This book presents up-to-date information on foxtail millet genomics with a particular focus
on its agronomic importance genome architecture marker development evolutionary and
diversity studies comparative genomics and stress biology. The topics discussed have the
potential to open up a new era of crop improvement in foxtail millet and other related grass
species.Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is the oldest domesticated crop in the world
(domesticated >8700 years ago) and it has been extensively grown in the semi-arid regions of
Asia Europe and the Americas as a food and fodder crop ever since. Further as a C4 crop with
close genetic relatedness to several biofuel grasses foxtail millet has been promoted as a
model plant. In view of its importance the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and
Beijing Genomics Institute have independently sequenced the genome of foxtail millet. The
availability of the draft genome sequence has advanced the genomics and genetics of this
important crop resulting in the development of large-scale genome-wide molecular markers and
demonstration of their utility in genomics-assisted breeding as well as the identification of
the molecular and biological roles of several stress-responsive gene families in connection
with abiotic stress tolerance. In addition several open access databases have been developed
to make these resources for crop improvement through structural and functional genomics widely
available.
