Journal of Applied and Natural Science 11(2): 398 - 403 (2019) ISSN : 0974-9411 (Print), 2231-5209 (Online) journals.ansfoundation.org Exploration, collection and conservation of multicrop germplasm from Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India Sheikh M. Sultan* Article Info ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), Regional Station DOI: 10.31018/jans.v11i2.2070 Srinagar -191132 (Jammu and Kashmir), India Received: April 19, 2019 Narender Negi Revised: May 18, 2019 ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), Regional Station Accepted: May 25, 2019 Shimla -171004 (Himachal Pradesh), India Susheel Kumar Raina ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), Regional Station Srinagar -191132 (Jammu and Kashmir), India How to Cite Sultan, S.M. et al. (2019). *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Exploration, collection and conservation of multicrop Abstract germplasm from Kishtwar Systematic exploration and germplasm collection trips were conducted across Kishtwar district of Jammu and district of Jammu and Kashmir state covering Chatroo valley, Padder valley and Kishtwar Kashmir, India. Journal of main including areas of Dachan, Surror, Sarthal, Bhonjwa and Drabshala during 2013, Applied and Natural 2015 and 2018. A total of 113 germplasm accessions belonging to 29 species of crops Science, 11(2): 398 – 403 https://doi.org/10.31018/ and wild relatives from as many as 40 collection sites were collected at altitudes ranging jans.v11i2.2070 from 1340-2670 m. Several areas in Sarthal, Bhonjwa, Dachan and Gulabgarh Padder were first time explored. Crop group wise accessions collected are pulses (39) mostly common beans, cereals (30) mostly maize, vegetables and spices (25), pseudocereals and millets (16), besides one accession each of Glycine max, Solanum pseudocapsicum and Nicotiana tabacum. The germplasm has been conserved in National Gene Bank (NGB), New Delhi. This study highlights information on the germplasm collected/observed and threats leading to biodiversity loss/genetic erosion in the highly fragile region of Kishtwar. Keywords: Conservation, Exploration, Germplasm collection, Kishtwar, Plant genetic resources INTRODUCTION disappear in their natural habitats. Replacement of local varieties/landraces of crops also leads to this Kishtwar, popularly known as the “Land of Sap- genetic erosion. In largely mountainous and fragile phire and Saffron” is an extremely mountainous place of Kishtwar, biodiversity in general and in region with very steep slopes having total forest agricultural fields during last few years has in- area of 58394 hectares rich in forest products. creasingly become vulnerable by developmental Vegetation and climate in the area can broadly be activities like construction of roads and hydroelec- categorized into sub-tropical, temperate and al- tric power projects. Half a dozen hydroelectric pine with wide diversity of fauna and flora. This power projects in the district have lead to dis- valuable biodiversity however is being increasingly placement of several villages. While the threats to threatened nowadays. In general, biodiversity in these resources are growing, the efforts to con- the Himalayas including its distribution and surviv- serve crop genetic diversity are insufficient in the al has been adversely affected by climate change region. There are countless inaccessible pockets and increased anthropogenic pressure (Shrestha in the remote areas where traditional crops and et al., 2012, Yue et al., 2013). The diversity of sev- local varieties/landraces are still being cultivated eral important crops including cereals, pseudo- by the farmers. Therefore, concerted and cereals, millets, pulses etc. likewise, is threatened intensive efforts are required for collection and by rapid urbanization and habitat erosion as well conservation of available crop genetic diversity in as unpredictable and extreme climatic events in- the region. Besides, traditional knowledge associ- cluding increasing frequency of drought, rising ated with the use of old varieties/landraces is rap- temperatures and flooding. Crop diversity in idly vanishing. Hence, exploration, collection and farmer‟s field is diminishing fast and the wild rela- conservation of available crop genetic diversity in tives or „wild cousins‟ of our food crops continue to This work is licensed under Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). © 2018: Author (s). Publishing rights @ ANSF. Sultan, S.M. et al. / J. Appl. & Nat. Sci. 11(2): 398 - 403 (2019) the region is a much better option to safeguard diversity at risk. The present study reports on col- lection expeditions carried out in the years 2013, 2015 and 2018 in different areas of Kishtwar pri- marily to capture crop genetic variability and con- serve the representative germplasm in National Gene Bank for future use. MATERIALS AND METHODS Description of the study area: Kishtwar in Jam- mu province of north western Indian Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir lies at 32°53´ and 34°21´N latitude and 75°1´ and 76° 47´E longitude with an average altitude of 1638 m is the third least populous district after Kargil and Leh having Fig. 1. Map of Jammu & Kashmir state of India. The a total geographical area of 1,644 sq km. The dis- study area of Kishtwar district is marked in color. trict is flanked by lofty Himalayas (Pir Panjal range) from all sides and the entire tract is ex- ing missions were gathered and analyzed with the tremely mountainous, bearing very steep slopes specific aim of better planning of these explora- pierced by deep valleys like Marwah-Wadwan tions. The main sources of germplasm samples of valley, Padder valley and Chatroo valley. The ar- cultivated crops were farmer‟s fields or the thresh- ea is practically devoid of any flat ground except ing yards/farm stores in case the crop had already Kishtwar plateau and Atholi plateau in Padder been harvested. In general, random sampling was valley and is bounded by Kargil district in the followed for field collection and farm stored materi- North, Northeast and East, Himachal Pradesh in al whereas small samples were bulked in case of the South and Anantnag, Ramban and Doda dis- wild species. In a few cases samples were also tricts in the West (Fig. 1). River Chenab is the collected from seed sellers, which made it possi- major river of the district. Famous Synthan pass ble to find out and collect old traditional material. (3,784 m) links Anantnag with Kishtwar. Kishtwar The germplasm of wild species was collected from High Altitude National Park situated in the North of roadsides, on the sides of farmer‟s fields and from Kishtwar between 33°20΄-34º40΄ North latitude rock crevices. At each collecting site a passport and 75 º 40΄-76 º 10΄ East longitudes is spread data sheet was filled in as per standard format over an area of 425 sq. kms harboring 35 villages. (Moss and Guarino, 1995) using data from a hand The area being rural in nature has agriculture -held GPS system that included latitude, longitude based economy. Agriculture is the main source of and altitude of the place of collection. Data were livelihood in the district as in the rest of the state. collected through informed consent semi- It is mostly a mono cropped zone with low produc- structured interviews and questionnaires on tech- tion and productivity. Suitable hill sides are culti- nical information from each person from whom vated after having them terraced into fields. The germplasm samples were collected in the areas major crops grown in the district are maize, pad- surveyed. Each collection was assigned a unique dy, wheat, barley, pulses particularly common collector number. The collected material was de- beans and vegetables. The main fresh fruit pro- posited in the NGB (National Gene Bank) for long duced in the district includes apple, apricot, plum, term conservation. pear and peach and dry fruits produced include mostly walnuts. Saffron is also grown at some RESULTS AND DISCUSSION places. Soil is spodosolic, undulating and prone to A total of 113 germplasm accessions belonging to erosion. The monsoon hardly reaches here and it 29 species of crops and wild relatives from as is due to low average annual precipitation (36.04 many as 40 collection sites across Kishtwar situat- inches/year) that the area has been declared ed between 33°07′-33°34′ N latitude and 75°33′- drought prone consequently making it insufficient 76°11′ E longitude at an altitude ranging from in food grain production; particularly the Marwah- 1340-2670 m were collected during exploration Wardwan area which remains cut off for 5-6 and germplasm collection programmes in 2013, months in a year due to snowfall in winter. 2015 and 2018 (Table 1). Following are the crop Germplasm collection: During the years 2013, group wise germplasm collections: 2015 and 2018, systematic expeditions were con- Cereals: Maize is the most common cereal crop ducted across Kishtwar district covering Chatroo cultivated throughout Kishtwar and a key source valley, Padder valley and Kishtwar main including of food, fodder and livelihood of people. The crop areas of Dachan, Surror, Sarthal, Bhonjwa and is generally grown under rainfed conditions either Drabshala. Prior to that information on region‟s singly or intercropped with pulses particularly flora, agriculture and results from previous collect- common beans. Traditional varieties/landraces of 399 Sultan, S.M. et al. / J. Appl. & Nat. Sci. 11(2): 398 - 403 (2019) Table 1. Plant Genetic