Six Underutilized Grain Crops for Food and Nutrition in China

Abstract

Underutilized grain crops are an essential part of the food system that supports humankind. A number of these crops can be found in China, such as barley, buckwheat, broomcorn millet, foxtail millet, oat, and sorghum, which have characteristics such as containing more nutritional elements, being resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses, and having strong adaptability to poor environments. The diversity of these crops provides options for farmers’ livelihoods and healthy food for the population. Although some mentioned crops such as barley, oat, and sorghum are not underutilized crops globally, they could be considered underutilized in China as they were more important in the past and could be revitalized for food and nutrition in the future. This paper reviews current progress in research and development in the areas of germplasm resource conservation, variety improvement, cultivation technologies, processing, and the nutrition and benefits of six underutilized grain crops in China. It is concluded that underutilized grain crops could play a critical role in food and nutritional security in China.

Designing a More Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Food Supply: A Roadmap for Future Food and Agricultural Research

“…It is important that underutilized crop varieties are identified that can grow efficiently, produce high yields, have low input requirements, are resilient to environmental conditions, and are nutritious. − This requires research on identifying the optimum genetic varieties, soil conditions, and climatic conditions required for different underutilized crops, as well as optimizing fertilizer, pesticide, and water use. Several studies have highlighted the potential of increasing the production of underutilized agricultural crops in different regions of the world. ,− Food scientists can contribute to this work by informing agricultural scientists of the plant characteristics that would be most useful for food applications, such as protein, oil, or starch levels and types for enhanced functionality and nutrition.…”