Utilization and conservation aspects

Use as food

In the enumeration of underutilized species (chapter II), about 100 species are such for which one or more plant- parts are used as food. This is particularly so in case of root/

tuber and vegetable crops. The native communities helped to assess/ identify the edible kinds which initially got into the folk domestication process and gradually spread. Eventually, some of these were accepted by the urban society as well and put to more than one use depending on their need/food habit. Thus, the cultivation-utilization linked trend that evolved through overall choice of plant diversity by the native, rural, and urban communities has gradually increased diversity within species and different species for the specific kind of material required to be grown, but the initial need was for multipurpose use.

Among the root/tuber/bulbous types, several Allium species apart from their bulbs, are used as vegetable i.e., Allium fistulosum, A. ascalonicum, A.

tuberosum. In Calystegia sepium and Tragopogon spp., young shoots are cooked into vegetable; in Nelumbo nucifera, apart from rhizome, cooked as vegetable and also pickled, leaves are cooked as vegetable and in Sagittaria sagittifolia, young sprouts are utilised.

Even in the more acceptable types like taros and Xanthosoma, several locally improved types are grown where besides tubers; leaves are also cooked as vegetable. Dual purpose types occur in Amaranthus spp., where apart from edible grains, leaves and young shoots are cooked as vegetable.

In others though primary use is as leafy vegetable, roots etc. are also consumed i.e. Cryptotaenia canadensis and Houttuynia cordata. In several species both young pods/fruits and roots are used, as in Mucuna spp., Phaseolus coccineus, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus and Sechium edule. In others, young pods are cooked as vegetable i.e.

Canavalia ensiformis. Further, some types are put to multipurpose usages i.e. A. grayi, where leaves are used as a pot herb and for flavouring as condiments, A. kurrat shoots are used in soups and salad, in Asparagus officinalis leaves are used as vegetable and shoot/stem is eaten boiled and also/pickled. Several vegetables-Lepidium, Lactuca, Brassica spp. are consumed as salad. Among fruits, apart from the sweet pulp, seed/kernel is eaten raw i.e. Prunus armeniaca, P.

mume or roasted-Artocarpus camansi,

jackfruit and other Artocarpus spp.

and in some, apart from fruit, leaves are used as vegetable i.e. Salvadora persica. Fruits of many species apart from being eaten raw, are also pickled i.e. Artocarpus, Bouea, Capparis, Cordia, Carissa, Mangifera, and are also made into preserves i.e., Carissa congesta; and in others apart from being eaten raw, made into beverage/

sharbat/drinks i.e., Aegle marmelos, Averrhoa spp., Feronia limonia, Garcinia indica, Grewia subinaequalis and Chaenomeles speciosa. The berries of Crataegus pentagyna are eaten raw, stewed and also preserved; fruits of Emblica officinalis are both pickled and preserved, of Dovyalis spp., eaten raw and made into jelly/preserves. In some species, the fruit is used for pickles as in Elaeocapus floribundus, or is only edible when ripe in Eugenia, Fortunella and /or is used in salad in Averrhoa carambola, Citrus spp.

Nutrition and healthcare:

Quality of produce

The underutilized species provide rich nutritional foods and need to be promoted. As pointed out by Padulosi et al. (2002), a change in attitude has been noticed over the last 5-10 years among policy makers and the public with regard to the quality of life as related to the quality of food as well as diverse sources of food, vitamins and other micronutrients. These are, for instance, being searched for in crops and plant species with greater emphasis, much more than in the past, in recognition of their role in

combating diet imbalances. Chapter IV on nutritional aspects amply supports the need to exploit underutilized species as these are nutritionally rich and this concern is of national/regional and international interest. However, much work is required towards standardization of produce/products; nutritional analysis composition for which varying figures have been repeated. Another concern is on healthcare, and underutilized crops are often presented as new crops (Vietmeyer, 1990), when interest of researchers, and the commercial sector focus on these to exploit their potential, for use in healthcare/medicine. In this context much focus is also on emerging indigenous underutilized species as crops (Considine, 1996; Arora, 1997).

Promising as breeding material Several of these less known food plants possess specific/ desirable attributes of utility in breeding programmes. These species are related to other cultivated types and can be crossed; are tolerant to pests and diseases and possess promising yield and quality traits.

Particularly, being adapted to diverse eco-climates/ extreme climatic stress, these provide useful germplasm for introducing tolerance to drought and cold. Broadly, such plant genetic wealth belongs to the following categories:

1. Many species possess good quality fruits/nuts and after selection directly or through breeding can be improved for full exploitation.

Artocarpus odoratissimus, Casimiroa edulis, Chrysophyllum cainito,

Dovyalis caffra, Dimocarpus longan, Pouteria spp., Garcinia indica, G. gummi-gutta, Malpighia spp., Nephelium rambutan-Ake, Passiflora spp., (P. multiflorus, P. caerulea), Sandoricum koetjape, Spondias spp., Syzygium spp., Buchanania lanzan, Gnetum gnemon, Juglans ailantifolia, and Terminalia catappa are some of the species that deserve prominence. In several of these, locally improved types also occur.

Besides several of such species possess specific traits and act as donors for introducing such useful attributes; Nephelium rambutan-ake fruits have excellent flavour;

Artocarpus odoratissimus fruits are small, sweet and juicy. Prunus salicina has been much used in improving fruit quality by crossing with other Prunus spp.

2. Some species provide useful rootstocks i.e., Citrus ichangensis (frost hardy type), C. junos (frost resistance), Malus sylvestris (winter hardy), Prunus cerasifera (for grafting plum cultivars).

3. More improtant are species which can be crossed with others and utilised as breeding material viz.

Actinidia callosa crosses with A.

deliciosa, Mespilus germanica with Prunus spp., Pyrus pyrifolia with other related taxa/species and species within the Mangifera genepool with M. indica complex). Among other promising material, Citrus junos deserves special mention, where by introgression, characters of 12

Japanese and Chinese wild types of citrus have been utilized in Zuzu (Tanaka, 1976).

4. As many of these species occur in diverse and harsh climates and under ecological stress, these provide sources of resistance to drought and cold/frost such as Pyrus communis and P. pyrifolia, drought and/ or heat resistance in Pyrus prunifolia; frost resistance in Actinidia callosa, A. mandschurica, Malus baccata (withstands -40°C) and extreme cold tolerance, and in Vitis amurensis can be utilized for such specific traits.

5. Several types exhibit disease resistance-mildew resistant types in Ribes spp., and aphid resistant and rust resistant types in Rubus spp. Resistance to Phylloxera occurs in Vitis spp.

This amply points out to the importance of less known, minor species grown sparingly, often in backyards/home gardens and marginal lands, and such protected diversity maintained by native farmers.

Conservation aspects

A holistic appronch to conservation of undertutilized species needs to be effectively planned following both the ex situ and in situ techniques and complementary conservation stratagies.

As pointed out by Padulose et. al.

(2002), a very meagre collection of these species is currently held in genebanks worldwide. Thus this aspect

assumes global concern and for the Asia-Pacific region, this responsibility needs to be shared collectively by well established national programmes and regional and international organizations. In the last few decades good work has been carried out in India, Nepal (South Asia); Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia (southeast China, Japan, South Korea East Asia/ PNG, and Vanuatu in the South Pacific and also in Australia; the national programmes of these countries have laid due priority on R&D. Some of the countries such as India have a separate coordinated programme on underutilized crops involving several species and a separate Indian Institute for Vegetable Research (IIVR) and Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) among so many others. Specific crop institutes and PGR-related institutes exist in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and in PNG etc. also to take care of some important underutilized crops as per national needs. As these crops are difficult to maintain, particularly roots/

tubers, fruits and nuts, being largely vegetatively propagated, diverse in vitro, cryopreservation techniques are to be followed in India and China.

Good field genebanks exist in the above countries/institutes and can share responsibilities to safeguard such diversity of the sub-region/

region; international organisations such as Bioversity International, ICUC, AVRDC, ICRISAT can help provide funding support and expertise; and national programmes can also be directly given such support by GCDT

for regeneration, maintenance and conservation of the germplasm held by them. Capacity building in this sector is much needed and training aspects at regional levels need more focus.

Also, special focus is to be given to conserve priority species/underutilized diversity as already stressed in chapter III/ see tables 11 & 12.

A regional frame work can be developed for crops, regions and countries/

national programmes involved, and sub-regional workshops be organized and working groups identified to assess needs; participating organizations invited in a networking, collaborative mode to prioritise diverse conservation approaches for effective implementation in the regional context.