Finger millet, also known as ragi belongs to the Family: Graminae/ Poaceae, Subfamily: Chloridoideae, Genus: Eleusine and Species: Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. Finger Millet is an important millet grown extensively in various regions of India and Africa. It ranks sixth in production after wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and bajra in India. Finger millet is one of the important millets that are mostly consumed by the people in Africa and Asia. It is native to subsistence farmers and poor people in rural parts. The seeds of finger millet have rich nutrients providing energy and nutrients to the rural population. Notably, the calcium content of finger millet is much higher (10-fold) than any other cereal crop. Better resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses and the long shelf-life of seeds make this crop a crop of the future. Although it received less attention in the first green revolution, rich nutrient profile and climate resilience nature of this crop have attracted the researchers even in Western countries in recent years. Main cultivation areas are parts of eastern and southern Africa – particularly Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania – and parts of India and Nepal. It is also grown in southern Sudan and "as far south" in Africa as Mozambique. In India, ragi is mostly grown and consumed in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Maharashtra, Kumaon region of Uttarakhand and Goa; of which, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand produce the bulk of ragi in the country. There are significant yield variations observed even among the top producing States. In Karnataka, ragi growing areas are concentrated in the southern maidan. Tumakuru district is the leading producer of ragi, followed by Ramnagar, Bengaluru Rural, Hassan, Mandya, Kolar, Chikballapur, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Chamarajnagar, and Davanagere districts. Finger millet or ragi occupies significant position in India in terms of production and utilization and in entire world. It is one of the most stable food crop. Finger millet is superior to rice and wheat with respect to mineral, fiber and micronutritient contents. Finger millet is a nutrient rich crop. Finger millet is being used as food (grains) in developing countries and as animal feed (straw) in developed countries indicating that it is considered as a poor man's food. Ca is required for a number of basic regulatory functions such as transmission of nerve impulses, contraction and relaxation of muscles, blood coagulation cascade, activation of enzymes, stimulation of hormonal secretion and so on in human body and so on. In the Deccan, ragi is prepared in the form of rotti, bhakri, dosa, idli, porridge, pudding, or a large sphere (mudde) that is broken into pieces that are dipped into sambar. In Sanksrit, the iron-rich ragi is referred to as nrtta-kondaka, meaning dancing grains. Legend holds that Lord Rama, Indra and Hanuman all favoured ragi over rice, on the merits of its immediate and lasting attractiveness. Its merits go beyond looks: it is rich in minerals and unusually for a cereal boasts an amino acid, methionine, that is normally found in significant amounts largely in eggs, meats and fish. In this review article on Origin, Domestication, Taxonomy, Botanical Description, Genetics and Cytogenetics, Genetic Diversity, Processing, Uses, Breeding, and Health Benefits of Ragi are discussed.
