Abstract
Farming communities in traditional agroecosystems have been playing an important role in conserving agricultural diversity. They are not only the custodians but also managers of the crop diversity and maintain the dynamic processes of crop evolution and adaptation, the key elements of sustainable agricultural productions. The Himalayan highlands are important centres of crop plant diversity due to high ecological heterogeneity and high local socio-cultural integrations. The crop genetic diversity of Kumaon Himalaya in Uttarachal State of India has been documented in the present study. Existing crop genetic diversity at inter- and intra-species level was assessed and factors for changes in crop compositions and farming systems during the recent past were studied. Farmer management of rice landrace populations were studied in greater detail. Various benefit enhancing options for farmers from local crop diversity were scrutinized based on farmer perceptions and priorities for efficient management of local crop diversity on-farm and its sustainable utilization for agricultural production.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barrett S.C.H. and Kohn J.R. (1991). Genetic and evolutionary consequences of small population size in plants: implications for conservation. In: Falk D.A. and Holsinger K.E. (eds) Genetics and Conservation of Rare Plants, pp 3–30. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Bisht I.S., Rao K.S., Bhandari D.C., Nautiyal S., Maikhuri R.K. and Dhillon B.S. 2005. A suitable site for in situ (on-farm) management of plant diversity in traditional agro-ecosystems of western Himalaya in Uttaranchal state: a case study. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. in press.
Brown A.H.D. and Brubaker C.L. (2002). Indicators of sustainable management of plant genetic resources: how well we are doing?. In: Engels J.M.M., Ramanatha Rao V., Brown A.H.D. and Jackson M.T. (eds) Managing Plant Genetic Diversity, pp 249–262. CABI Publishing, UK
Brush S.B. (1995). In situ conservation of landraces in centres of crop diversity. Crop Sci. 35: 346–354
Hanski I.A. and Gilpin M.E. (1996). Metapopulation Biology: Ecology, Genetics and Evolution. Academic Press, London
Jarvis D.I., Myer L., Klemick H., Guarino L., Smale M., Brown A.H.D., Sadiki M., Sthapit B. and Hodgkin T. (2000). A Training Guide for In Situ Conservation On-Farm Version. 1. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy
Joshi S.C., Joshi D.R. and Dani D.D. (1983). Kumaon Himalaya: A Geographical Perspective on Resource Development. Gyanodaya Prakashan, Nainital
Khatiwada S.P., Baniya B.K., Rijal D.K., Paudel C.L., Rana R.B., Chaudhary P., Tiwari P.R., Upadhyay M.P., Pandey Y.R. and Mudwari A. (2000). Population genetic structure. Nepal. In: Jarvis D., Sthapit B. and Sears L. (eds) Conserving Agricultural Biodiversity In Situ: A Scientific Basis for Sustainable Agriculture, pp 134–138. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy
Louette D. (2000). Traditional management of seed and genetic diversity: what is a landrace?. In: Brush S.B. (eds) Genes in the Field: On-Farm Conservation of Crop Diversity, pp 109–142. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL, USA
Maikhuri R.K., Rao K.S. and Saxena K.G. (1996). Traditional crop diversity for sustainable development of Central Himalayan agroecosystems. Int. J. Sustainable World Ecol. 3: 8–31
Maikhuri R.K., Semwal R.L., Rao K.S. and Saxena K.G. (1997). Eroding traditional crop diversity imperils the sustainability of agriculture systems in central Himalaya. Curr. Sci. 73: 777–782
Maikhuri R.K., Rao K.S. and Semwal R.L. (2001). Changing scenario of Himalayan agroecosystems: loss of agrobiodiversity, an indicator of environmental change in Central Himalaya, India. Environmentalist 21: 23–29
Martin G.J. (1995). Ethnobotany. 'People and Plants' Conservation Manual Series. Chapman and Hall, London
Palni L.M.S., Maikhuri R.K. and Rao K.S. 1998. Conservation of the Himalayan agroecosystems: issues and priorities. In: Eco-regional Cooperation for Biodiversity Conservation in the Himalaya. UNDP, New York, pp. 253–290.
Singh J.S., Pandey U. and Tiwari A.K. (1984). Man and forests: a Central Himalayan case study. Ambio 13: 80–87
Tripp R. 2000. Strategies for Seed System Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Study of Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Working paper No. 2, Socio-economic policy programme, ICRISAT, Patencheru, India.
Zimmerer K.S. (1996). Changing Fortunes: Biodiversity and Peasant Livelihood in the Peruvian Andes. University of California Press, Berkeley
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bisht, I.S., Mehta, P.S. & Bhandari, D.C. Traditional Crop Diversity and its Conservation on-Farm for Sustainable Agricultural Production in Kumaon Himalaya of Uttaranchal State: A Case Study. Genet Resour Crop Evol 54, 345–357 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-005-5562-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-005-5562-5