Notes

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is a staple food for millions of poor people living in the semi-arid tropical regions of Africa and Asia. The crop is predominantly grown in drier parts of West and Central Africa (WCA), Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and the Indian Subcontinent in South Asia (SA). Pearl millet is grown both
for fodder and grain, and besides food for human consumption, the grain is also used for poultry feed and some industrial uses. More recently, pearl millet has become an important fodder crop in no-tillage crop farming systems in central Brazil. Pearl millet is attacked by a large number of diseases caused by fungal, bacterial,
viral and nematode pathogens. However, diseases that are considered economically important are only a few and include downy mildew, blast, rust, ergot and smut. Among these, downy mildew is the most destructive and widespread in India and countries
in Africa. It is not yet reported from the Americas. Downy mildew infects the foliage and the panicles of the crop and causes severe losses. Blast and rust are mainly foliar diseases and they affect fodder quality and production of both fodder and grain. In recent years, blast has become more severe in many parts of India. Ergot and smut are highly tissue-specific and ovary-replacement diseases, they appear in low to moderate intensity and currently these are not of major consequence in India and elsewhere.