Principal Investigator : Dr. Anand Singh Jeena, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar

Co-Principal Investigator : Dr. H.S. Chawla

Contact details:

Email : dr [dot] asjeena [at] gmail [dot] com  Mob No. : +91-7500241511

Thrust Area : Sustainable Agriculture & Bio-farming

Project Area : Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Chamoli & Rudraprayag Districts of Uttarakhand

The project involves generation of morpho-physiological characteristic features of the strains collected from the farmers of different geographical regions. The indigenous strains will be purified and identification of parameters for its distinctiveness, study of uniformity and stability of characters will be done. The purified and characterized strains will be conserved on farm (in-situ) and off farm (ex-situ) by the farmers group and University, respectively. The in-situ conservation will be done by involving NGO’s working in close vicinity of the farmers having those strains. As the Government of India has spelt in the Act that farmers’ varieties will also be registered so that benefits can be given to the conservers of our bio-resources. With the registration of farmers’ varieties, nobody can use our precious bio-resources without benefit sharing. The project will develop model system so that farmers can adopt this and get benefit from further registration of their varieties. No cash flow is expected from this project but in the long run the farmers are expected to earn royalty from the genetic material which they have nurtured and conserved with important genes. Once the farmers strains are purified, characterized and registered with NBPGR or/and PPV&FR Authority, the university will phase out from the area and the collaborating NGO’s will take care of the farmers group and in-situ conservation activities. However, university will continue the pre-breeding work so that the identified strains may be utilized in the crop improvement programme and benefits will be delivered to the farming community.

Click to View  OBJECTIVELY VERIFIABLE INDICATORS (144 Kb)

Objective:

• Survey, collection, purification and improvement of land races of cereals, millets, pulses, vegetable crops and ornamentals from target areas.
• Evaluation and characterization of strains for identification of specific distinguishable traits by morphological characters and biochemical and molecular techniques.
• In-situ conservation of identified strains (germplasm) by the community groups at the farmers’ field and ex-situ conservation at Pantnagar Centre for Plant Genetic Resources (PCPGR), respectively for future use and benefit sharing.
• Registration of germplasm lines having rare traits of quality and resistance with NBPGR, Delhi and protection by registration of farmers’ varieties with PPV&FR Authority, Delhi as per Govt. of India norms.
• Evolving a suitable mechanism of benefit sharing for the farmers whose pre-breeding lines were involved in breeding superior varieties.

Progress:

• Appointment of Project Coordinator
• Appointment of three Field Assistants
• Regular explorations to different sites (Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, and Chamoli districts) at monthly intervals
• Total 619 accessions collected
• Evaluation and characterization of strains for identification of specific distinguishable traits by morphological characters
• Collections of barnyard millet, soybean, lentil grown at PCPGR field for purification.
• 19 morphological characters in Barnyard millet, 7 in lentil were recorded.
• Genomic DNA of 26 Barnyard accessions has been isolated.
• Ex-situ conservation at Pantnagar Centre for Plant Genetic Resources (PCPGR), respectively for future use and benefit sharing.
• 619 farmers' strains collected.
• 73(Soybean), 26(Barnyard millet), 46(Lentil) farmers' strains purified.
• 61 barnyard millet accessions and 46 lentil accessions were evaluated along with reference varieties.
• 619 germplasm lines stored ex-situ at PCPGR
• 28,22,42,23 farmers participated at Kisan Gosthies and Farmers training of village Gangolihat, Himkarki, Narayanbagar, Gadora respectively.
• 25,30,40,48 farmers participated at Kisan Gosthies and Farmers training of village Dharadi, Jothada, Lohajang, Mandal respectively.