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Forage Res., 46 (2) : pp. 152-156 (2020) http://forageresearch.in FORAGE GENETIC DIVERSITY IN MURSHIDABAD, NADIA AND NORTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICTS OF WEST BENGAL VIKAS C. TYAGI1*, N. DIKSHIT1, D. R. PANI2, B. C. MARNDI3 AND G. SAHAY1 1ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi-284003(U.P.), India 2ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Cuttack-753006 (Odisha), India 3ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack-753006 (Odisha), India *(e-mail : [email protected]) (Received : 30 June 2020; Accepted : 21 July 2020) SUMMARY Systematic exploration and forage germplasm collection was carried out in three districts namely Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas of West Bengal region of India during October-November 2019. During the exploration, efforts were made to collect the important grasses and legumes of the region. A total of 37 samples of forage importance belonging to 21 species of 17 genera viz. Avena sativa (1 acc.), Bajra napier hybrid (2 acc.), Brachiaria brizantha (1 acc.), Brachiaria mutica (1 acc.), Cenchrus ciliaris (1 acc.), Chloris barbata (4 acc.), Chrysopogon zizanioides (1 acc.), Clitoria ternatea (1 acc.), Coix lacryma-jobi (4 acc.), Digitaria ciliaris (1 acc.), Echinochloa colona (1 acc.), Echinochloa spp. (1 acc.), Eleusine indica (4 acc.), Lablab purpureus (1 acc.), Oplismenus burmannii (1 acc.), Panicum maximum (2 acc.), Pennisetum pedicellatum (2 acc.), Setaria sphacelata (1 acc.), Setaria verticillata (3 acc.), Sorghum bicolor (2 acc.), Sorghum halepense (1 acc.) and Themeda quadrivalvis (1 acc.) were collected. Passport characteristics of forage diversity collected including discussions on fodder availability, deficit and future scope of increasing fodder areas in the state of West Bengal were highlighted in the paper. Key words : Distribution, diversity, forage genetic resources Crops and livestock are the two main respectively in the state. Indian agro-biodiversity is components of mixed farming system, which influence dispersed in five agro-climatic zones, each with distinct agricultural economy and eco-sustainability of the agro ecosystem, having unique gene pools and consists country. The value of livestock in India’s economy of landraces, primitive forms and wild relatives of can be deciphered from the reality that 90 million different crops including forage species. For the farming families, cultivating 140 M ha area, are development of Indian dairy and allied sectors, the keeping 90 million milch animals (FAO 2018). In order forages are often considered as orphan crops and do to feed this large livestock population, there is a severe play an important role. More efforts to explore, collect, fodder and feed deficiency. It is estimated that, there introduce new exotic crops, their evaluation, is a deficit of green fodder and dry fodder to the tune conservation and restoring indigenous resources would of (11.24%) and (23.4%) respectively (Roy et al 2019). be useful in enriching forage gene pool of India. A Similarly, the estimated annual availability of total review of the forage genetic resources activities made concentrate feed is only 61 million tonnes against a in the last 25 years showed that there has been no demand of 96 million tonnes, indicating a deficit of systematic exploration programme on collection, 36% at national level (Anonymous, 2018). Almost all characterisation and conservation of forage genetic the states of the country are under fodder deficit diversity of West Bengal (Sahay et al., 2019) except condition including UTs (Union territories) and West documenting the diversity in grasses of West Bengal Bengal is no exception. West Bengal (WB) is located with reference to their utility (Mitra and Mukherjee, between 21o 31' & 27o 14' North latitude and 85o 91' & 2009). Hence, the objective of the programme was to 89o 53' East longitude. The state has six agro-climatic collect forage crops and their wild relatives from lower zones conducive for cultivation of paddy, wheat, jute, Gangetic plains of West Bengal. vegetables and fruits round the year. But the state has a higher fodder deficit and mostly the feed comes from MATERIALS AND METHODS agricultural residues. Roy et al., 2019 reported a deficit of 43.9% and 25-50% dry fodder and green fodder Planning for exploration including collaborator, FORAGE DIVERSITY IN WEST BENGAL 153 logistics etc. was carried out in advance. GPS and map Bajra Napier hybrid (2 acc.), Brachiaria brizantha, of the area were used to visit different collection sites Brachiaria mutica, Cenchrus ciliaris, Chloris barbata and record the passport information at the site. These (4 acc.), Chrysopogon zizanioides, Coix lacryma-jobi includes location of the site i.e. village, block, district, (4 acc.), Digitaria ciliaris, Echinochloacolona, latitude, longitude, altitude, botanical name of the Echinochloa spp., Eleusine indica (4 acc.), crops collected and description of the site like habitat, Oplismenus burmannii, Panicum maximum (2 acc.), biological status, frequency, breeding system, sample Pennisetum pedicellatum (2 acc.), Setaria sphacelata, type, soil colour, soil texture and topography etc. Three Setaria verticillata (3 acc.), Sorghum bicolor (2 acc.), districts of Gangetic alluvial zone of West Bengal Sorghum halepense and Themeda quadrivalvis) and namely, Murshidabad, Nadia and North 24 Parganas two species of legume fodder viz. Clitoria ternatea were explored during October-November 2019. and Lablab purpureus (Fig. 1). Strategies and methodologies of collection of Hawkes A brief passport data of each taxa consisting (1980) and Arora (1981) were followed. The samples of common name, botanical name, type of material were mainly collected in the form of inflorescence, collected, source of collection, frequency of seeds, live plants and rooted slips. About 50 occurrence, their habit, district/jurisdiction from where inflorescences of each grass species were randomly the sample was collected, latitude and longitude of collected from each site. If considerable variation was the place of collection are mentioned (Table 2). observed than a separate sample was made. In case of vegetatively propagated plants, 10-15 individual root District-wise accessions collected slips were bulked as a single sample. Nadia : A total of 13 genera and 18 species RESULTS AND DISCUSSION comprising Brachiaria brizantha, Brachiaria mutica, Cenchrus ciliaris, Chloris barbata,Clitoria ternatea, During the exploration and collection Coix lacryma-jobi, Digitaria ciliaris, Echinochloa programme, a total of 37 accessions of forage colona, Echinochloa spp., Eleusine indica, germplasm comprising 17 genera belonging to 21 Lablab purpureus, Panicum maximum, Pennisetum species were collected from 18 blocks and 33 villages americanum x Pennisetum purpureum, Pennisetum of the three districts (Murshidabad, Nadia and North pedicellatum, Setaria sphacelata, Setaria verticillata, 24 Parganas) of West Bengal (Table 1). The area is Sorghum bicolor and Sorghum halepense were located between 22o 30’ to 24o 90’ latitude and 87o 57’ collected. to 88o 80’ longitude. Site-wise collection includes farmers’ field (25), farm store (4), garden (3), threshing Murshidabad : Germplasm collection yard (2), waste land (2) and natural wild (2). includes a total of eight genera and eight species. It comprised of Avena sativa, Chloris barbata, Diversity in forage crops collected Chrysopogon zizanioides, Coix lacryma-jobi, Oplismenus burmannii, Pennisetum americanum x The collected forage genetic diversity Pennisetum purpureum, Sorghum bicolor and includes 16 different taxa of grasses (i.e. Avena sativa, Themeda quadrivalvis. TABLE 1 Collection sites visited in three districts of West Bengal S. Districts Blocks Villages No. 1 Nadia Kaliganj, Dhaulia, Sivliganj, Chapra, Chakdignagar, Bahadurpur, Betai, Charatala, Bhimpur, Krishnanagar-II, Ranaghat, Chakdaha Radhagovindpur, Gazna, Narayanpur, Fulia, Aisthala, Payradanga, Kalyani, Nagarkhada, Barajaghali 2 Murshidabad Nabagram, Sagardighi, Jiaganj, Raghunathganj, Sivpur, Gopgram, Narayanpur, Mongram, Prasadpur, MJ block, Bhagawangola, Kandi Taldi, Basbadi, Bhagwangola, Manoharpur, Kuli, Kashigram, Benakar, 3 North 24 Parganas Gaighata, Rajarhat, Barrackpore, Barasat Chandpara, GholBathan, Kesdelpur, Noapara, Malonchoi Total 18 33 154 TYAGI, DIKSHIT, PANI, MARNDI AND SAHAY Pennisetum pedicellatum Setaria verticillata Chrysopogon zizanioides Coix lacryma-jobi Bajra-Napier hybrid Clitoria ternatea Fig 1. Forage diversity of some grasses and legumes collected. North 24-Parganas : Germplasm collection Range grasses : Range grasses are important includes Chloris barbata, Coixlacryma-jobi, Eleusine for livestock population of these districts. These indica and Setaria verticillata. grasses are naturalised and meet seasonal forage requirements. Under this category, a total of 11 Classification of germplasm collected accessions comprising Chloris barbata (4), Pennisetum pedicellatum (2) and one accession each Collected accessions can be categorised of Brachiaria brizantha (1), Brachiaria mutica (1), conveniently into cultivated fodder, range grasses, Cenchrus ciliaris, and Chrysopogon zizanioides and cultivated legumes and minor grasses for better Digitaria ciliaris were collected. understanding of the crop diversity and their importance in fodder crop production. Category-wise Minor grasses : Sixteen accessions of minor plants are as under: grass species were collected. These species are less preferred by the animals. Species in this