Plants are essential sources of food, medicine, shelter, fuel, feed, and forage, and provide a wide range of additional ecosystem and cultural services to humanity. In recognition of the tremendous value of useful plants and of the increasing threats to their persistence, international agreements including the Convention on Biological
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is the most important commercially grown fruit crop in India, available throughout the length and breadth of the country and aptly acknowledged as the ‘national fruit of India’. It enjoys a prominent place in the Indian fruit market, contributing more than 20% of total fruit production from 36% of the total fruit area.
Predicted impacts of climate change on crops—including yield declines and loss of conservation lands—could be mitigated by exploiting existing diversity within crops. Here we examine this possibility for wine grapes. Across 1,100 planted varieties, wine grapes possess tremendous diversity in traits that affect responses to climate, such as phenology and drought tolerance. Yet little of this diversity is exploited. Instead many countries plant 70–90% of total hectares with the same 12 varieties—representing 1% of total diversity.
Creativity and innovation are important factors for sustainable agricultural growth. Intellectual property right (IPR) is the key driver of innovation. However, many argue against this view, as it would benefit only a certain section in a country. The present study analyses the perception of stakeholders on Indian IPR system for plant varieties. A perception survey was conducted among various stakeholders of the seed industry across the country during 2011–12.
The spread of pests and pathogens that damage plant life could cost global agriculture $540 billion a year, according to this report released by the Royal Botanic Gardens in London. An increase in international trade and travel had left flora facing rising threats from invasive pests and pathogens, and called for greater biosecurity measures.
Dhanbad: The Parasnath hill in Giridih district is known for its lush green cover, which include rare medicinal trees and herbal plants. However, the green cover is fast depleting.
Scientists working at Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala’s Centre for Medicinal Plants Research (CMPR) have discovered two new species of medicinal plants from the Western Ghats.
In an age of free international shipments of mail-ordered seeds and plants, more policing will not stop the global migration of hitchhiking pests. The solution is in a preemptive response based on an internationally coordinated genomic deployment of global biodiversity in the largest breeding project since the “Garden of Eden.” This plan will enrich the narrow genetic basis of annual and perennial plants with adaptations to changing environments and resistances to the pests of the future.
Coimbatore: More than 6,000 specimens at the 105-year-old herbarium in the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB) can now be accessed by the click of a mouse, as the institute plans
THIMPU: A snub-nosed mon key that sneezes when it ra ins, a walking fish and a jewel like snake are among more than 200 new species discove red in the fragile eastern Hi malayas, according to a new
