Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Landrace Diversity in Traditional Production Landscapes of Uttarakhand Himalaya in North-Western India

Abstract

Wheat landraces are traditionally grown in rainfed farming landscapes of Uttarakhand hills. Except a few interspersed river valleys, where improved wheat cultivars are grown under assured irrigation, about 95% of the net sown area under rainfed farming mainly grows traditional wheat landraces. The present communication documents a total of 36 unique bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landrace populations from diverse representative agro-ecologies of Uttarakhand hills. Information on their distinctive properties, informal community-based seed systems, private and public incentives of wheat landrace populations to farmer households and society, diversity loss from production landscapes over time and space, etc. were also documented from all niche habitats. Potential of making use of landrace diversity have been suggested as sources of resistance/tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and more importantly the climate change resilience, as the extreme heat and drought has affected grain yields worldwide and threatened food security.