Other States - Orissa   

Efforts on to preserve indigenous variety of wild fruits

BHUBANESWAR: At a time when markets are flooded with high-commercial valued fruits such as apple, orange and strawberry, scientists here have embarked upon a unique programme to preserve wild fruits by collecting their germplasms.

“Very little has been done to exploit the genetic resources of these wild fruits which is all the more essential in the face of a severe genetic erosion and disappearance of useful species as a result of forest degradation, developmental activities, urbanisation and intensive agriculture,” Chief Executive Officer of Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC) Ajay Mohapatra said.

The Chief Executive Officer of RPRC said attempt had also been made to domesticate and bring in to cultivation most of these wild plant species over the years which served as valuable germplasm materials for crop improvement programmes and contribute significantly to the economy of the rural and tribal people.

RPRC is trying to develop its collection of germplasm into a resource base for further research including development of package of practices for cultivation, propagation, improvement and utilisation.

The conservation programme recently got underway with plantation of 120 saplings of wild fruits, berries, nuts of 45 plant species collected from wild in a newly set up germplasm garden.

It would further augmented by collection of new species from adjoining states.

Once fully established, it would be the largest wild fruit gene-pool of Asia, Mr. Mohapatra said.

“Assessment of nutritional and therapeutic value through biochemical analysis and bioassay process will be taken up which could lead to commercial cultivation of such plants for higher return,” he said. Of the roughly estimated 3,000 species of higher plants, about 120-150 species of wild edible fruit plants occur in different vegetation types of Orissa, said P.C.Panda, senior scientist in taxonomy and conservation division.

“These fruits not only provide nutritious food but also stable income to the tribals and poor people living in the forests and remote villages.

Quite often, they serve as famine insurance during scarcity years by providing edible fruits, firewood and fodder. Many of these fruits are nutritionally very rich and of great medicinal value,” Mr. Panda said.

Scientists have started work on fruits including beta (Calamus), bhaincha (Flacourtia), sagadabatua and jamu (Syzygium), kendu (Diospyros melanoxylon), bara and kantei koli (Ziziphus), khajuri (Phoenix), khirakoli (Carissa spinarum) and nara koli (Phyllanthus acidus).

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