Pearl millet is the most widely grown type of millet. It has been grown in Africa and the Indian subcontinent since prehistoric times. The center of diversity, and suggested area of domestication, for the crop is in the Sahel zone of West Africa. Recent archaeobotanical research has confirmed the presence of domesticated pearl millet on the Sahel zone of northern Mali between 2500 and 2000 BC. 2023 is the International Year of Millets, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2021.
Echinochloa frumentacea is a species of Echinochloa. Both Echinochloa frumentacea and E. esculenta are called Japanese millet. This millet is widely grown as a cereal in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Its wild ancestor is the tropical grass Echinochloa colona, but the exact date or region of domestication is uncertain. It is cultivated on marginal lands where rice and other crops will not grow well. The grains are cooked in water, like rice, or boiled with milk and sugar. Sometimes it is fermented to make beer. While also being part of staple diet for some communities in India, these seeds are, in particular, eaten during religious fasting. For this reason, these seeds are commonly also referred to as "vrat ke chawal" in Hindi. Other common names to identify these seeds include oodalu (ಊದಲು) in Kannada, Shyamak (শ্যামাক) or Shyama Chal in Bangla, jhangora in the Garhwal Hills, bhagar (भगर) in Marathi-speaking areas, samo or morio seeds in Gujarati, or kuthiraivaali (குதிரைவாளி) in Tamil.
The rusty plum aphid is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and sucks sap from plants.
Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale, the rice root aphid or red rice root aphid, is a sap-sucking insect pest with a wide host range and a global distribution. As a member of the superfamily Aphidoidea, it is one of 16 species of the genus Rhopalosiphum. Adults and nymphs are soft-bodied and usually dark green with brown, red, or yellow tones. Like all aphids, reproduction is sexual and asexual, depending on the environmental conditions and host plant. Rice root aphids cause injury to external plant parts, namely the roots or stem, by feeding on plant sap and vector several important plant viruses. The hosts of this pest extend across multiple plant families with most belonging to Rosaceae, Poaceae, and Solanaceae. R. rufiabdominale is universally associated with Prunus species but also infests various field crops, greenhouse vegetables, cannabis, and other ornamental plants. While this aphid originates from east Asia, it spans nearly every continent. Dispersal is particularly widespread across the United States, India, and Australia, with crop damage documented in multiple instances, although economic losses are primarily associated with Japanese rice crops. Nonetheless, it remains a pest of serious concern due to its high mobility, discrete habitat, and adaptive plasticity, giving it the rightful reputation as a successful invader.
The greenbug, or wheat aphid, is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and feeds on the leaves of Gramineae (grass) family members.
The Indian grain aphid, also known as Sitobion (Sitobion) miscanthi, is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and sucks sap from cereal plants, making it a pest of wheat production. It has also been recorded as a pest of finger millet, sorghum, and pearl millet in South Asia.
Anoecia is a genus of aphids typical of the subfamily Anoeciinae.
Forda formicaria is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets. It has been recorded on barnyard grass, Elymus sp., Hordeum spp., Setaria spp., wheat, and oats in the United States.
Forda marginata is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets. It has been recorded on barnyard grass, Elymus sp., Hordeum spp., Setaria spp., wheat, and oats in the United States.
Forda hirsuta is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets.
Geoica utricularia is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets.
Melanaphis pyraria is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets.
Sitobion africanum is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets.
Sitobion graminis is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets.
Smynthurodes betae is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets.
Sipha elegans is a species of aphid. It is a pest of millets.
Anoecia cornicola is a species of aphid in the subfamily Anoeciinae. It has been recorded as a pest of Sorghum bicolor, Setaria glauca, Setaria viridis, Echinochloa crus-galli, Zea mays, Eragrostis major, Digitaria sanguinalis, and Panicum capillare in the United States.
Anoecia krizusi is a species of aphid in the subfamily Anoeciinae. It has been recorded as a millet pest.
Anoecia vagans is a species of aphid in the subfamily Anoeciinae. It has been recorded as a millet pest.
