute climatic risk and improve resource utilization. Advances in genomics, molecular breeding, high-throughput phenotyping and genome editing provide additional opportunities to improve drought tolerance, heat tolerance, yield stability and nutritional quality. However, inadequate seed systems, limited mechanization, processing difficulties, weak market linkages and insufficient consumer awareness continue to constrain millet expansion. This review discusses the physiological basis of millet climate resilience, their contribution to resource conservation and diversified farming, nutritional importance, genetic improvement, processing and value addition, major constraints and future research priorities. A systems-based approach integrating crop improvement, agronomy, processing, markets and supportive policy is required to convert the inherent resilience of millets into sustainable benefits for farmers, consumers and the environment.