Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T01:47:16.540Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Genetic diversity and traditional uses of wild apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) in high-altitude north-western Himalayas of India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2010

S. K. Malik*
Affiliation:
Exploration and Collection Division, Tissue Culture and Cryopreservation Unit, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110 012, India
Rekha Chaudhury
Affiliation:
Exploration and Collection Division, Tissue Culture and Cryopreservation Unit, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110 012, India
O. P. Dhariwal
Affiliation:
Exploration and Collection Division, Tissue Culture and Cryopreservation Unit, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110 012, India
Salim Mir
Affiliation:
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
*
*Corresponding author. E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]

Abstract

Wild apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is an economically important fruit crop for folk and marginal farmers and local tribal populations in the high-altitude difficult terrains of north-western Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh states of India. This is a multi-purpose fruit tree species which, besides its fresh edible fruits, is preserved for use in diverse ways depending upon the type of cultivar. Seed kernel of apricot is used as edible nut and for the production of edible oil. In the present study, 147 diverse accessions of wild and cultivated apricot belonging to 28 folk cultivars were collected and characterized for fruit, stone and kernel characters. Indigenous traditional uses and importance of fruits and kernels of these folk cultivars have been recorded and described. Promising table-type cultivars identified were Margulam, Lodi, Shakarpara, Narmo and Khurmani, while drying-type cultivars were Halman, Shakarpara, Rakchey Karpo and Tachu. Cultivars Chuli and Shadi were the most common types and widely distributed with vast variability, while other cultivars had localized presence. Some of these folk cultivars have high potential for promotion as commercial cultivars of apricot in this high-altitude area basically depending upon traditional production system. Genetic resource management including collection, characterization and documentation of existing variability of apricot is of immense importance for safe conservation and commercialization of potential cultivars to enhance farmer's livelihood in this fragile agroecosystem.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © NIAB 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brosi, BJ, Balick, MJ, Wolkow, R, Lee, R, Kostka, M, Raynor, W, Gallen, R, Raynor, A, Raynor, P and Ling, DL (2007) Cultural erosion and biodiversity: canoe-making knowledge in Pohnpei, Micronesia. Conservation Biology 21: 875879.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corssa-Reynaud, P and Audergon, JM (1987) Apricot root stocks. In: Rom, RC and Carlson, RF (eds) Rootstocks for Fruit Crops. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc. pp. 295320.Google Scholar
Dar, GH and Wani, MH (2007) Horticulture in Cold Arid Himalayas – Development and Prospectives. New Delhi: Narosa Publishing House Pvt. Ltd, p. 164.Google Scholar
Dwivedi, SK and Dwivedi, DH (2004) Cold arid horticulture- an overview. In: Saroj, PL, Vashishtha, BB and Dhandar, DG (eds) Advances in Arid Horticulture. vol. 1. Lucknow: International Book Distributing Company, p. 628.Google Scholar
Kapoor, N, Bedi, KC and Bhatia, AK (1987) Chemical composition of different varieties of apricots and their kernels grown in Ladakh region. Journal of Food Science and Technology 24: 141142.Google Scholar
Mahajan, RK, Gangopadhyay, KK, Kumar, G, Dobhal, VK, Srivastava, U, Gupta, PN and Pareek, SK (2002) Minimal Descriptor of Agri-Horticultural Crops. Part III: Fruit Crops. New Delhi: National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), p. 242.Google Scholar
Malik, SK and Chaudhury, R (2010) Cryopreservation of seeds and embryonic axes of wild apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.). Seed Science and Technolology 38: 231235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mandal, S, Suneja, P, Malik, SK and Mishra, SK (2007) Variability in kernel oil, its fatty acid and protein contents of different apricot (Prunus armeniaca) genotypes. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 77: 464466.Google Scholar
Mir, MS (2000) Potential and problems of fruit crop production in Ladakh. In: Sharma, JP and Mir, AA (eds) Dynamics of Cold Arid Agriculture. Ludhiana: Kalyani Publishers, pp. 187212.Google Scholar
Moorecroft, W and Trebek, G (1825) Travels in Hindustan (from 1819 to 1825). vol. 1. New Delhi: Sagar Publication.Google Scholar
Rohlf, FJ (2000) NTSYS-pc: Numerical Taxonomy and Multivariate Analysis System. ver. 2.10e. New York: Exeter Ltd., Setauket.Google Scholar
Shanley, P and Rosa, NA (2004) Eroding knowledge: an ethanobotanical inventory in Eastern Amazonia's Logging Frontier. Economic Botany 58: 135160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharma, JP and Mir, AA (2000) Dynamics of Cold Arid Agriculture. Ludhiana: Kalyani Publishers.Google Scholar
Sofi, AA, Zaffar, G and Mir, MS (2001) Genetic variability and association of component characters for fruit weight in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cultivars of Kargil (Ladakh). Indian Journal of Horticulture 58: 239243.Google Scholar
Zaffar, G, Mir, MS and Sofi, AA (2004) Genetic divergence among apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) genotypes of Kargil, Ladakh. Indian Journal of Horticulture 61: 69.Google Scholar
Zeven, AC and De wet, JMJ (1982) Dictionary of Cultivated Plant and their Regions of Diversity. Pudoc, Wageningen: Centre for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation.Google Scholar