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Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is a drought-tolerant millet crop of arid and semi-arid regions. Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) are significant part of plant defence mechanism, having an ability to confer multiple stress tolerance. In this study, AKR1 gene expression was studied in roots and leaves of foxtail millet subjected to different regimes of PEG-and NaCl-stress for seven days. The quantitative Real-time PCR expression analysis in both root and leaves showed upregulation of AKR1 gene during PEG and salt stress. A close correlation exits between expression of AKR1 gene and the rate of lipid peroxidation along with the retardation of growth. Tissue-specific differences were found in the AKR1 gene expression to the stress intensities studied. The reduction in root and shoot growth under both stress conditions were dependent on stress severity. The level of lipid peroxidation as indicated by MDA formation was significantly increased in roots and leaves along with increased stress levels. Finally, these findings support the early responsive nature of AKR1 gene and seem to be associated at least in part with its ability to contribute in antioxidant defence related pathways which could provide a better protection against oxidative stress under stress conditions.

The present study was undertaken to ascertain the morphological responses of a groundnut cultivar K-134, under different water stress regimes characterized as control, mild, moderate and severe stress represented by 100, 75, 50 and 25% soil moisture levels respectively for eight days. Root length increased over control at mild, moderate stress treatments and inhibited at severe stress conditions on all days of sampling. Severe stress treatments had caused significant inhibition in shoot growth on day-4 and 8. The fresh and dry weights of roots and leaves and leaf area decreased over control in all stress treatments except under mild stress on day-4. The changes in theses parameters were dependent on stress severity and duration.

A study was conducted for two years during 2014-15 and 2015-16 involving 30 and 15 farmers at Tumkur and Ramanagara districts, respectively. The improved finger millet variety KMR-301 and KMR-204 were used to demonstrate the improved production technology on finger millet in the farmer's field. The data revealed that during 2014 by the introduction of new technology the grain yield was increased by 36 per cent over farmers practice and during 2015, at Ramanagara district the yield improvement was to the tune of 16 per cent.