Friday, 20 June 2025
In a major stride for millet research and food security, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has launched ‘Rapid-Ragi’, the world’s first speed breeding protocol for finger millet. This innovation drastically cuts the crop’s growth cycle from the traditional 100–135 days to just 68–85 days, allowing up to five generations annually—compared to one or two in conventional field conditions.
The protocol, designed to function primarily on natural light with minimal artificial support, is not only faster but also more cost-effective and scalable. It holds particular promise for Asia and Africa, where finger millet is a key component of public nutrition schemes and school meals. With global interest in millets rising—especially after the UN declared 2023 the International Year of Millets—the timing of this breakthrough is critical.
“This is a landmark moment for the global scientific community,” said Dr Himanshu Pathak, ICRISAT Director General, noting that this is the institute’s third speed breeding protocol after chickpea and pigeonpea. Unlike its predecessors, however, Rapid-Ragi’s simplicity makes it more accessible for wide-scale adoption.
Lead scientist Dr Sobhan Sajja confirmed that this is the first protocol ever developed for small millets. Encouraged by its early success, ICRISAT is now working to adapt the model for other minor millets such as foxtail, barnyard, proso, kodo, and little millet.
Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General–Research and Innovation, emphasized its significance for neglected and underutilized crops (NUCs), which often lag in innovation due to the dominance of major cereals like rice and wheat. Meanwhile, Dr Sean Mayes, who heads ICRISAT’s Accelerated Crop Improvement program, underlined the team’s focus on practicality: “It’s not just about speed—we wanted a protocol that’s easy to replicate, especially in resource-limited settings.”
As the Rapid-Ragi protocol is made openly accessible, researchers worldwide now have a new tool to accelerate breeding efforts and build more climate-resilient, nutrition-rich food systems.
