Identification and evaluation of phenotypic characters and genetic diversity analysis of 1,558 foxtail millet germplasm resources for conservation and breeding.

Foxtail millet () is a specialty mixed grain crop that originated in China. This study comprehensively assessed the phenotypic variability of 1,558 foxtail millet accessions to explore their genetic diversity and facilitate effective germplasm conservation. A total of 25 traits, including 11 quantitative and 14 qualitative, were investigated based on the quantization of physical and chemical descriptors and digital image analysis.