On-farm crop diversity, conservation, importance and value: a case study of landraces from Western Ghats of Karnataka, India.

Landraces are important genetic resources that have a significant role in maintaining the long-term sustainability of traditional agro-ecosystems, food, nutrition, and livelihood security. In an effort to document landraces in the on-farm conservation context, Central Western Ghat region in India was surveyed. A total of 671 landraces belonging to 60 crops were recorded from 24 sites. The custodian farmers were found to conserve a variety of crops including vegetables, cereals and pulses, perennial fruits, spices, tuber and plantation crops. The survey indicated a difference in the prevalence of landraces across the sites. A significant difference with respect to the Shannon-diversity index, Gini-Simpson index, evenness, species richness, and abundance was observed among the different survey sites. Computation of a prevalence index indicated the need for immediate intervention in the form of collecting and ex situ conservation of landraces of some crops as a back-up to on-farm conservation. The study also identified the critical determinants of on-farm conservation, including (i) suitability to regional conditions, (ii) relevance in regional cuisine and local medicinal practices, (iii) cultural and traditional significance, and (iv) economic advantage. The information documented in this study is expected to promote the collection and conservation of landraces ex situ. The National Genebank housed at ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi conserves around 550 accessions of landraces collected from the Central Western Ghats region surveyed in this report. Information collected from custodian farmers on specific uses will be helpful to enhance the utilization of these accessions.

Simple cryopreservation protocol for Luffa pollen: enhancing breeding efficiency.

This study aimed to develop a long-term pollen storage protocol for Luffa species (L. acutangula, L. cylindrica, L. echinata, and L. graveolens) and assess its potential for crop improvement. The optimal medium for in vitro pollen germination varied by species, with Brewbaker and Kwack (BK) medium with 10% sucrose suitable for L. acutangula, L. cylindrica, and L. echinata, and BK medium with 3% sucrose ideal for L. graveolens. Overestimation in staining tests compared to in vitro pollen germination was observed. The best results for cryopreservation were achieved with desiccation periods of 20, 30, and 40 min, maintaining moisture content between 14.04% and 18.55%. Pollen viability was negatively correlated with storage temperature (25, 4, and -20°C) and duration. Cryopreserved pollen at -196°C exhibited the highest viability over a prolonged period (2 months) and was comparable to fresh pollen in terms of germination, ovule fertilization, and fruit and seed set. This study presents a simple and reproducible pollen cryopreservation protocol applicable across Luffa species, facilitating long-term storage and its use in crop improvement efforts.