Conservation of farmers’ varieties: Scenario, shortcomings and strategies Singh Anita*, Chaudhary H.K. Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176062, Himachal Pradesh, India *Corresponding author email id: singhadr@yahoo.com
Abstract Indigenous farmers’ varieties (FVs) of various crops represent a stunning diversity in taste, aroma, nutrition, pest-resistance and adaptability to diverse agroclimatic conditions. However, these attributes of FVs are often being forgotten because of the obsession for yield which is also leading to the loss of indigenous traditional knowledge related to them. The advent of so-called modernization in agriculture along with other factors like habitat fragmentation, over-exploitation, change in land use, population growth and climate change has led to a catastrophic loss of these varieties. Now-a-days, the conservation and sustainable utilization of indigenous FVs, which contribute immensely to the plant genetic resources and genetic diversity, has gained regional, national and global importance. This article reviews the emerging concerns about the conservation of indigenous FVs and reports the major steps taken in this direction at global, national and regional level in Himachal Pradesh along with the major shortcomings involved. Some of the strategies required for effective conservation and sustainable utilization of FVs have also been highlighted. A step in this direction would help in reviving food, taste, nutrition, culture and sustainability. Top Keywords Conservation, Farmers’, Varieties, Genebanks, Indigenous Traditional knowledge, Sustainability. Top |