REVIVAL OF ENDANGERED HIGH VALUED MOUNTAIN RICES OF KASHMIR HIMALAYAS THROUGH GENETIC PURIFICATION AND IN-SITU CONSERVATION

S. NAJEEB¹, G.A. PARRAY², A.B. SHIKARI³, Z.A. BHAT⁴, ANWAR M. BHAT⁵, M. ASIF IQBAL⁶, S.J. BHAT⁷*, A.H. SHAH⁸, ABU MANZAR⁹, M.A. AHANGAR¹⁰, A SHAFIQ WANI^11
1Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Khudwani, Anantnag, Kashmir , 192102, India
²Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Khudwani, Anantnag, Kashmir , 192102, India
³Division of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 191121, India
⁴Division of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 191121, India
⁵Division of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 191121, India
⁶Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Khudwani, Anantnag, Kashmir , 192102, India
⁷Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 191121, India
⁸Division of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 191121, India
⁹Division of Entomology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 191121, India
¹⁰Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Khudwani, Anantnag, Kashmir , 192102, India
¹¹Directorate of Research, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 191121, India
* Corresponding Author : javaidahmad44@yahoo.com

Received : 22-04-2016     Accepted : 30-08-2016     Published : 30-10-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 52       Pages : 2453 - 2458
Int J Agr Sci 8.52 (2016):2453-2458

Keywords : Indigenous rice landraces, genetic purification, in-situ conservation, up-scaling, marketing
Academic Editor : Dhingra Madhu
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Director Research was the leader of the revival programme of elite landraces of in situ conservation for livelihood security of the farmers.
Author Contribution : I would like to acknowledge to custodian farmers of these valued rices, and State Department of Agriculture for playing the pivotal role in promoting mass cultivation of these rices in niche areas. The project was fully supported by the State Agriculture

A number of rice landraces mostly of japonica background are known from Kashmir valley (India) for their unique quality features particularly aroma with desirable taste and texture of the cooked rice, besides, being early maturing and highly cold tolerant. An initiative for sustainable revival of high valued aromatic landraces namely, MushkBudgi and Kamad was undertaken in 2007 and during the exploration, 240 and 110 samples, respectively, were collected from the niche areas of these landraces (1900-2100 m amsl). In both cases broad spectrum variability was obtained for most of the morpho-agronomic traits and MushkBudgi-11 and Kamad-7 were identified better among the lot. An integrated disease and nutrient management modules were developed during 2010 and 2011 and demonstrated during 2012 and 2013. The year 2014 proved as a success story and the first harvest of these rices were sold in the local market eight times the price of normal rices.