Agriculture genetic resources are any genetic material of actual or potential value for food and agriculture. Agriculture genetic resources include all cultivated plant landraces and varieties, modern varieties, obsolete varieties, breeding lines, recombinant inbred lines (RILs), genetic stocks, near-isogenic lines (NILs), differential lines, exotic genetic resources, wild edible plants, and wild relatives of crops. Nepal is richly endowed with numerous agricultural crops and plants. The variation in temporal, altitudinal, topographical and aspects has made agricultural such biodiversity possible. Comprising less than 0.1% of the earth’s land area, Nepal is home to about 600 species of food plants, 400 species of agro-horticultural crops, 60 species of wild edible fruits, 200 species of commercially important medicinal and aromatic plants, 300 species of orchids, 5000 species of insects, 185 species of fishes, and a variety of other economically and ecologically important species. About 21% (3.2 million hectares) of the total land area of Nepal is used for cultivation. Crops such as rice, rice bean, egg plant, buckwheat, soyabean, foxtail millet, citrus, and mango have high genetic diversity relative to other food crops. Agriculture genetic resources play a vital role in the national economy and food security, as more than three-quarters of the country’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods.
Ramechhap is situated in Bagmati Province of Nepal. It is situated in the elevation of 1000 meters to 4848 meters from sea level and its area is 1564 square kilometers with total of 26234 hectare agricultural land. Prevalence of climatic and physiographic variations has led to integration of different types of crop and livestock enterprises. Ramechhap is rich in indigenous wild and landrace genetic resources for agronomic, horticultural, forestry, or medicinal uses, but much of this germplasm remains uncollected and waits economic development. Major components of farming system in Ramechhap include Crops, Livestock, Forestry , Other enterprises (poultry, livestock, fishery, bee keeping etc.) and Farm Household
Farmers cultivate rice (89%), potatoes (90%), maize (100%), millet (100%), vegetables (86%), and wheat (89%) in Ramechhap. Wheat is not popular in Duragau and Farpu VDCs of Ramechhap. Barley is mostly cultivated only for household consumption and only one quarter (24%) cultivated grain amaranth. Oil crops (such as mustard) are cultivated mostly in Kubukasthali, Namadi, Farpu and Betali VDCs. Maize, millet, potatoes, vegetables, rice, barley and wheat are the most cultivated crops in Ramechhap. Poultry farming and goat farming are done by the farmers of Ramechhap and it is reported that cows and buffalo are reared in their ward. Most households (87%) do not rear sheep in Ramechhap. Pigs are reared by 44% of households. Bee keeping is not common. Unlike agriculture, livestock rearing is common in Ramechhap. Most households engaged in agriculture farming also rear livestock.
Major livestock found in Ramechhap are cow, ox, buffalo, sheep, chauri, goat, poultry, pig. Major food crops cultivated in Ramechhap are maize, rice, potato, wheat, barley, millet, buckwheat. Major fruits that are reported to be present in Ramechhap are sweet orange (Junar), peach, orange, citrus, guava, mango, palm, arubakhada, banana. Major cash crops of Ramechhap are cardamom, turmeric, garlic, chilly, pea, onion, sugarcane, mustard. The grain varieties cultivated by the farmers of Ramechhap are finger millet, joar, foxtail millet, upland rice (ghaiya). Tuber grown in Ramechhap are yam, taro, sweet potato, ground nut.
Due to climatic and topographic diversity, Ramechhap is also rich in floral diversity. Five types of forest are found in Ramechhap; sub-tropical evergreen, deciduous, coniferous, high temperate and cold desert type of forest vegetation. Major timber species are sal, khayar, champ, chilaune, utis, phalat, dhupi, gobre salla, khotesalla, thingre salla, okhar, etc. Major fodder species are jamun, kutmiro, painyu, dudhilo, nimaro, syalphusre, khasru, koiralo, bhimal, ipil ipil, chuletro, bamboo, etc. Major NTFPs reported in Ramechhap are lauth salla, chiraito, lokta, argeli, kurilo, jyau, asare, jatamasi, pakhanbed, bel, thulo okhati, pine resin, sugandhawal, amriso, majitho, ban karela, nagbeli, machino, sunakhari, etc.
Major fauna that are found in Ramechhap are mammals and bird. Mammal include leopard, spotted deer, barking deer, musk deer, jungle cat, pangolian, fox, monkey, jackle, bear, civet, wild boar etc. Bird include peacock, parrot, parakeet, common myna, drongo, common pheasant, blood pheasant, kalij pheasant, jungle fowl, robin dayal, bulbul, eagle, vulture, owl, sparrow, sallow, swift, etc. Tame danda locality is the one of the significant sites for bird diversity of the Nepal.
Maize
Ramechhap solely depend upon rainwater for Irrigation. The local variety present in Ramechhap are believed to be drought resistant. The variety popular in Ramechhap are Seto Pahelo makai, Seto Makai, purano local, Local seti makai.
Rice
Various landraces and species of wild rice is believed to be reported in Ramechhap. The co-existence of four wild rice species (Oryza nivara, O. rufipogan, O. granulata, and O. officinalis) and wild relatives (Hygrorhiza aristata Nees and Leersia hexandra L.) and cultivation of many traditional varieties on-farm in the form of landraces indicate a high degree of genetic diversity. Weedy rice, O. sativa f. spontanea is believed to be found in rice fields of Ramechhap. The Improved rice variety popular in Manthali are Sabitri under Irrigated field and Makwanpur under partly irrigated and rainfall lowland.
Fig 2. Rice field at the base of the mountain, Ramechhap
Wheat
The wheat landraces (pure spring bread wheat) are widely adapted to withstand abiotic and biotic stresses. Some winter wheat landraces have been reported in the northern high mountain area of Ramechhap. These are generally grown on marginal lands where soil fertility is low and under rainfed conditions. The improved bread wheat varieties popular in Ramechhap are Achyut, Annapurna 2, Vinayak. Local landraces were not traced in the breeding history of wheat cultivars.
Potatoes
Almost all varieties of potato have been developed from exotic germplasm. Among the released varieties, Janak Dev is popular in the mid-hills of Ramechhap and occupies the largest area, followed by Khumal Seto-1, which is drought tolerant and suitable for rainfed conditions. Although there are many unique landraces of potato in Ramechhap, not a single one has been found in the pedigree of released varieties. Desiree has the pedigree record from Urgenta Depeache originated from Netherland.
Citrus fruit
In Regard to the state of diversity of minor crops in Ramechhap, only 3 species of Hordeum have been reported. Hordeum vulgare is the only cultivated species and the rest two are wild type. Covered and naked barley are commonly available. Diversity in buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) and finger millet (Eleusine sp.) in wild and cultivated form is believed to be present. Wild relatives of vegetable crops recorded in Ramechhap are Colocasia, Amaranthus, Chenopodium, Rumex, Pisum, Allum, Ipomoea, Dioscorea, Mentha, Trigonella, Solanum, Curcuma. Species of Prunus, Catanopsis, Malus, Rubus and Barberies, Ficus, Hippophae, Olea, Pyrus and Vitis are tabulated as temperate wild fruit relatives. Similarly, subtropical and tropical wild fruit relatives are Annona, Citrus, Mangifera, Musa, Foenix and Rhus. Many of them have been already utilized as root stock in fruit plant propagation. Some of them bear inhabiting the forest of Ramechhap is still unknown or even if known, has hardly been explored.
The mountains and hills of Ramechhap are alive with abundant genera of rhododendron and other beautiful wildflowers with few Lithophytes. Ramechhap is indeed endowed with an incredible variety of orchids. Dendrobium is the largest species, followed by Habenaria and Bulbophyllum. Anthogonium, Hemipilia and Lusia are some of the other varieties amongst the nearly two dozen single species families.
Increased human population pressure, poverty, land degradation, environmental change, introduction of modern cultivars and national policy have contributed to the erosion of agriculture genetic resources in Ramechhap. Many landraces are being lost and many of them are still under threat and many endangered rare and endemic species should get due attention for effective conservation. The present need of the policy maker is to give due consideration towards the collection, documentation, preservation, evaluation, maintenance, multiplication and utilization of this wild but precious wealth. Loss of genetic diversity is the common threat to the sustainable use of agriculture genetic resources to meet the present needs and aspiration of future generation.
