ISHS Acta Horticulturae 623: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Plant Genetic Resources, The Fabric of Horticulture's Future
GENETIC RESOURCES OF UNDER-UTILIZED FRUITS IN PUNJAB SUBTROPICS |
| Author: | J.S. Bal |
| Keywords: | Ayurvedic, indigenous, utilization potential, under-utilization, genetic diversity, genetic erosion, conservation, nutritional security, intellectual property rights |
| Abstract:
India holds a rich gene pool of many less known and minor fruit crops, in different agroclimatic regions but is under the threat of genetic erosion. With the drastic increase in world population, there is a strong need to conserve the existing resources. Keeping this in view, the genetic diversity of some under-utilized fruit crops, namely bael (Eagle marmelos (L.) Corr. Serr. - Rutaceae), Jaman (Syzygium cuminni Skeels - Myrtaceae), jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. - Moraceae), dhaeu (Artocarpus lacucha Roxb. - Moraceae) and caronda (Carissa carandus L. - Apocynaceae) was explored in Punjab - the Indian subtropics, during 1994-2001 in order to identify and conserve the superior genotypes. Explorations were made to collect the variability from public and private gardens/orchards, religious places, farmlands, etc. A wide range of variability in physic-chemical characters, maturity period and yield components was recorded in the collected germplasm of different fruit crops. Based on this information some desirable elite genotypes have been isolated and conserved. This paper assesses the importance of utilization of these resources in Ayurvedic, the indigenous therapy for curing human ailments. It lays emphasis on exploiting the potential usefulness of such a valuable resources, in combating the challenges of food and nutritional security to the ever-increasing population and diverse measures for their conservation. | |
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