PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF NINE PROSO MILLET CULTIVARS

Evaluation of the postharvest properties of nine proso millet cultivars was carried out to determine their physical and engineering properties, which are very useful for designing appropriate systems for process operations such as sorting, drying, heating, cooling, and milling. Nine cultivars of proso millet comprising waxy and non-waxy types, namely Cope, Earlybird, Huntsman, Minco, Plateau, Sunrise, Rise, Dawn, and Panhandle, were obtained from the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska, Scottsbluff. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in their physical properties, such as sphericity, volume, bulk density, porosity, and angle of repose, which ranged from 0.86 to 0.91, from 3.94 to 5.14 mm(3), from 765.49 to 809.67 kg m(-3), from 42.49% to 44.20%, and from 22.98 degrees to 25.74 degrees, respectively. The cultivars were also evaluated for their pasting and gelatinization properties, and high correlation was found between amylose content and onset temperature (r = -0.94), peak gelatinization temperature (r = -0.92), peak viscosity (r = 0.84), final viscosity (r = 0.91), and setback viscosity (r = 0.90). The understanding of these basic physical and functional properties of proso millet cultivars will form the foundation for processing them into value-added products.