Lalbagh Botanical Gardens’ green wealth — around 900 genera and over 2,500 plant species — has earned it the moniker ‘Kew of India’.

As the Horticulture Department continues to increase the green cover in the garden, keeping a record of the number of plant and trees, details of the species, the botanical names, and their exact location in the garden has become increasingly difficult. The solution is a digital repository.

To help keep a detailed record of the plant wealth, the department has now tied up with taxonomists from the city to create a digital repository of the plants.

“The project, called the Plant Wealth project of Lalbagh, was initiated six months ago. With the help of professor Ravi Kumar, a taxonomist, and three other scientists, we will be creating a digital record of the plants in Lalbagh,” said M. Jagadeesh, Joint Director (Parks and Gardens).

Under the project, which will take another eight months to be completed, the plants will be identified and named according to their place of origin, species, and their flowering season. “Once the survey is over, the digitisation process will begin. Global Positioning Systems will be set up to locate the plants in the garden. The system will help us identify the plant species and its location,” said Mr. Jagadeesh, and added that while the project would make the department’s work of managing the largest green space in the city easy, it would also give information to the public.

“After documentation, we are planning to bring out an illustrative book on the plant wealth in Lalbagh. Also, an index book will be created where the names of all plants will be written in alphabetical order with relevant information. We are planning to create an mobile application as well, which can be used by the visitors to locate and learn about the plants in Lalbagh,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – December 08th, 2018

At a time when concerns are being expressed over the shrinking gene pool of native paddy varieties, known for their unique taste, aroma and medicinal qualities, the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga, has achieved significant strides in their conservation by establishing a seed bank and a museum.

The seed bank established at the UAHS, Shivamogga, is the repository of 190 native paddy varieties. Not only are these seeds offered to interested farmers for free, the information on their cultivation is also provided by experts.

S. Pradeep, director of the Organic Farming Research Centre of the university, told The Hindu that the paddy varieties suggested differ from one agro-climatic zone to another. The flood-resistant varieties, including ‘Nereguli’ and ‘Yeedikuni’, are prescribed for farmers who have land on river banks that swell during monsoon, while for farmers who cultivate paddy under rain-fed method, the drought-resistant varieties are given.

The work of conservation of native paddy varieties commenced with the establishment of the research centre on the campus in 2007. Sahaja Samrudha, a forum of farmers involved in promoting native farming practices and in marketing the foodgrains cultivated under organic farming method, also joined hands with the university.

In the initial period, senior scientists, teaching staff serving here and the students did elaborate field work to collect paddy seeds from farmers. ‘Nereguli’, ‘Yeedikuni’, and other flood-resistant paddy varieties were collected through field work in Talaguppa, Anavatti, and Jade Gram Panchayat limits on the banks of the Varada in Shivamogga district. These varieties can survive even if they are submerged in floodwaters for over 15 days. As part of the field work, the staff members and students visited paddy-growing villages in Koraput district of Odisha, and Bardhaman in West Bengal.

Exchanging seeds

Interestingly, in many villages, farmers refused to sell the seeds of native paddy varieties in their possession and instead opted for exchanging them. In Odisha, farmers gave away seeds of ‘Limchuri’ and ‘Gadaakutta’ varieties in their possession in exchange for ‘Gandhasale’ and ‘Rathnachudi’ varieties with the university students.

During kharif season, all 190 native paddy varieties are cultivated on a 10-acre land on the university campus without administering chemical inputs. After harvesting, the seeds are distributed among interested farmers. Prior to harvesting, Kshetrotsava, a field day, is held in which farmers can visit the plot and select the seeds they need.

A museum has also been established on the campus, where native paddy varieties are displayed with information related to the method of their cultivation and their origin.

M.K. Naik, Vice-Chancellor of the UAHS, Shivamogga, said the university plans to conduct research on nutritional value of each native variety of paddy in its repository and publish the findings.

The university will seek help from institutes such as the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru. The scientific confirmation of the nutritional benefits would help create a brand value for these paddy varieties, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Veerandra P.M. / Shivamogga – December 02nd, 2018