Division of Plant Exploration and Germplasm Collection

• Exploration for collection of germplasm of agri-horticultural crops, maintenance of herbarium, biosystematics studies, geo-informatics study and assessment of diversity and ethnobotanical studies

• Since inception (to as on  June 30, 2020), a total of 2,77,867 accessions comprising of cultivated (2,09,321) and wild species (37,311) have been assembled through 2,774 explorations conducted by ICAR-NBPGR Regional Stations/Base centres in collaboration with ICAR crop-based institutes, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Krishi-Vigyan Kendra and other stakeholders, including explorations undertaken outside India (Table 1).
• Crop-group wise accessions assembled include cereals (60,867), vegetables (54,668), millets and minor millets (22,695), pulses (41,633), oilseeds (25,368), fruit crops (14,133), pseudocereals (7,365), fibres and allied crops (5,577), fodder and grasses (2,005), medicinal and aromatic plants/spices and condiments (27,997), others ( 15,559).
• 24,263 herbarium specimens (of 4,347 species 1,541 genera and 267 families) include cultivated taxa, wild/ weedy relatives, native and exotic introduced species represent in NHCP; besides, seed and carpological samples of plant genetic resources as complementary collections. Digital herbarium holdings of over 4,000 species (~8,000 images).
• Geo-referencing of collected germplasm accessions done in 15 crops includes, rice (44,898), wheat (11,387), maize (8,375), pigeonpea (5,906), sesame (4,801), brinjal (5,374), sorghum (11,148), pearl millet (6,455), tomato (1,167), blackgram (5,806)  and minor millets (15,628).
• Compiled information on 336 species (belonging to 217 genera and 81 families) of wild leafy vegetables occurring in North Eastern Hill Region (NEH), India.
• Prioritized 100 crop wild relatives (CWR) of agri-horticultural crops for future exploration and germplasm collection.
• Organized ICAR-sponsored short-course on Crop Wild Relatives: Identification, Collecting and Utilization for young scientists from NARS during August, 2015.
• Organized International Training Programme on “Herbarium Management” sponsored by Directorate of Seed Testing and Certification, Ministry of Agriculture, Baghdad, Republic of Iraq, July, 2019.
• Organised three workshops on “Augmentation and Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya” at Guwahati, Assam; Tura, Garo Hills, Meghalaya during September, 2018 and at Naharlagun, Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh during June, 2019, to create awareness on PGR conservation among different stake holders of these states.

Special exploration missions executed

Rescue missions

• Cyclone-hit areas (1999-2000) and flood-affected areas (2008) in Odisha
• Tehri dam catchment areas (2000) and natural calamity affected areas (2013) in Uttarakhand
• Earthquake-hit areas of Kutch (Gujarat, 2001)
• Sardar Sarovar and adjoining catchment areas (Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, 2001-2003)

Explorations in diversity-rich areas

• North Eastern Region (Special drive, 2011-13 and 2016-2019)
• Majuli river island and Char areas of Brahmaputra basin  (Assam, 2000-2003)
• Lohit and other districts of Arunachal Pradesh (2000, 2015-19)
• Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu, 2000-2001)
• Eastern Ghats (Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, 2001-2003)
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Special drive, 2003 and 2018-20)
• Valley of Flowers (Uttarakhand, 2000)

Difficult/disturbed areas explored

Emphasized on collecting germplasm from various remote/ tribal inhabited, disturbed and under-explored areas:

• Long duration (45 days) exploration in Great Nicobar, Southern tip of country (A&N),
• Nyoma Block -Leh(>3500m) (Ladakh), Lahual & Spiti (Himachal Pradesh),
• Gurej valley, Zanskar, Simthen pass, Kistwar incl. National Park (J&K),
• Urgam & Niti valleys in Chamoli and  Darma valley in Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand)
• Anini, Anjaw, Changlang and Upper Siyang (Yinkiyong) districts bordering to China and Myanmar (Arunachal Pradesh)
• Mon, Kiphire, Tuensang and Zunhoboto districts  (Nagaland)
• Saiha and Lawngtlai districts bordering to Myanmar  (Mizoram)
• Garo, Khasi and Jaintia  Hills (Meghalaya)
• Tribal dominated areas, Bodoland (Assam)
• Gadchiroli district (Maharashtra)
• Bastar, Sukma and Konta areas  (Chhattisgarh)
• Malkangiri hills (Odisha)
• Patalkot area (Madhya Pradesh)
• South-24 Parganas and Sunderban areas (West Bengal)

Notable/trait-specific germplasm collected

• Orange-fleshed (carotenoid-rich) cucumber  from Manipur and Mizoram; brown-netted cold tolerant cucumber from Meghalaya
• Scented ash gourd from Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Tripura; small seeded, linear-elongate ash gourd from Manipur 
• Extremely pungent bird’s eye chilli from Mizoram and Nagaland
• Long boll (11.1 cm) tree cotton (Gossypium arboreum) from Mizoram; light brown-linted (naturally coloured) tree cotton from Tripura
• Scented sponge gourd from Tripura
• Maize for popcorn having cylindrical, thin and conical-shaped cobs from Nagaland
• Yellow-fleshed watermelon from Anjaw, Arunachal Pradesh
• Cut-leaf mustard (Brassica juncea subsp. integrifolia) from Arunachal Pradesh
• Very tasty French bean ‘Keshwan rajma’ from  Kistwar (Jammu & Kashmir)
• Spineless bael from Jaunpur, scented flowered ber (Ziziphus sp.) having higher stone to pulp ratio (M/V) from Mirjapur/Vindhyachal hill in Uttar Pradesh
• Drought/terminal heat tolerant wheat landraces (Kharchia, lal gehun, Wazia, Khattia) from   areas adjoining to southern Thar Desert in Rajasthan.
• Of the total 4,481 rice landraces collected, some distinct landraces include:
• Rare and deep-water landraces (Batu, Indi, Mia, Dol, Jul, Dhepa, Tulsi, Dubari, Ikarasali and Dhusuri) from Assam; flood prone landraces (Anjani, Bailer, Bapu londava, Bhansalot, Brahma, Chakava, Chourasia, Dhania dhan, Dindhawa, Gadapuri, Gajraj, Gadaria, Ghar bharanva, Indrasan, Kala gainda, Kala namak, Karangi, Lalmati, Majhahva, Mansada, Masuliha, Mehi, Motki masuri, Mungphalia, Radha dhan, Ram dhan, Ram kazara, Ranikazara, Sambha, Santokhia, Sanger, Shankhar, Shyam jeera, Shyam mansuri, Zadan and Tinni) from Eastern Uttar Pradesh;
• Cold tolerant rice landraces (Lahi, K.Botha, Sikota Lahi and Dal Boradhan) from Arunachal Pradesh; and good-to-taste landrace Signal  and  Khaya Nache  from Tripura;
• Salt tolerant rice landraces (Getu, Nonabokra, Kharvi, Khushbu Kharvi, Krishna Talmugur, Darsal, Marisal, Kalo moto, Hamar dhan, Ashfal dhan, Dudheswar) from Sundarbans, West Bengal;
• Early maturing drought-tolerant rice landrace ‘Sathee’ (60 days) from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand

New and rare species/distribution recorded

• Tubocapsicum anomalum a wild sp./ allied to chilli collected first time from Arunachal Pradesh
• Sauropus androgynus (potential perennial leafy vegetable) and  Maclura cochinchinensis-(wild edible fruit) from Arunachal Pradesh; and Stixis sauveolens (wild edible fruit) from Mizoram are first time collected
• Herpetospermum operculatum (distributed in India, Myanmar and China), used as leafy vegetable in Nagaland described as a new species.
• New distribution/ occurrence recorded: Luffa echinata from Haryana, Hystrix duthie from J&K; Cucumis javanicus from Meghalaya; Solanum diphyllum from Delhi and Andhra Pradesh; Allium fasciculatum, Tubocapsicum anomalum and Vigna angularis var. nipponensis from Arunachal Pradesh.
• New recorded uses include, Plukenetia corniculata as leafy vegetable from Assam and Nagaland; Cucumis metulifer (wild) fruits as vegetable from Darjeeling and Canna indica  tuber as  vegetable from Sikkim; Abelmoschus manihot ssp. tetraphyllus (wild) as clearing agent in jaggery industry is under cultivation in Terai region of Uttarakhand
• Rare and endangered economic species collected include Citrus ichangensis from Nagaland, Trichosanthes truncata from Arunachal Pradesh, T. himalensis from Sikkim, T. cordata from Manipur and Assam and Gymnopetalum wightii from southern Western Ghats.

Crop wild relatives collected first time

• Elymus spp. / Leymus spp./Hordeum  (153 accs.) belonging to wheat and barley from Leh and Kargil (J&K); Aegilops tauschii – progenitor of D genome of wheat, from Srinagar
• Rhynchosia himalensis belonging to pigeon pea, Trichosanthes dicoelosperma belonging to snake gourd, and Fagopyrum gracilipes belonging to buckwheat from Anjaw district (Arunachal Pradesh);
• Cajanus cajanifolia (endemic) belonging to pigeon pea from Bailadilla range  (Chhattisgarh)
• Weedy type Perilla frutescence  belonging to perilla  from foothills  of Uttarakhand
• Vigna angularis var. nipponensis  belonging to Adzuki bean from Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh

Documentation of information on Indigenous Knowledge

• Crotalaria tetragona ‘Tum-thang’: tribals in Mizoram, sale and use its flowers for garnishing local food preparations especially non-vegetarian dishes.
• Bidens pilosa- leaves are used in preparation of local tea ‘Ladakhi tea’ ‘Jya’ in Ladakh region. This plant was seen under cultivation in Nubra Valley, Ladakh.
• Hodgsonia heteroclita (Cucurbitaceae) ‘Kathai’ (gathered during exploration from parts of Manipur). Seed/Kernel used as food and medicine by several tribal communities.
• Abelmoschus manihot var. tetraphyllus cultivated as organic clearant in Uttarakhand.
• Aaho rice landrace and foxtail millet used for preparing a traditional beverage “Jumin” by Nocte tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Processing technique of coriander landraces (Kumbhraj, Mithi dhana and Kudi dhana) to retain green colour and aroma in dried seed of coriander for use in beverages industry from Guna in Madhya Pradesh.

Impact of Germplasm Collection Activity

• The exploration and germplasm collection activity has resulted into conservation of a large number of diversity (~1218) of crops/species from different part of the country. It forms basic material for breeding and improvement of crops and to meet food and nutritional security. Collected germplasm has been conserved, while greater part of it has either eroded or become vulnerable in areas of occurrence.
• Collaboration with stakeholders (crop based ICAR-Institutes, SAUs, KVKs) have mutually benefited by sharing germplasm, enriching knowledge on landraces/ local material and updating diversity status of species/crops in areas/habitats.
• Biodiversity/farmers fairs and awareness programmes have created awareness on conservation of agro-biodiversity in tribal dominated and remote areas covering ~25,000 farmers of 4,875 villages. Live demonstrations and publications have further enhanced the awareness on importance of crops genetic resources and need for conservation. During explorations, the farmers were explained about importance of germplasm and consequences of its loss.
• Over 1,500 scientists, researchers and students have been benefited from taxonomic and systematic knowledge through visit to National Herbarium of Cultivated Plants and various services provided by it.

Table1: Explorations carried out by ICAR-NBPGR in different countries

• Dr KC Bhatt, Principal Scientist awarded ISPGR Fellow in 2017 by The Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources, ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi 
• Dr K Pradheep, Principal Scientist awarded ‘Harbhajan Singh Memorial Award’ by Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding for outstanding work in the exploration, collection and identification of useful germplasm of economic importance during for the triennium 2008-2010.
• Dr. K Pradheep, Principal Scientist, awarded with “Dr. RS Paroda young scientist Award (2015)” by Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources (ISPGR), New Delhi.

• Collection of germplasm of priority crop(s)/species based on assessment and analysis of diversity augmented, in collaborative mode.
• Collection of trait-specific germplasm for biotic, abiotic stresses and other quality parameters.
• Exploration in priority areas such as diversity rich pockets, inaccessible and difficult terrains, tribal and under-explored areas.
• Geo-referencing and mapping of collected diversity using Geographical Information System (GIS).
• Build-up the herbarium specimens and their digitization.
• Taxonomic and biosystematic studies in native taxa using morphological tools.
• Survey, collection and assessment of in-situ on-farm crop diversity.
• Human resource development through (teaching/ training) and awareness generation to wide users.