Foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.) is regarded as a native of China, it is one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops. Known from the Yang-Shao culture period dating back some 5000 years.

Foxtail millet ranks second in the total world production of millets and continues to have an important place in the world agriculture providing approximately six million tons of food to millions of people, mainly on poor or marginal soils in the southern Europe and in temperate, subtropical, and tropical Asia. It will grow from sea level to 2000 m altitudes. It cannot tolerate water logging.

Foxtail millet is fairly tolerant of drought; it can escape some droughts because of early maturity. Due to its quick growth, which enables it to be grown as a short-term catch crop. It is adapted to a wide range of elevations, soils and temperatures. Its grain is used for human consumption, and poultry and cage birds.

On the basis of inflorescence morphology foxtail millet is classified into two species S. pumila and S. italica. The species S. italica is classified into two subspecies viridis and italica. The subspecies italica is classified into three races and ten subraces. The race Moharia is divided into subraces: Aristata, Fusiformis, Glabra, race Maxima is divided into subraces Compacta, Spongiosa, Assamense, and race Indica is divided into subraces: Erecta, Glabra, Nana, and Profusa.