CULTIVATED PLANTS, PRIMARILY AS FOOD SOURCES – Vol.

I – Sorghum and Millets - Irén Léder

SORGHUM AND MILLETS

Irén Léder
Department of Technology, Central Food Research Institute, Hungary

Keywords: Staple food, high energy content, gluten-free, drought-resistant

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor/L./Moench)
2.1 History, Taxonomy and Distribution
2.1.1. History
2.1.2. Taxonomy
2.1.3. Distribution

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2.2. Chemical Composition (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, Vitamins and Minerals)

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2.2.1. Carbohydrates
2.2.2. Proteins
2.2.3. Lipids
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2.2.4. Vitamins and Minerals
2.3. Anti-nutrients in Sorghum Grain (Tannins, Phytic Acid, Cyanogenic Glycosides)
2.3.1. Tannins (condensed polyphenols)
2.3.2. Phytic Acid
2.3.3. Cyanogenic Glycosides
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2.4. Use
2.5. Agronomy, yield and production
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2.5.1. Yield and production

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2.5.2. Agronomy
3. Millets
3.1. History, Taxonomy, Distribution
3.1.1. History
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3.1.2. Taxonomy
3.1.3. Distribution
3.2 Chemical composition (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipid, Vitamins and Minerals)
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3.2.1. Carbohydrates
3.2.2. Proteins
3.2.3. Lipid
3.2.4. Vitamins and Minerals
3.3 Anti-nutrients in millets
3.4. Use
3.5. Agronomy, yield and production
Glossary
Bibliography
Biographical Sketch

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CULTIVATED PLANTS, PRIMARILY AS FOOD SOURCES – Vol. I – Sorghum and Millets - Irén Léder

Summary

The world sorghum economy consist of two distinct sectors a traditional, subsistence,
smallholder farming sector where most production is consumed directly as food (mainly
in Africa and Asia), and a modern, mechanized, high-input, large-scale sector where
output is used largely as animal feed (mainly in the developed countries and in Latin
America).The future of the sorghum economy is linked with its contribution to food
security in Africa, income growth and poverty alleviation in Asia, and efficient use of
water in drought-prone regions in much of the developed world. Millet will remain
largely associated with the food security of drought-prone human populations.
Productivity has lagged, particularly in Africa, because of the severity of this
environment and the pressure of human population growth on traditional land-extensive
fallow system. In many countries of the world researchers look for the best growing and
using possibilities for sorghum and millet of high energy content. Completely new food
products can be produced by introducing new types, optimizing growing technologies

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(watering, weed control, storage conditions, developing instruments etc.), and applying

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new hydrothermic technologies. The flaked, puffed and extruded sorghum and millet
products, with the addition of some nutrients, can considerably enlarge the food variety
of the developed countries too.
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1. Introduction

Sorghum is the world’s fifth most important cereal, in terms of both production and area
planted. Millet, a general category for several species of small grained cereal crops, is
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the world’s seventh most important cereal grain. Roughly 90% of the world’s sorghum
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area and 95% of the world’s millet area lie in the developing countries, mainly in Africa
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and Asia. These crops are primarily grown in poor areas subject to law rainfall and
drought where other grains are unsuitable for the production unless irrigation is
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available.

Sorghum is widely grown both for food and as a feed grain, while millet is produced
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almost entirely for food. Sorghum and millets constitute a major source of calories and
protein for millions of people in Africa and Asia.
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2. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor /L./ Moench)

2.1 History, Taxonomy and Distribution

2.1.1. History

Vavilov considered the old Abyssinian (Ethiopian) areas the centre of origin of
sorghum, but others (Harlan, Snowden) thought that sorghum arose in several separate
centres and from different species: races durra and bicolor from S. aethiopicum, guinea
from S. arundinaceum, and kafir from S. verticilliflorum. According to de Wet the S.
verticilliflorum was the first to be domesticated some 3000 to 5000 years ago (David A.
V. Dendy 1995).

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CULTIVATED PLANTS, PRIMARILY AS FOOD SOURCES – Vol. I – Sorghum and Millets - Irén Léder

2.1.2. Taxonomy

Pliny (ca. 60 to 70 A. D.) was the first to give a written description of sorghum and after
that there was hardly a mention of it until the sixteenth century. Moench in 1794
established the genus Sorghum and brought the sorghums under the name S. bicolor.
Harlan and de Wet (1971) developed a simplified classification that is in common use.
There are a total of 15 races The basic races are bicolor, guinea, caudatum, kafir, durra,
and there are ten hybrid races under S. bicolor subsp. bicolor. Sorghum is a cereal of
remarkable genetic variability—more than 30 000 selections are present in the world
and it is very difficult to classify them. Sorghum belongs to the order of Poales and to
the family of Gramineae. The species Sorghum bicolor covers a wide range of varieties,
from white and yellow to brown, red and almost black (Figure 1).

2.1.3. Distribution

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Sorghum is a tropical grass grown primarily in semi-arid parts of the world. In Africa, a

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major growing area runs across West Africa south of the Sahara, through Sudan,
Ethiopia and Somalia. It is grown in upper Egypt and Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania,
Burundi, and Zambia. It is important crop in India, Pakistan, Thailand in central and
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northern China, Australia, in the drier areas of Argentina and Brazil, Venezuela, USA,
France and Italy. The crop has spread over the drier areas of the world; it does better
when it is dry and cool, whereas pearl millet is better adapted to dry hot conditions.
Sorghum is a staple food for about 300 millions people worldwide.
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Figure 1: Sorghum

2.2. Chemical Composition (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, Vitamins and

Minerals)

Sorghum is similar in chemical composition to corn (Zea mays). A comparison of

nutrients in various cereals is presented in Table 1.

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 CULTIVATED PLANTS, PRIMARILY AS FOOD SOURCES – Vol. I – Sorghum and Millets - Irén Léder

Crude
b Fat CHOc Ash Energy Iron Niacin
Cereal Protein (g) Fiber Calcium (mg) Thiamin (mg) Riboflavin (mg)
(g) (g) (g) (kcal) (mg) (mg)
(g)
Wheat 11.6 2.0 71 2.0 1.6 348 30 3.5 0.405 5.05 0.101
Brown rice 7.9 2.7 76 1.0 1.3 362 33 1.8 0.413 4.31 0.043
Maize 9.2 4.6 73 2.8 1.2 358 26 2.7 0.378 3.57 0.197

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Sorghum 10.9 3.2 73 2.3 1.6 329 27 4.3 0.300 2.83 0.138

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Pearl millet 11.0 5.0 69 2.2 1.9 363 25 3.0 0.3 2.0 0.15
Foxtail millet 9.9 2.5 72 10.0 3.5 351 20 4.9 0.593 0.99 0.099

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Finger millet 6.0 1.5 75 3.6 2.6 336 350 5.0 0.3 1.4 0.10
Kodo millet 11.5 1.3 74 10.4 2.6 353 35 1.7 0.15 … …
Japanese
barnyard 10.8 4.5 49 14.7 4.0 … 22 18.6 … … …
millet

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Proso millet 10.6 4.0 70 12.0 3.2 364 8 2.9 0.405 4.54 0.279

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Table 1: Comparison of nutrients in 100-g edible portions of various cereals at 12% moisture
a b
Data from Hulse et al (1980), NRC/NAS (1982), USDA/HNIS (1989), Serna-Saldivar and Rooney (1991); NX6.25; c Carbohydrates)
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CULTIVATED PLANTS, PRIMARILY AS FOOD SOURCES – Vol. I – Sorghum and Millets - Irén Léder

2.2.1. Carbohydrates

The majority of the carbohydrate in sorghum and millets are starch, while soluble sugar,
pentosans, cellulose, and hemicellulose are low. Regular endosperm sorghum types
contain 23 to 30% amylose, but waxy varieties contain less than 5% amylose.

Sorghum is a good source of fibre, mainly the insoluble (86.2%) fibre. The insoluble
dietary fibre of sorghum and millet may decrease transit time and prevent
gastrointestinal problems.

2.2.2. Proteins

Protein content and composition varies due to genotype, and water availability,
temperature, soil fertility and environmental conditions during grain development. The
protein content of sorghum is usually 11-13% but sometimes higher values are reported

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(David A. V. Dendy, 1995).

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Prolamins (kafirins) constitute the major protein fractions in sorghum, followed by
glutelins. Lack of gluten is characteristic of protein composition, and traditionally, the
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bread which cannot be baked from sorghum and millet is only cake bread.

In contrast to the unbroken protein matrix of wheat grain there are separate protein
bodies which can be distinguished in the endosperm of the ripe seeds of the sorghum
and millet. Grain protein is notoriously deficient in the essential amino acid lysine
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(except for several new varieties of high lysine sorghum) and pure in the sulphur-
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containing amino acids. In vitro studies and in vivo studies with livestock and
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laboratory animals, indicate that sorghum proteins are generally less digestible than
those of other cereals. Sorghum was shown to be 74.5%, compared with 78.5% for corn.
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2.2.3. Lipids
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Crude fat content of sorghum averages about 3%, which is higher than that of wheat and
rice. Fatty acid composition is similar to that of corn oil, with high concentrations of
linoleic (49%), oleic (31%) and palmitic acids (14%). Like maize, the energy content of
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sorghum is high. Sorghum grain contains about 1.5 ppm of total carotenoids. Apart
from maize and durum wheat, sorghum is the only cereal which contains a significant
amount of β-carotene, the provitamin of vitamin A, which is important in human
physiology.

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Bibliography

Barabás Z. and Bányai L. (1985). Sorghum bicolour (L.) MOENCH, S. sudaneuse (PIPER) STAPF, 180
pp. Budapest, Akadémiai Kiadó
David A. V. Dendy (1995). Sorghum and Millets Chemistry and Technology 406 pp. USA, St. Paul,
Minnesota, American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc.
Dékány D. (1999). The history of millet in Hungary Library of Hungarian Agriculture Museum Budapest
Hungary (in Hungarian)
FAO (1996) The world sorghum and millet economies. Fact, trends and autlook. A joint study by the
Basic Foodstuffs Service FAO Commodities and TradeDivision and the Socioeconomics and Policy
Division International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
Kent N. L. (1978). Technology of Cereals with special reference to wheat, 279 pp. New York Pergamon
Press Ltd.
(This book introduces a part of cereals; cereals technology and cereals products.)

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Koleoso O. A. et al (1988). Potential of using non-wheat flour in bread making and confectionery
products. 4 TH QUADRENNIAL SYMPOSIUM ON SORGHUM and MILLETS Lausanne (Switzerland,

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May 26. and 27. pp. 78-88. Lausanne.)
Léder I. and Monda S. (1987). The sorghum and millet and theirs use. Élelmezési Ipar 39. (3) 98-104 (in
Hungarian).
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Vogel S. and Graham M. (1978). Sorghum and Millet: Food Production and Use. Report of a workshop
held in Nairobi, Kenya, 4-7 July 1978.
Ottawa. Ont. IDRC. 1979. pp. 64 (This paper discusses methods of harvesting, drying milling, grain
processing, use, food production, marketing of sorghum and millets, includes a lots of sorghum and millet
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foods recipes.)
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Biographical Sketch
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Ms. Irén Léder was born in September1946 in Budapest, Hungary. Since 1995 she has been employed as
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a research scientist in the Central Food Research Institute (CFRI), in Budapest. She qualified as a food
preservation engineer (University of Horticulture and Food, 1984) and worked from 1965 to 1985 in the
National Institute of Food Hygiene and Nutrition, Budapest. From 1985 to 1995 she worked for the
Research and Development of Flour Milling Co. Ltd., Budapest
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She has worked on:

• Product development in the flour milling industry by traditional and new hydrothermal
technologies which are able to conserve the nutritional value of cereals.
• Product development of flaked, puffed and extruded cereal and pseudocereal products, as well as
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the improvement of dehulled products (buckwheat, millet, sorghum), elaboration of cereal ready mixed
flours and vitamins and mineral-enriched flours.
• Elaboration of health protecting and high nutritional value food products using different cereals
and pseudocereals
• Elaboration of technologies and recipes of bio-food products using cereal basic materials grown
without chemicals.
• Keeping contact with grain industrial, milling, bakery and confectionery enterprises by looking
for utilization possibilities of research results and help in the realization of new product development
results,
Her publications include:
Biacs P. Á., Léder I. and Lajos J. (1998). Production and use of special cereals and pseudocereals
(buckwheat, amaranth) in Hungary. 16th ICC Conference, 9-12 May, Vienna. Book of Abstracts.
Biacs P.A., Aubrecht E., Léder I. and Lajos J. (2002). Buckwheat, in: Pseudocereals and less common
cereals (Eds. Belton P. and Taylor J.) Springer, pp. 123-151
Léder I. (2000). Cereals? Buckwheat and amaranth. Élelmezés-Táplálkozás-Diéta (3) 15-19 (in
Hungarian).

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CULTIVATED PLANTS, PRIMARILY AS FOOD SOURCES – Vol. I – Sorghum and Millets - Irén Léder

Léder I., and Schusterné Gajzágó I. (2000). Examination of cereals and cereal components with important
roles in human nutrition and physiology. Élelmezési ipar 54 (3) pp 91-92 (in Hungarian).
Léder I. and Monda S. (1986) Investigation of the possibility of use of millet and sorghum for human
consumption .Élelmezési Ipar XLI (3) pp. (in Hungarian).
Léder I. and et.al. (2001). Spelt wheat. Táplálkozás Allergia Diéta 6 (6) pp 39-46 (in Hungarian).
Léder I. (2001). Millet, Buckwheat, Spelt. in: Traditions, tastes and regions (eds Ministry of Agricultural
and Regional Development). Kossuth Nyomda Rt Budapest, pp. 68, 204, 207 (in Hungarian).

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