Advances in sorghum and millet research special issue

Although sorghum and millets (which comprise a number of species) are only fifth and sixth, respectively, in terms of global production (after maize, rice, wheat and barley), they are immensely important in some geographical regions, including Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where their importance relates to their adaptation to challenging environments and use in traditional foods. In addition, sorghum in particular is grown more widely in semi-arid environments such as parts of Australia and Latin America. The importance of these crops in food security and human nutrition has been recognised in recent years by major research investments, particularly in international research centres and the countries where they are major crops. As a result, sorghum and pearl millet now rival other cereals, such as wheat and barley, intheavailability ofgenetic and genomic resources.In addition, they are being increasingly studied in relation to the health benefits associated with traditional crops and diets. The papers in this Journal of Cereal Science virtual special issue are drawn from presentations at the conference “Sorghum in the 21st Century”, held in Cape Town, South Africa, 9–12 April 2008.