Minor Cereal Crops Production and their Future Prospects in Bangladesh

Abstract

Different kinds of cereals are the dominant carbohydrate source for the global population of which minor cereals, a group of neglected crops, play an important role in proving substitute of rice or wheat in the harsh environment of the globe. These crops have been replaced in many areas with the advent of irrigation facilities, availability of modern crop varieties and improvement of fertilizer management systems. In the present investigation, we have delineated production zones and established relationships of minor cereal cultivation with selected social character and future climatic conditions based on existing literature and survey data. In most cases, six minor cereals are cultivated in Bangladesh. Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italic cover larger areas and are mainly grown in north, north-west, central parts and hilly regions of the country and provide 400-1500 kg ha-1 grain yield. Although low grain yields, farmers having 0.2-0.8 ha land holdings mostly cultivate minor cereals because of its high profit within a short period of time, can be grown in poor soil and does not require special care. Besides, the product can be utilized in different ways, such as food and feed with social aristocracy. Because of climate change impacts, the optimum temperature windows for studying minor cereals will be narrowed down to 15 November through 15 February by 2050 although the critical maximum temperature range might not be a problem for growing minor cereals in Bangladesh. If high-yielding varieties of minor cereals are available, it would be a climate-smart technology in the future.