Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers State of Forest Genetic Resources Conservation and Management in India by R.P.S. Katwal, R.K. Srivastva, S. Kumar and V. Jeeva Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education 2003 Forest Resources Development Service Working Paper FGR/65E Forest Resources Division FAO, Rome, Italy Disclaimer The Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers report on issues and activities in related to the conservation, sustainable use and management of forest genetic resources. The purpose of these papers is to provide early information on on-going activities and programmes and to stimulate discussion. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Quantitative information regarding the status of forest resources has been compiled according to sources, methodologies and protocols identified and selected by the author, for assessing the diversity and status of genetic resources. For standardized methodologies and assessments on forest resources, please refer to FAO, 2003. State of the World’s Forests 2003; and to FAO, 2001. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 (FRA 2000). FAO Forestry Paper No 140. Official information can also be found at the FAO Internet site (http://www.fao.org/forestry/Forestry.asp). This paper is based on a country report prepared for the Asia Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Programme (APFORGEN) Inception Workshop, held at Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 15-18 July 200. The Workshop was organized by the Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI) and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), Regional Office for Asia, the Pacific and Oceania, in technical collaboration with FAO. The proceedings of the workshop, including this paper, will be published in “Proceedings of the Asia Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Programme (APFORGEN) Inception Workshop, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 15-18 July, 2003” and available on line at: “http://www.apforgen.org/”. Comments and feedback are welcome. For further information please contact: Pierre Sigaud, Forestry Officer (Forest Genetic Sim Heok-Choh, Ph.D. Resources) Executive Director Forestry Department APAFRI Secretariat FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla c/o Forest Research Institute Malaysia 00100 Rome, Italy Kepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur Fax: + 39 06 570 55 137 Malaysia Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] For quotation: Katwal, R.P.S., Srivastva, R.K., Kumar, S. and Jeeva, V. 2003. State of Forest Genetic Resources Conservation and Management in India. Forest Genetic Resources Working Papers, Working Paper FGR/65E. Forest Resources Development Service, Forest Resources Division. FAO, Rome. TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................1 2. STATUS OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN INDIA.................................................................1 3. NATIONAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMMES AND MANAGEMENT OF FGR.....................2 4. ROLE OF THE INDIAN COUNCIL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN CONSERVATION OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES ......................................................................5 4.1. International Forest Genetic Resource Programme ..........................................................................6 5. PRESENT LEVEL OF PRODUCTION AND USE OF GENETICALLY SUPERIOR PROPAGULES .................................................................................................................................................6 6. FUTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPERIOR PROPAGULES...........................................................7 7. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN GENETIC RESOURCES ....................................................8 7.1. Provenance trials .................................................................................................................................10 7.2. Seed orchards .......................................................................................................................................11 7.3. Seed production areas.........................................................................................................................11 7.4. Vegetative propagation and establishment of clonal banks ..........................................................11 7.5. Tissue culture for mass propagation.................................................................................................12 7.6. Seed bank and seed exchange............................................................................................................12 8. ACCESS TO GENETIC RESOURCES...................................................................................................12 8.1. Plant Breeders’ rights..........................................................................................................................12 8.2. Acts of the Government......................................................................................................................13 8.2.1. Forest Acts.....................................................................................................................................13 8.2.2. Wildlife Protection Acts ..............................................................................................................13 9. STATUS OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN INDIA..................................................................................13 9.1. Conservation and cultivation strategies for medicinal plants.......................................................15 10. BAMBOO DIVERSITY IN INDIA .......................................................................................................15 10.1. Need for collection and conservation of germplasm....................................................................16 10.2. Strategies for conservation ...............................................................................................................16 11. FORESTRY EXTENSION.......................................................................................................................18 12. TRAINING................................................................................................................................................19 13. CONSTRAINTS TO FORESTRY RESEARCH ..................................................................................19 13.1. Lack of funding for tree improvement programmes....................................................................19 13.2. Mobilization of funds in the past ....................................................................................................19 14. CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................................................................21 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................................22 APPENDICES.................................................................................................................................................24 Appendix 1. State-wise seed production areas of various species ..................................................25 Appendix 2. List of priority species for conservation, improvement or seed procurement (FAO- coordinated activities) ...........................................................................................................................29 Appendix 4. Priority species for different agro-climatic regions in India......................................32 Appendix 5. Priority species for different zones / regions in India................................................33 Appendix 6. Level and nature of threats to the integrity of populations of important tree species in India .......................................................................................................................................35 TABLES TABLE 1. ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT PLANT DIVERSITY IN INDIA AS IDENTIFIED IN THE IV INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ETHNOBIOLOGY, LUCKNOW, INDIA, 1994 .............................. 1 TABLE 2. BIOSPHERE RESERVES IN INDIA ............................................................................................. 3 TABLE 3. NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN INDIA.................................................. 4 TABLE 4. PROJECTED QUANTITY OF SEEDS NEEDED FOR TREE PLANTING ACTIVITIES IN INDIA, INCLUDING IMPROVED SEEDS ........................................................................................................ 7 TABLE 5. PRIORITY SPECIES FOR DIFFERENT STATES FOR THE PLANTING STOCK IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME................................................................................................................................... 9 TABLE 6. STATE-WISE PLANTING STOCK IMPROVEMENT AREAS FOR PRIORITY SPECIES UNDER ICFRE ............................................................................................................................................. 9 TABLE 7. PROVENANCE TRIALS ESTABLISHED BY