Evaluation of crop wild relatives from Lahaul valley, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Improving domesticated crops using wild relatives is a sustainable and cost-effective solution for human welfare problems. The study provides a promising source of accessed plants, explored during the survey in four different sites viz Kardang, Piyukar, Gumrang and Yurnath present in Keylong region, district Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. To observe the species abundance in different locations, present study was conducted in 2017 and 2018 within an elevation range above 3000m. Species richness and Shannon diversity value (0-4.5) was maximum observed in Piyukar village (2.35; 2. 43), followed by Gumrang (2.32; 2.32), Yurnath (2.26; 2.19) and Kardang (1.91; 2.01). The largest population density of species was recorded as E. semicostatus (34.40 plants/m2), E. repens (33.20 plants/m2), E. dahuricus (32.20 plants/m2), E. longiaristatus (20.00 plants/m2) and Poa annua (18.20 plants/m2). These regions are well known for medicinal properties, but numerous wild relatives for domesticated crops found during germplasm cum exploration survey such as wheat wild grass (Elymus semicostatus, E. repens and E. dahuricus), condiments (Carum carvi and Ferulajaes chkeana), tribal food (Chenopodium foliosum, Dioscora deltoidea and Hyppophea rhamnoides) and fruits (Ribes alpestris and Fragaria vesca). The study drew the attention of plant researchers toward conservation and kept these plants in the pipeline of crop breeding.