Characterization of Jobís Tears Germplasm in North-East India

Natural Product Radiance, Vol. 6(1), 2007, pp.50-54 Green page: Article

Characterization of Jobís tears germplasm in North-East India D K Hore* and R S Rathi NBPGR Regional Station, Umiam - 793 103, Barapani, Meghalaya, India *Correspondent author Received 29 July 2005; Accepted 21 September 2006 Abstract Polytoca R. Br. and Coix are of the 4, 5 Job’s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi Linn.) is an underutilized crop widely distributed in old world origin . The established South-East Asia. The seeds of this crop are used as pseudocereal, poultry feed and beer brewing; species of the genus in India are: Coix while leaves are used as fodder. The North-eastern India is considered as one of the major aquatica Roxb., C. lacryma-jobi, C. centres of diversity for the crop. There are four well-marked forms of Job’s tears met within India, puellarum Balansa and C. gigantea which differ in their shape, size, colour and degree of hardiness of the involucres. Till 2004, Koen. ex Roxb6. Species of Coix form NBPGR Regional Station, Shillong, Meghalaya has collected a total of 54 accessions of Job’s tears germplasm. The germplasm characterization and protein and phosphorus contents of 29 accessions a polyploid series with base number 5 (ref. have been presented in this paper. Potentiality for systematic large scale cultivation of genotypes 7). All the varieties of has also been emphasized. C. lacryma-jobi are tetraploid Keywords : Job’s tears, Coix lacryma-jobi, Under utilized crop, Pseudocereal, Diversity, (2n=4x=20). There are four well-marked Germplasm. types of Job’s tears found in India, which IPC code; Int. cl.8 — A01G 1/00, A23L 1/10, A61K 36/00, A61K 36/8994 differs from each other with respect to their shape, size, colour and degree of hardiness of the involucres. These four Introduction to the shape of the grains which resembles taxonomical varieties: var. typica, var. The generic name of Coix Linn. the drop of tear. Job’s tears (Coix stenocarpa, var. mayuen and var. is derived from the works of Theophrastus, lacryma-jobi Linn.) is known as Adlay monilifer are wild type, which occur in who in the fourth century BC applied it to (Filipino), Jargadi in Sanskrit, Sankru the North-eastern India. The var. mayuen a reed like plant, which might have been in Hindi, Gurgur in Bengali, Megaru Stapf. ex Hook. f. alone is of importance a form of Coix. The Coix was originated in Garo, Sohriew in Khasi and Kunch as a source of human food. in North-eastern hill tracts of India and in Tripuri language. Coix is one of the Looking to the occurrence, Myanmar, because the great variability of eight genera included in the tribe Maydeae small-scale cultivation and utilization by the wild type of C. lacryma-jobi and (Family-Poaceae). Of C. aquatica occurs in this region. the tribe, these Venkateswaralu and Chaganti1 and Burkill2 genera Zea Linn., pointed out that its origin in Euchlaena Schrad. Indo-China while Vallaeys3 considered and Tripsacum Linn. Malay Archipelago is the center of origin. belong to the new The aboriginals who migrated from world, whereas the five Indo-China to Malaysia about 1000 B.C. genera, viz. are said to have had the knowledge of Sclerachne R.Br., cultivation of Coix and introduced the Trilobachne same in North-eastern parts of India. Its Schenck ex Henr., common English name Job’s tears is due Chionachne R. Br., Coix lacryma-jobi

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lower subtropical terrains9, 10. According The fruit colour in wild forms to Pieris11 the edible grain (known as varies from white to greyish or greyish- Adlay in the Philippines) has been black while in the cultivated forms these under cultivation in India for some represents from whitish, creamy, 3000-4000 years. The plant was being brownish, greyish and black. The grain grown in the remote past as a minor cereal shape also varies from pear-shaped to or fodder and grown extensively by the elongated one. Variability exhibited in Matured harvested seeds of Coix lacryma-jobi farmers of North-eastern India12. nonstraited type and only a few collections It is grown mainly during showed the striated forms. Kharif/rainy season in hilly areas, in All 54 collected accessions were homesteads area as well as in Jhumland. characterized at National Bureau of Plant The mature plants do not remain longer Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Regional in the lush green stage and turns greyish Station, Umiam, Barapani. This was var. mayeum as maturity attains for harvest. The plant subjected to an experiment in two is cut from the base, tied in bundles and replications in RBD design over the Seeds of Coix lacryma-jobi var. mayeum carried to the tribal dwelling for period of three years (2001-2004). The threshing. It was reported that Coix could plot size (2×25m) was kept for each the local tribal people, an attempt was be grown successfully in such areas where accession. Two land races named made for systematic collections of various other crops are difficult to grow. pollin and mayeum were used as a genotypes of this underutilized crop from standard check variety. Based on the data this region so that their importance can recorded, four genotypes were identified be determined through germplasm Germplasm collection and as promising. The genotype ‘IC-012703’ evaluation. Many exploration and characterization gave the highest grain yield with collection trips were undertaken during The details of germplasm collection 318 qt/ha whereas genotype ‘IC-089391’ the years 1986 to 2004. The germplasm are given in Table 1. There are two major was next with a net yield of 300 qt/ha. variability was collected from the parts of regions of origin — the North-East India- The genotype ‘IC-521338’ recorded a grain Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura, Myanmar, and the regions of Indo-China yield of 290 qt/ha (Table 2). These Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram states which accounted for the multiplicity of promising genotypes were also sent for of the region. the cultivated races of C. lacryma-jobi. adaptive trial at various hilly areas of A total of 54 genotypes were the country under All India Coordinated collected from the North-eastern region Origin and Distribution Research Project on Under-Utilized during 1986 to 2004. Much variability was Job’s tears, a cultigens of great crop13. noticed in cultivated type as well as in antiquity, is grown in South Asia mainly The plant is usually resistant to wild type. The collected material, by the natives of various ethnic groups of pest attack. However, losses may occur due 2, 8 accumulated through germplasm Mongolian origin . The North-eastern to damage by birds and rats14. Unusual region of India is a center of variability of exploration trips showed the wide range phenomenon was observed in Coix the genus Coix. It is considered that this of variability with regards to their size, during 1999-2000 in experimental trials, plant was introduced here either by the shape, shell type, colour of seeds, plant before the crop maturity. While growing pastoral Aryans invaders, who grew it on height and in leaf size. The collections the crop in Barapani condition, there was the slope of Himalaya or during were made from sub-tropical region of an outbreak of leaf spot disease, caused Mongolian conquers, when the crop got the North-East region, dominated by the by Phyllocora sp. due to which the leaves distributed from the eastern Himalaya to ethnic people. got withered within a few days. The attack

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Table 1 : Number of accession collected from North-eastern states by NBPGR, Regional Station, Barapani, Meghalaya during the year(s) 1986-2004

S. No. Exploration and collection sites Year of collection No. of genotypes collected

1. Karbi Anglong (Mikir Hills) 1986 12 2. Parts of Tripura State 1986 2 3. Parts of Nagaland 1986 7 4. Lower Assam and Subtropical range of 1987 1 Arunachal Pradesh 5. East Khasi & Jaintia Hills and 1987 1 North Cachar Hills 6. East and West Kameng, Subansiri of 1988 8 Arunachal Pradesh 7. Manipur State 1989 1 8. West Kameng and Tawang district of 1996-97 2 Arunachal Pradesh 9. East Kameng, Lower Subansiri and 1996-97 2 Upper Subansiri of Arunachal Pradesh 10. Parts of Meghalaya and Mizoram 2000 5 11. Assam, Mizoram, Manipur and 2001-2002 8 Arunachal Pradesh 12. Assam and Mizoram 2002-2003 2 13. Mizoram 2003-2004 3

Total 54 was severe and the disease reappeared after piggeries, it trampled and mixed with Chemical composition a gap of 25 years in this locality of mud and this make a good compost10, 15. The grain has very hard seed coat. Meghalaya, as it was first noticed by the Dry leaves are also used for thatching16. The ratio of seed vs coat is 257:1. Grains farmers during 1974-1975, locally. The soft-shelled types are becoming very of Job’s tears contain much higher popular for poultry and animal feeds17-19. percentages of protein, fat and fibre as Utilization In North-East India and in western world, compared to rice. Out of 54 collected accessions, C. lacryma-jobi var. mayuen the hard-shelled grain type of phytochemical characterization was done for is an important food crop. Grains are used Coix has long been used in ornamental 29 promising and superior accessions on in various ways by the tribals for food, purposes i. e. in rosaries, necklaces, protein and phosphorus percentage. fodder and for personal adornment. The curtains and draperies. Naga tribes use Nitrogen content of sample was mature seeds after de-hulling and cleaning the seeds for the decoration of their determined by Kjeldahal digestion are boiled and eaten with cooked rice. dancing gears. method. The crude protein value was The pounded flour is sometimes also For medicinal purposes, it is used determined by multiplying the nitrogen mixed with water and taken as such as a for the elimination of stones in the kidney content with a factor 6.25. Similarly, cooling drink like barley or flour water. and bladder, for setting right the menstrual phosphorus was estimated by Raw kernels are used as peanut. Job’s tears disorder in women and as tincture or Vanedo-molybdate method as per the is used by the Garo, Karbi, Naga tribes decoction for catarrhal infection of the standard procedures21. Among these for brewing of beer from the pounded air passage causing inflammation of accessions, the highest protein percentage grains8. The green leaves can be used after urinary tract. A decoction of its roots is (10.8%) was recorded in ‘H-307’, while threshing for silage. When kept it in used as vermifuge in children20. the phosphorus percentage (0.40-0.42%)

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Table 2 : Mean data on yield, protein and phosphorus content of studied genotypes of Job’s tears

S. No. Collector No. IC/NIC No. Collected location Yield qt/ha Protein % Phosphorus %

1 H 307 - Sangriba (Arunachal Pradesh) 20.0 10.8 0.290 2 NH 6/22 IC-521338 Chengmelon (Nagaland) 29.0 7.7 0.380 3 H 696 IC-089391 Helipong (Nagaland) 30.0 9.4 0.335 4 H656 IC-089392 Philingre (Nagaland) 25.6 8.8 0.260 5 BDS 1868 IC-006465 Khonoma (Nagaland) 27.2 9.2 0.400 6 DKH 7 IC-089383 Linchek, K Anglong 20.2 9.2 0.380 7 H 306 IC-089387 Sangriba (Arunachal Pradesh) 25.0 7.7 0.220 8 H 303 IC-089384 Jayanti (Arunachal Pradesh) 24.3 7.2 0.335 9 BDS 865 IC-521340 Udaipur (Tripura) 22.0 5.7 0.420 10 AAH 33 IC-089385 Tago (Arunachal Pradesh) 21.2 9.6 0.260 11 H 732 IC-089390 Sangsangiyo (Nagaland) 27.0 7.2 0.260 12 H 557 IC-089394 Akhegowa (Nagaland) 16.7 6.8 0.380 13 H 2213 IC-012637 Medziphema (Nagaland) 22.5 5.5 0.305 14 BDS 1871 IC-006668 Wanke, Tuensang (Nagaland) 26.2 6.6 0.275 15 BD 03 IC-521339 EK Hills (Meghalaya) 24.0 8.0 0.320 16 H 2215 IC-012639 Medziphema (Nagaland) 24.0 7.7 0.350 17 H 547 IC-089393 Phekbasa (Nagaland) 27.6 9.2 0.305 18 H 2287 IC-012711 Peren (Nagaland) 19.1 10.2 0.320 19 H 300 IC-089382 Yang (Arunachal Pradesh) 20.2 10.0 0.400 20 H 2333 IC-012758 Jalukie (Nagaland) 19.8 9.4 0.305 21 BDS 1870 IC-006667 Khonoma (Nagaland) 20.0 10.0 0.290 22 H 2279 IC-012703 Peren (Nagaland) 31.8 10.6 0.260 23 H 626 IC-089389 Lephami (Nagaland) 18.1 9.2 0.260 24 H 305 IC-089381 Sangriba (Arunachal Pradesh) 16.8 7.4 0.290 25 BDS 1872 IC-006669 Phek (Nagaland) 24.5 9.2 0.220 26 HM 2902 IC-022156 Sasatgiri (Meghalaya) 22.8 9.2 0.305 27 HM3026 IC-022280 Maweit (Meghalaya) 25.0 6.6 0.205 28 var. mayeun - 15.0 8.3 0.450 (Standard) 29 var. pollin - 19.0 8.6 0.320 (Standard) Mean 22.917 8.448 0.314 Range 15.0-31.8 5.5-10.8 0.205-0.450 SD 4.199 1.422 0.062 CV(%) 18.320 16.830 19.741 was noticed in ‘IC-006465’, ‘IC-521340’ them (var. mayuen) has got paramount trial in five locations of hilly areas of and ‘IC-089382’ (Table 2). importance in food and medicine. The eastern and western Himalaya of the country. tribal people of the region used this grain Conclusion for various purposes. In order to Acknowledgement Although Job’s tear is an disseminate further knowledge and We express our thanks to Dr. Md underutilized crop for the region, the utilization as well as to develop an Khabiruddin, Phytochemist, CCSHAU, importance of the crop is well understood appropriate potentiality, the crop have Hisar for helping in chemical analysis of from the past and present studies. There been included in All India Coordinated protein and phosphorus percentage value are two types of major grains and one of Research Project of underutilized crops of the 29 Coix genotypes.

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