Abstract: Downy mildew disease is the most serious threat to the quality and yield of foxtail millet. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of seed coatings on the growth of foxtail millet seedlings and the incidence of downy mildew disease. Seeds of the foxtail millet cultivars Jingu 29 (susceptible) and Fenxuan 3 (resistant) were coated with two different formulae (formula 1, F1: Metalaxyl+Mancozeb+Imidacloprid+potassium phosphate monobasic; formula 2, F2: Tebuconazol+Imidacloprid+potassium phosphate monobasic) at three concentrations (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% of seed weight, respectively). Then, the seedlings were monitored to determine downy mildew incidence, agronomic characters, functional leaf area, and shoot dry matter accumulation and yield. Both formulas significantly reduced the incidence of downy mildew disease with a dose-dependent effect. The two formulae did not affect node number and ear diameter, but they increased stem diameter and 1000-grain weight with a dose-dependent effect. The plant height and spike length of seedlings were higher in the 0.1% formula treatments than in the control (no seed coating). The functional leaf area decreased as the formula concentration increased. The dry weights of the stem, leaf, sheath, and panicle decreased with increasing formula concentration. The yields of Jingu 29 in the 0.1% formula 1 and formula 2 treatments were 4471.7 kg/ha and 4420.6 kg/ha, respectively, significantly higher than that in the control (4284.8 kg/ha). Both formulae significantly reduced the incidence of downy mildew, and formula 2 at the 0.1% concentration resulted in the best quality and yield of foxtail millet.