Foxtail millet is a grain crop in temperate, subtropical and tropical Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and southern Europe. The grain has been used as a beverage base for dairy alternatives. The millet is grown as a forage crop in the Americas, Australia and Africa.

Foxtail millet is an annual grass between 0.6 to 1.2 meters tall. The crop duration for the millet is 80 to 120 days. Foxtail millet is largely self-pollinating with an average outcrossing rate of 4%; natural hybrids between wild and cultivated types occur. Foxtail millet has largely lost the ability of natural seed dispersal and shows a tendency toward uniform plant maturity.

It has a diploid nuclear genome of roughly 490 to 515 MB and nine chromosomes (2n = 18). It is predicted to have over 35,500 genes. It is a model organism for C4 photosynthesis, stress responses, water usage and may have potential in bioenergy applications.