ICAR-NBPGR RS, Shimla

This Regional Station of the NBPGR erstwhile regional centre of Plant Introduction Division of IARI, New Delhi was came into existence on 10.3.1960 with the acquisition of 6.80 ha land at PHAGLI, SHIMLA , Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 31.5 N, and 77.5 E at an elevation of 1924 msl, 4 Km away from Shimla Railway Station and 1.0 km from Bus stand. Dr. S.A. Dadlani was the first scientist who joined the centre as Assistant Botanist and started PGR activities. In 1976, the NBPGR came into existence and centre became its part and re-designated as Regional Station with the following mandate

Acquisition and management of indigenous and exotic plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and to carry out related research and human resource development for sustainable growth of agriculture in North-Western Indian Himalayan Region

• Undertaken 175 explorations and assembled 15,720 accessions of different crops and their wild relatives while introduced 4465 accessions of different temperate crops from over 26 countries. Important germplasm collected include Cicer microphyllum (drought and cold tolerant); Malus baccata (resistance to collar rot, root rot and woolly aphid); Phaselous coccineus (resistant to anthracnose, yellow and common bean mosaic); Carthamus lanatus (hardy and vigorous growing); Linum perenne (tolerant to cold and drought); Cucumis hardwickii (resistant to powdery mildew and fruit fly); Momordica dioica (prolific bearer, drought hardy); Fagopyrum cymosum (tolerant to lodging, resistant to phoma blight); Vigna vexillata (cold tolerant, resistance to Ascochyta blight); Solanum insanum (resistant to fruit and shoot borer); Diospyros lotus (prolific bearer, some are seedless, very good rootstock and breeding material for D. kaki); Actinidia callosa (prolific bearer, promising breeding material for cultivated kiwi) and many other unique landraces and other rare germplasm of different crops.
• The station has done pioneering work in the introduction and popularization of new crops species such as quinoa, hops, kiwi fruit, non-astringent persimmon, pecan nut, pineapple guava, chinese ber, adzuki bean, comfrey, tree tomato and pepino.
• Characterized and evaluated 11,185 accessions of different temperate crops, and have identified over 1500 elite germplasm accessions for single trait and more than 250 for multiple traits. Germplasm has also been screened for biotic (pea against powdery mildew; kidney bean against anthracnose and rice against rice blast in sick plots), abiotic and quality attributes. Core collections are being developed in common bean and grain amaranth.
• The station has developed and released seven varieties viz., 'Annapurna' and 'Durga' of grain amaranth; 'Himpriya' and ‘Himgiri’ of buckwheat; ‘Himshakti’ of rice bean; ‘HPU-51’ of adzuki bean and ‘Himbathua’ of chenopod while eight genetic stocks have been registered for various unique traits while around 20 are in the registration process. Six farmer’s varieties have also been submitted to PPV&FRA, New Delhi for registration.
• Germplasm comprising 12,294 germplasm accessions of different agri-horticultural crops in the Medium Term Storage (MTS) and 1224 accessions in the Field Gene Bank 
• Germplasm comprising around 56000 samples of promising germplasm accessions in the form of seed/live plant/cutting have been supplied to the researchers and farmers in India and abroad.
• Production technologies has been standardized and published for the cultivation of grain amaranth, buckwheat, chenopod, kidney bean, ginger lily, Roscoea, valeriana, pineapple guava and kiwi fruit.
• The database containing information of the passport data, characterization and evaluation data, status of germplasm being maintained in the MTS and field gene bank, supply of germplasm and traditional knowledge on different plants has been maintained in MS Access.
• Over 200 research papers, popular articles, monographs and books have been published.
• Under capacity building, >150 trainings, brainstorming sessions and awareness programmes for scientists, extension workers and farmers including women have been organized at various levels. Field days have also been organized on different crops for the benefit of plant breeders and other researchers.
• The station is one of the NAGS for pseudocereals, kidney bean and temperate fruits and has the credit of maintaining highest number of germplasm accessions of grain amaranth, buckwheat, chenopod, kidney bean, adzuki bean, walnut, hazelnut, pecan nut, Rosa species, and Pyrus species in India.
• Several new initiatives include (i) in situ on-farm conservation of minor crops and landraces of rice, maize, barley and kidney bean; (ii) climate change impact assessment studies on PGR diversity, floral diversity, species compositions and cropping patterns in the temperate region; and (iii) biodiversity conservation and sustainable community development for the livelihood security in fragile ecosystems of Western Himalaya. 

1. Assessment and documentation of agriculturally important Plant Genetic Resources of the Western Himalaya with special focus on Himachal Pradesh
2. Exploration and collection of germplasm of important hill crops including traits specific germplasm and crops wild relatives.
3. Introduction and exchange of germplasm of important temperate crops
4. Characterization and evaluation of germplasm to identify trait specific subsets of germplasm for various economic traits including development of core collections
5. Registration of unique germplasm at NBPGR and farmer’s varieties at PPV & FRA, New Delhi. 
6. Conservation of germplasm in various conservation facilities viz. LTS, MTS, cryo and in vitro at NBPGR HQ.
7. Supply of germplasm to researchers and farmers for enhanced utilization 
8. Capacity Building in PGR Management
9. On-farm conservation vis-à-vis livelihood and nutritional security in the fragile ecosystems of mountains
10. Understanding the response and impacts of climate change on agriculturally important plant biodiversity
11. All India Coordinated Research Network on Potential crops