Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) was domesticated in Manchuria and introduced in to Europe about 3000 years ago followed by near East and India. It is the milium of the Romans and the true millet of history. Proso millet is well adapted to many soil and climatic conditions. Being a short season crop with low water requirement, it grows further north than the other millets and also adapts well to plateau conditions and high elevations. Proso is found high in mountains; in the former USSR up to 1200 m and in India up to 3500 m.

Proso millet generally mature between 60-90 days after planting and can be grown successfully in poor soil and hot dry weather. It is an easy crop to grow and it seems to be better adapted than most crops to primitive agricultural practices.

Proso millet requires very little water, possibly the lowest water requirement of any cereal, and converts water most efficiently to dry matter/ grain. This is not because of its drought resistance but because of short growing season.

On the basis of inflorescence morphology the species P. miliaceum consists of subspecies miliaceum. The subspecies miliaceum is divided into races: Miliaceum, Patentissimum, Contractum, Compactum, and Ovatum.