Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.) was domesticated in India almost 3000 years ago. It is found across the old world in humid habitats of tropics and subtropics. It is a minor grain crop in India, and important crop in Deccan plateau.

The fiber content of the whole grain is very high. Kodo millet has around 11% protein, and the nutritional value of the protein has been found to be slightly better than that of foxtail millet but comparable to that of other small millets. As with other food grains, the nutritive value of Kodo millet protein could be improved by supplementation with legume protein.

On the basis of inflorescence morphology, the species Paspalum scrobiculatum is divided into three races Regularis, Irregularis and Variabilis.