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Country Status Report on Underutilized crops - India
Regional Expert Consultation on Underutilized crops for Food
and Nutrition Security in Asia and Pacific
November 13-15, 2017, Bangkok
On behalf of Director General
Indian Council of Agricultural Research,
New Delhi
India’s Contribution to Global Biodiversity
Species
Category
World India % of the
World
Microbes 8,050 850 10.6
Plants 406,700 45523 11.8
Animals 1,228,153 89,492 7.28
Total 1,634,853 135,015 8.25
Producing enough food for the world’s population in 2050 will
be easy. But doing it at an acceptable cost to the planet will
depend on research into everything from high-tech seeds to
low-tech farming practices
Year Population (Billion)
India China World
2024 1.44 1.44 8.0
2030 1.50 1.44 8.5
2050 1.66 Decline 9.8
Projected Population Growth in India and China
Crop / Crop Group No. accessions
Cereals 1,60,814
Millets 58,381
Forages 6,817
Pseudo Cereals 7,229
Legumes 65,309
Oilseeds 58,042
Fibre 14,379
Vegetables 25,585
Fruits & Nuts 272
M&AP & Narcotics 7,826
Ornamental 646
Spices & Condiments 3,034
Agroforestry 1,642
Safety Duplicates 10,235
Trial Material 10,771
Total 4,30,982*
Glimpse of Genetic Diversity in Crop being conserved at
NBPGR
ICAR-NBPGR Objectives
By 2020 Target AICHI
NBT 1
People, especially the youth, are aware of the values of biodiversity
and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably
1
NBT 2
Value of biodiversity is integrated in National and State planning
processes, development programmes and poverty alleviation
strategies
2
NBT 4
Invasive alien species and pathways are identified and strategies to
manage them developed
9
NBT 5
Measures are adopted for sustainable management of agriculture,
forestry and fisheries
6, 7, 8
NBT 7
Genetic diversity of cultivated plants and their wild relatives is
maintained, and strategies developed and implemented for
minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity
13
NBT 9
Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of
Benefits Arising from their Utilization as per the Nagoya Protocol are
operational, consistent with national legislation
16
NBT 11
National initiatives using communities' traditional knowledge
relating to biodiversity are strengthened, with a view to protecting
this knowledge in accordance with national legislations and
international obligations.
18
5822
1000
197
2058
824
1546
2500
222
7122
2821
1537
939
1657
988
2101
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
 All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on UU Plants
which was initiated in 1982 and is now functioning as AICRN
on Potential Crops under the umbrella of ICAR, New Delhi.
 The main objective is to generate improved technologies in
selected crops of the minor economic importance for food,
fodder and industrial use.
 The Headquarter is located at NBPGR, New Delhi and
coordinating and conducting research on 17 crops of food,
fodder and industrial value through 13 main, 10 cooperating
and 4 voluntary centers located in diverse agro-climatic zones
of India.
Research Network of UU Crops in India
Partners in Delivery of Outputs
Main Centres Cooperating Centres Voluntary Centres
1. CSK HPKV, Palampur 1. NBPGR, New Delhi 1. VPKAS, Almora
2.UUHF, Ranichauri 2. NBPGR RS, Bhowali 2. CSK HPKV, Sangla
2. PAU, Ludhiana 3. NBPGR RS, Jodhpur 3. CAZRI, Jaisalmer
4. CCS HAU, Hisar 4. NBPGR RS, Akola 4. ICAR, NEH, Shillong
5. SK RAU, Mandor 5. NBPGR RS, Shillong 5. ICAR, NEH, Basar,
6. NDUA&T, Faizabad 6. NBPGR RS, Shimla 6. ICAR, NEH, Lamphelpat
7. BAU, Ranchi 7. NBPGR RS, Hyderabad 7.ICAR, NEH, Kolasib
8. SDAU, S.K. Nagar 8. NBPGR RS, Ranchi 8. ICAR, NEH, Medziphema
9. MPKV, Rahuri 9. NBPGR RS, Thrissur 9. ICAR, NEH, Tadong
10. IGKV, Ambikapur 10. ICAR, NEH, Lembucherra
11. OUA&T, Bhubaneswar 11. CIPHET, Ludhiana
12. UAS, Bangalore 12. IARI, New Delhi
13. TNAU, Mettupalayam 13. PU, Chandigarh
14. UBKV, Cooch Behar 14. CIARI, Port Blair
15. CAU Pasighat
Crops Prioritized for Research
S. No Crop Group Crops
1. Pseudocereals Grain Amaranth (Amaranthus Spp. ),
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.), Chenopodium
(Chenopodium spp.),
2. Minor cereal Job’s tear (Coix lacryma Jobi)
3. Food Legumes Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis), Faba bean (Vicia
faba), Winged bean (Psophocarpus
tetragololobus), Rice bean (Vigna umbellata)
4. Oil Seeds Perilla (Perilla frutescens), Paradise tree
(Simarouba glauca), Moringa olefera
5. Vegetables Kalingada (Citrullus lanatus), Kankoda
(Momordica dioica), Spine gourd (Momordica
dioica)
S. No Crop Group Crops
6. Fodder Vigna trilobata , Pillipasara (Vigna trilobata)
Vigna glabrescens, Eupatorium, Salt bush (Atriplex spp.),
Forage Groundnut , Leucaena leucocephala ,
Colophospermum mopane, Cassia sturtii, Sesbania spp.,
Indigofera spp.
7 Crops of problem
soils
Tumba (Citrullus colocynthus), Vigna marina
8 Industrial Plants Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), Guayule (Parthenium
argentatum), Jatropha (Jatropha curcas), Bitter apple
(Citrullus colosymthis), Euphorbia spp. Lana (Haloxylon
salicornicum)
9 Energy/timber plants Bamboos (Bambusa spp.), Frans (Casuarina equisetifolia),
Tapioca (Manihot esculenta), Dioscorea spp.
10 Minor fruits Ker (Capparis decidua)
Crops Prioritized for Research
Major Achievements
S. No Aspect Achievement
1 Introduction and acclimatization
of new underutilized plants
24
2. Genetic Resource Management 13,240
3. Verities identified/released 42
4. Standardization of agro-
techniques
Grain amaranth, Buckwheat, Rice
bean, Faba bean, Winged bean,
Kalingada, Paradise tree, Jatropha,
Bamboos, Guayule,
5. Nutritional Quality Germplasm and Varietal Evaluation
Trials
6. Basic studies Grain amaranth, rice bean, paradise
tree, kankoda
Table: List of varieties of potential crops identified/released
S. No Crop Varieties identified/released
1 Grain Amaranth 14
2 Buckwheat 05
3 Chenopodium 01
4 Winged Bean 03
5 Faba Bean 02
6 Rice Bean 09
7 Kalingada 02
8 Guayule 02
9 Tumba 01
10 Jojoba 01
11 Kankoda 01
12 Jatropha 01
Total 42
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Rice bean
Kankoda
Perilla
Kalingada
Tumba
Jatropha
~800 trials conducted
7 Varieties released, 2010-15 – 2 Grain amaranth, 1 Rice Bean, 1
Winged Bean, 1 Buckwheat, 1 Adzukibean, and 1 Bathua (C. album)
Network on Potential Crops
Crop Groups
Pseudo Cereals
Small Millets
Grain Legumes
List of the released varieties of pseudo cereals
S. No. Crop/ Variety Year of release Av. yield (q/ha)
Grain amaranths
1 Annapurna 1984 22.50
2 GA-1 1991 19.50
3 Suvarna 1992 16.00
4 PRA-1 1997 14.50
5 PRA-2 2001 14.50
6 GA-2 2002 15.50
7 PRA-3 2003 16.50
8 Durga 2006 21.00
9 Kapilasa 2006 13.26
10 VL Chua 44 2005-06 13.20
11 GA-3 2008 12.58
12 RMA- 4 2008 13.90
13 RMA-7 2010 14.66
14 KBGA-1 2012 15.00
List of the released varieties of pseudo cereals
S. No. Crop/ Variety Year of
release
Av. yield
(q/ha)
Buckwheat
1 Himpriya 1991 12.00
2 VL Ugal 7 1991 8.00
3 PRB 1 1998 12.00
4 Himgiri 2006 11.12
5 Sangla B-1 2006 12.65
Chenopodium
1 Him Bathua 2013 5.60
Trait Best Check (value) Selected Genotypes (Value)
Oil (per cent) Annapurna (8.4) IC041998 (11.1), IC042334 (10.6), IC042292-4 (9.7),
IC042329 (8.8), IC042339 (8.8)
Protein (per
cent)
Annapurna (13.3) RGAS-92-10-1 (14.76), SKGPA-60 (14.1), SKGPA-5
(13.8), IC038423 (13.8)
Polyphenols
(per cent)
Annapurna (0.058) SKGPA- 8 (0.046), SKGPA-17(0.046), SKGPA-
13(0.047), SKGPA-29(0.047), IC042323 (0.047),
PRA-2011-1 (0.049)
Ca (mg/ 100g) Annapurna (309) MGA-4 (503), RMA-37 (444), RGAS-92-10-1 (442)
Fe (mg/ 100g) Durga (9.9) BGA-19 (28.1), RMA-38 (21.4), RGA -3(17.2),
IC038394 (15.7)
Zn (mg/ 100g) Durga (6.8) IC95383 (8.6), BGA-18 (7.8), IC32195(7.7),
IC120689 (7.7)
Antioxidant
activity (DPPH)
Durga (27.6) IC035468 (29.3), PRA 2010-1 (28.5), PRA-2011-2
(28.4)
K (mg/ 100g) PRA-3 (643.0) IC042328 (647.0)
Fibre (per cent) Suvarna (4.6) RMA-27 (5.9), RMA-19 (5.6)
Genotypes superior in quality parameters - Amaranths
Genotypes superior in quality parameters - Buckwheat
Trait Best Check (value) Selected Genotypes (Value)
Ca (mg/ 100g) PRB-1 (95.2) EC218742 (100), EC125937 (98.), IC274444 (98.), IC202286
(98)
Zn (mg/ 100g) Sangla-B-1 (4.0) EC125397 (4.4), EC216631 (4.3), EC058322 (4.2), IC204089
(4.1)
Fe (mg/ 100g) Shimla B-1 (4.5) IC042424 (6.10), IC108500 (6.9), IC108500 (6.9), IC107994
(6.7)
Crude fiber (per
cent)
PRB-1 (10.88) Reshwal IC485355 (12.15), IC108500 (12.0)
Iron (mg/ 100g) Sangla-B-5 (7.0) IC204088 (8.8), IC016550 (8.6), IC204086 (8.5), IC204079
(8.4), EC125937 (8.2)
Polyphenols
(mg/100ml)
VL-7 (0.19) EC386667 (0.12)
Antioxidant
activity (per cent)
VL-7 (21.14) EC018864 (21.26)
Ca (mg/ 100g) VL-7 (95.6) EC218742 (100)
Magnesium (mg/
100g)
Himpriya (214) IC58322 (258)
Polyphenols (per
cent)
Himpriya (1.5) IC108500 (1.4), IC266947 (1.4), IC341674 (1.4), SMLBW-5
(1.4)
Genotypes superior in quality parameters - Chenopods
Trait Best Check
(value)
Selected Genotypes (Value)
Protein (per
cent)
PRC-9801
(17.8)
NIC-015022 (20.2), IC540834 (18.9), IC540582
(18.8), NIC-22496 (18.6)
Ca (mg/ 100g) PRC-9801
(316)
NIC 022508 (352), IC258253 (329), IC107296
(327.3)
Iron (mg/ 100g) PRC-9801
(26.17)
IC540823 (43.86), NIC-022498 (42.03),
EC359445 (38.97), IC540834 (38.97)
Zn (mg/ 100g) PRC-9801
(2.2)
SMLCP-2 (5.55), NIC-022498 (4.28), IC341710
(4.13), NIC 022516 (3.5)
Fibre (per cent) PRC-9801
(9.80)
IC447573 (10.80), IC415403 (10.75), IC469275
(10.65) IC106340 (10.55)
Chromium (per
cent)
PRC-9801
(3.99)
IC540823 (4.30), IC540834 (4.17), EC201680
(4.08), IC415477 (4.0),
Details of the varieties released in underutilized grain legumes
S. No Crop Varieties
1 Moth bean RMO-257, CAZRI Moth-3, RMO-423, GMO-2, CAZRI
Moth-2 and RMO-435
2 Horse gram AK 21, AK 42, CRIDA-18R and VLG-15and BJPL-1,
Chhattisgarh kulthi-3, Phule Sakas, CRHG-22, AK-
53, VL Gahat 19, Indira Kulthi 1, VL Gahat 15,
CRIDA-1-18R, VL Gahat 8, VL Gahat 10
3 Rice bean RBL-1, PRR-1, PRR-2, RBL-6, RBL 35, RBL 50, BRS 1,
VRB-3, Palam Rajmung-1
4 Faba bean VH 82-1, HFB-1
5 Winged bean AKWB-1, Indira Winged bean – 1, Chhattisgarh
Chaudhari Sem
Genotypes with superior quality parameter in rice bean germplasm
Trait Selected genotypes (Value)
Protein (per cent) BRB-004 (23.93), Selection-6 (21.8), HBR-438 (21.8)
Tannin (mg/ 100g) BC-1 (490), LRB-470 (510), BC-1 (510.50), LRB-160 (513), LRB-470
(517)
Cooking time (Min) LRB-10(43), EC098453 (43),
Antioxidant activity
(per cent)
IC63980 (69), IC141077 (68), PRR-2011-1 (67), IC563980 (66), PRR-
2011-1 (65)
Fe (mg/ 100g) LRB-452 (8.95), BC-1 (7.65) BC-1 (7.4)
Zn (mg/ 100g) LRB-452 (4.30), PRR-2007-2 (4.2)
Ca (mg/ 100g) LRB-160 (336), LRB-470 (332)
Cu (mg/ 100g) RL-3 (0.62), RRB-10 (0.67)
Crude fibre (per
cent)
PRR-2008-2 (6.7)
Meithionine (%) LR-37B0 (0.96), LRB-396 (0.95), LRB-427 (0.94), LRB-363 (0.94)
Tryptophan (%) LRB-365 (0.94), LRB-364 (0.92), LRB-367 (0.91)
Polyphenols (%) LRB-312 (0.15), LRB-433 (0.15), PRR-9402 (0.16)
Ash (%) HRB-11 (1.09), HRB-2 (0.99), HRB-6 (0.99), LRB-355 (0.95), LRB-367
(0.94)
Adaptation and productivity of small millets in India
Crop Climate adaptation Crop duration
(days)
Av yield
(kg/ha)
Finger millet Wide adaptation up to
2300 m
90-130 1226
Foxtail millet Wide adaptation up to
2000m
70-120 565
Kodo millet Tropic/ Sub-tropic up to
1800m
120-180 312
Barnyard millet Wide adaptation up to
2000m
45-60 857
Little millet Tropic/ Sub-tropic up to
2100m
70-110 349
Proso millet Wide adaptation up to
3500m
60-90 323
Mineral composition of small millet (processed) grains (in 100g)
Crop
Ca
(mg)
P (mg) Mg
(mg)
Zn
(mg)
Fe
(mg)
Thiami
n
(mg)
Ribofl
avin
(mg)
Niacin
(mg)
Folic
acid
(µg)
Finger millet 364.0 210 146 2.5 4.6 0.37 0.17 1.3 34.7
Kodo millet 15.3 101 122 1.6 2.3 0.29 0.20 1.5 39.5
Proso millet* 14.0 206 153 1.4 0.8 0.41 0.28 4.5 -
Foxtail millet* 31.0 188 81 2.4 2.8 0.59 0.11 3.2 15.0
Little millet 16.1 130 91 1.8 1.2 0.26 0.05 1.3 36.2
Barnyard
millet*
20.0 280 82 3.0 5.0 0.33 0.10 4.2 -
Decade wise compound growth rates (CGR) for area, production and
yield of finger millet and small millets during 1951 to 2010
Year
Finger millet (Ragi) Small millets
Area Producti
on
Yield Area Production Yield
1951-1960 1.57 4.48 2.85 0.57 0.32 -0.12
1961-1970 -0.28 -1.00 -0.72 -0.32 -1.68 -1.35
1971-1980 1.25 4.28 2.99 -0.76 -0.51 0.25
1981-1990 -1.21 -0.10 1.13 -4.35 -3.26 1.36
1991-2000 -1.80 0.93 2.78 - 5.36 - 5.38 - 0.09
2001-2010 -3.17 -1.73 1.70 - 4.92 -2.93 2.08
No. of varieties released in various small millets (till 2014)
State Finger
Millet
Foxtai
l
millet
Kodo
millet
Little
millet
Proso
millet
Barnyar
d millet
Total
Andhra Pradesh 18 9 ‐ ‐ 4 ‐ 31
Karnataka 37 5 1 ‐ 2 ‐ 45
Tamil Nadu 20 9 7 8 11 4 59
Odisha 6 ‐ ‐ 5 ‐ ‐ 11
Madhya Pradesh ‐ ‐ 17 4 ‐ ‐ 21
Chhattisgarh 1 ‐ 1 ‐ ‐ ‐ 2
Uttar Pradesh 4 1 2 ‐ 1 3 11
Bihar 1 ‐ ‐ ‐ 3 2 6
Jharkhand 4 ‐ ‐ 1 ‐ ‐ 5
Rajasthan ‐ 5 ‐ ‐ 1 1 7
Total 91 29 28 18 22 10 198
Crop-wise interventions proposed to promote production and
utilization of small millets
InterventionMillet Finger Foxtail Kodo Barnyard Proso Little
Genetic enhancement to
augment yield potential
of cultivars
Y Y Y Y Y Y
Identification of suitable
cultivars for end products
Y Y Y Y Y Y
Nutritional profiling of
improved cultivars and
milled products
Y Y Y Y Y Y
Processing interventions - Y Y Y Y Y
Scaling up of technologies Y - - - - Y
Bioavailability studies Y Y - - - -
Commercialization Y Y Y Y Y Y
Promotion Y Y Y Y Y Y
Policy advocacy Y Y Y Y Y Y
Salient Points for Promotion of Underutilized Crops
 Enhancing the efficiency of hybridization techniques in small
millets, Pseudocereals and grain legumes
 Evolving varieties for specific end-uses and increased health
benefits
 Optimization of production technology for rainfed and low input
situations
 Development of technologies to manage important pests and
diseases during production and storage
 Supply chain issues like Procurement, bulking, aggregation, storage
and processing need to be studied.
 Diversify the consumer plate by blending with other cereals to
increase acceptability
 Development of cost-effective processing technology and
improvement of shelf life in finger millet.
Salient Points for Promotion of Underutilized Crops
• Enhancing the efficiency of hybridization techniques
in small millets
• Development of male sterility systems for evolving
hybrids in small millets
• Evolving varieties for specific end-uses and
increased health benefits
• Optimization of production technology for rainfed
and low input situations
• Development of cost-effective processing technology
• Development of technologies to manage important
pests and diseases during production and storage
Thanks
Acknowledgements
BS Phogat
Sanjeev Gupta
Shiv Sewak
VA Tonapi,