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Mountain Agriculture and Crop Genetic Resources 4 3D z 2- IORC Ub. Mountain Agriculture and Crop Genetic Resources Editors K.W. RILEY, N. MATEO, G.C. HAWTIN and R. YADAV OXFORD & IBH PUBLISHING CO. PVT. LTD. New Delhi Bombay INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP on MOUNTAIN AGRICULTURE AND CROP GENETIC RESOURCES (February 16-191987, Kathmandu, Nepal) Organised by: MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, HMG NEPAL INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE (IDRC) and INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR INTEGRATED MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT (ICIMOD) ©1990 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE ISBN 81-204-0472-6 Published by Mohan Primlani for Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., 66 Janpath, New Delhi 110001, typeset at Scanset and printed at Rajbandhu Industrial Co., New Delhi. 1-N9-10 FOREWORD The fundamental characteristic of mountain agriculture in each mountain system throughout the world is its extreme internal variability and complex- ity, with a multiplicity of highly localised micro eco-systems providing the habitats for many unique crop varieties and animal species. This precious diversity of genetic resources, now threatened by a combination of pressures, is clearly one of the key factors in the long-term sustainability of mountain agriculture on marginal lands is often the most difficult and intractable environments. This valuable and vulnerable biological diversity in mountain eco-systems has constituted over the centuries the essential natural asset on which mountain communities have depended for their very survival. This present volume of papers presented by the scientists who participated in a unique International Workshop on Mountain Agriculture and Crop Genetic Resources, held in Kathmandu in February 1987, may be regarded as an important but certainly initial exploration of these highly significant issues in the much-neglected subject of mountain farming systems. Though the Workshop concentrated on these issues in the vast Hindu Kush-Himalaya Region, participation by agricultural scientists from the Andes Mountain in South America and from the mountain systems of Africa and Southeast Asia was a most important, and indeed unique feature of the Workshop discussions which is well reflected in both in the earlier Workshop Summary Report and in this volume providing the full and edited versions of the Workshop papers. The Workshop on which the volume is based was jointly organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC) and by the Ministry of Agriculture of His Majesty's Government of Nepal. From this modest but exciting beginning, major new and very promising initiatives in the field of mountain agriculture are already becoming firmly established. With major funding support from the Asian Development Bank and the Ford Foundation, ICIMOD has been able to mobilise a large-scale international programme of research and policy analysis on mountain farming systems (with the study of crop genetic resources as a key component). This three-year programme is focused primarily on the diverse eco-systems of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya but will increasingly involve the systematic exchange of knowledge and expertise, and desirably of genetic resources, with fellow vi scientists in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. IDRC and ICIMOD have already been able to continue this knowledge exchange, begun at this Workshop, by organising a first study tour in the Andes Mountains by specialists on mountain agriculture from the Himalayas, and supporting these participants at the Andean Crops Network meeting held in Quito, Ecuador in June 1988. It is to be hoped that these vital programmes of international research and information exchange on mountain farming systems will now be rapidly accelerated in the vital interests of mountain communities everywhere. In the meantime, on behalf of the joint sponsors of this most useful Workshop, I would like to express our thanks to all the contributors to this volume of scientific papers - and to all those, most notably to Ken Riley of IDRC Canada, who have worked so hard both in the organisation of the Workshop and in the arduous but rewarding tasks associated with the editing and publication of the papers which are here presented. Colin Rosser Director, ICIMOD PREFACE This book contains the proceedings of a workshop organised in Kathmandu in February 1987, which brought together agricultural scientists working in mountain regions around the world - from the Andes, the Himalaya, and highland areas in East Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, as well as Thailand. The idea of the meeting developed as a result of HMG of Nepal, ICIMOD, and IDRC's interest and experience in mountain agriculture. In the past, IDRC has supported several research and development projects in the high Andes, the Himalayas and Ethiopia. At present, this support is being maintained and even expanded to some extent. ICIMOD's mandate is clearly geared to a better understanding and sustained development of mountain regions. HMG of Nepal is dedicating considerable efforts to the conservation and increased productivity of the vast hill areas of the country. The Workshop opened with descriptions of the broad geographic features and farming systems of each mountain region, then proceeded to the crop genetic resources of a given region and their importance in sustainable and productive mountain farming systems. Tremendous diversity in micro-environments and farming systems, as well as in crops, land races, and varieties grown by farmers in each mountain region was evident. Nevertheless, striking similarities were noted when the various regions were compared. For example, there are many common components in the traditional and originally sustainable farming systems that are now coming under increased pressure due to population growth and land use. The great diversity of crop genetic resources in these mountain regions was recognised as a primary means for improving production and sustainable agricultural systems in mountain regions. The workshop stressed that improved methods of describing these environ- ments, in order to better understand crop adaptation, and more efficient mechanisms of exchanging crop genetic resources, were essential first steps toward effective collaboration among scientists and farmers in these different regions. A step in this direction was taken in June 1988, when a group of Himalayan agricultural scientists participated in the Andean Crops Work- shop in Quito, Ecuador and saw for themselves some of the Andean agricul- tural systems. This book is divided into four sections: 1. The physical features and the farming systems in each of the mountain regions represented. 2. Description of crop genetic resources. 3. Comparison of aspects of Andean, Himalayan and Ethiopian highland agriculture. 4. Summary of discussions and recommendations. Two papers that could not be presented at the workshop are included in this book: 'Potatoes, Genetic Resources and Farmers Strategies' by R.F. Rhoades, and 'Konso Agriculture and Its Plant Genetic Resources' by J.M. Engels. We hope this book will be of use not only to those scientists who attended the workshop, but to all those interested in a more productive and sustainable mountain agriculture. Our deep appreciation is extended to His Excellency Rajouri, Minister of Agriculture, His Majesty's Government, Nepal, for opening the workshop. We are most grateful to Drs. Collin Rosser and colleagues and staff at ICIMOD for developing the workshop schedule and making the excellent arrange- ments for the workshop itself. Dr. Tej Partap of ICIMOD, and Dr. Ken Mackay of IDRC greatly assisted in technical editing. K.W. Riley N. Mateo G. C. Hawtin R. Yadav CONTENTS Foreword : Colin Rosser v Preface vii Introduction : G.C. Hawtin and N. Mateo 1 PART 1: MOUNTAIN PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS AND FARMING SYSTEMS Chapter 1 Environmental Diversity and Its Influence on 9 Farming Systems in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas P.L. Maharajan, B. Bhadra, P. Roy, R.P. Yadav and Zhang Rongsu hapter 2 Agricultural Systems of Xizang 3 Cheng Hong Chapter 3 Mountain Farming Systems in Nepal 51 M.P. Panth and J.C. Gautam Chapter 4 Agriculture in Bhutan 69 D.R. Ghalley Chapter 5 High Mountain Environment and Farming Systems 75 in the Andean Region of Latin America N. Mateo and M. Tapia Chapter 6 Tropical African Mountains and Their Farming 105 Systems Amare Getahun Chapter 7 Mountain Environments and Farming Systems 125 in West Asia and North Africa G.R. Potts and G.C. Hawtin PART 2: MOUNTAIN CROP GENETIC RESOURCES hapter 8 Indigenous Cereal Crop Genetic Resources 47 in Mountain Areas of Pakistan Rashid Anwar and M.S. Bhatti x Chapter 9 Fruit Crop Genetic Resources in the Northern 153 Mountains of Pakistan : Collection and Conservation M.S. Bhatti and Rashid Anwar Chapter 10 Status of Finger Millet in the Mountain 159 Agricultural System of Himachal Pradesh, India Surinder K. Mann and Inderjeet Singh Chapter 11 Exploring Under-exploited Crops of the 165 Himalayan Mountain Agriculture : Chenopods Tej Partap Chapter 12 Crop Genetic Resources of the Nepalese 185 Mountains A.N. Bhattarai, B.R. Adhikary and K.L. Manandhar Chapter 13 Mountain and Upland Agriculture and Genetic 201 Resources in Thailand Chantaboon Sutthi Chapter 14 Konso Agriculture and Its Plant Genetic 217 Resources J.M.M. Engels Chapter 15 Native Andean Crops in the High Mountain 227 Agriculture of Ecuador J. Tola Cevallos, C. Nieto, E. Parolta and R. Castillo Chapter 16 Andean Phytogenetic and Zoogenetic Resources 235 M. Tapia and N. Mateo Chapter
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