Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum)

Poaceae family

Pearl millet was domesticated from wild P. violaceum sometime before 1000 B.C. in the western Sahel of Africa, and rapidly spread to the dry regions of the Indian subcontinent. It is a highly drought- and heat-tolerant cereal, having C4 photosynthesis. Although primarily used for bird seed in the US, the crop is a major staple in semiarid sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Pakistan. Interest in growing pearl millet on dryland in the High Plains of the US is increasing, particularly as worries over depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer increase. Pearl millet has better drought tolerance than either corn or sorghum and is a good-quality livestock feed grain.