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Agro-biodiversity and ethnobotany of Lakshadweep Islands of India

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Abstract

The Lakshadweep is a tiny landmass of 32 km2 area (8o–12oN, 71o–74oE) constituted by a group of 27 small atolls located in the Indian territory of Arabian Sea of Indian Ocean. Studies on crop genetic diversity including wild relatives of crop plants of the region are little known except for coconut palm. This report deals with 106 collections assembled in two exploration and collection missions comprising 46 plant species under 35 genera belonging to 24 families. The plant germplasm collected during the trips are mostly useful as vegetable, fibre, medicinal plant, dye, edible tuber, timber and ecosystem service provider. The crop wild relatives collected during the study include that of sunnhemp, melon, yam, jute, pigeon pea, sugarcane, etc. A set of germplasm accessions was sent to national research institutes for regeneration. Out of the total collection, 64 accessions were assigned with national identity (Indigenous Collection or IC numbers: IC 0572014 to IC 0572077), and conserved in long term storage at National Gene Bank or in the field gene bank of ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi. The important germplasm assembled from the islands include highly pungent betel leaf and a large fruited noni. Plants of Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.) Thouars, bitter less Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naudin saline tolerant Canavalia cathartica Thouars, Vigna marina (Burm.) Merr. and Corchorus trilocularis L. were the unique wild relatives collected. The current report is the first of its kind on the exploration and collection of plant genetic resources (other than coconut) from Lakshadweep Islands. Wild melon accessions collected are currently employed in distant hybridization programs. During the survey, ethnobotanic information of 23 plants for medicinal and other uses was also documented. Novel uses of the native plant species in the islands indicate their potential for exploitation in other coastal ecosystems. This report aims to highlight the potential plant resources of the region for direct human use and in future breeding programs.

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Abbreviations

AICRP:

All India Co-ordinated Research Project

CCARI:

Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute

CPCRI:

Central Plantation Crops Research Institute

CRIJAF:

Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres

CTCRI:

Central Tuber Crops Research Institute

DOR:

Directorate of Oilseeds Research

IC:

Indigenous Collection

ICAR:

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

IIPR:

Indian Institute of Pulses Research

KAU:

Kerala Agricultural University

LTS-NGB:

Long Term Storage National Gene Bank

MTS-T:

Medium Term Storage,Thrissur

NBPGR:

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources

NBPGR-D:

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi

NBPGR-H:

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Hyderabad

NBPGR-T:

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Thrissur

NHCP:

National Herbarium of Cultivated Plants

NRC MAP:

National Research Centre for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

NRCAF:

National Research Centre for Agroforestry

PGR:

Plant Genetic Resources

SBI, CBE:

Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore

CWR:

Crop Wild Relative

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR - National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, KAU P.O, Thrissur, Kerala, 680656, India

    K. Joseph John, R. Asokan Nair & A. Suma

  2. ICAR - Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekaryam P.O, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695017, India

    M. Unnikrishnan

  3. ICAR - Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Regional Station, Minicoy, Lakshadweep Islands, 682559, India

    V. Arunachalam

  4. ICAR - Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Ela, Old Goa, Goa, 403402, India

    V. Arunachalam

Authors
  1. K. Joseph John
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  2. R. Asokan Nair
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  3. A. Suma
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  4. M. Unnikrishnan
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Correspondence to V. Arunachalam.

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Ethical statement

I Dr Vadivel Arunachalam, corresponding author of the article entitled” Agro-biodiversity and ethnobotany of Lakshadweep Islands of India” on behalf of all the authors of the article submit the same for possible publication in the journal Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. I wish to declare on my own behalf and on behalf of all co-authors that the article follows the ethical standards and correct data and facts are presented. I declare that there are no conflict of interests. The article is original and has not been submitted elsewhere for publication. The study does not involve human or animal subjects in the study.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Fig. S1. Plant of Corchorus trilocularis L. (JPEG 1764 kb)

Fig. S2. Pods of tree legume Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. (JPEG 1824 kb)

Fig. S3. Dye yielding shrub legume Indigofera tinctoria L (JPEG 754 kb)

Fig. S4. Green manure legume Crotalaria juncea L. (JPEG 541 kb)

Fig. S5. Leaves of shampoo plant Colubrina asiatica L. (JPEG 1416 kb)

Fig. S6. Teak/timber of the island Cordia subcordata Lam. (JPEG 1746 kb)

Fig. S7. Leaves of Patti (Macaranga roxburghii) plant used as food wrapper (JPEG 1772 kb)

Fig. S8. Sea lettuce plant Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb. (= S. sericea Vahl) used as goat fodder (JPEG 1871 kb)

Fig. S9. Leaves and fruits of the Pandanus tectorius Parkinson ex Du Roi  (JPEG 1744 kb)

Fig. S10. Leaf vegetable of the island Launea sarmentose (Willd.) Schultz-Bip.ex Kuntze (JPEG 558 kb)

Fig. S11. Drumstick type with red stem (JPEG 1538 kb)

Fig. S12. Black nightshade plant (Solanum nigrum L.) (JPEG 1749 kb)

Supplementary material 13 (DOCX 31 kb)

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Joseph John, K., Asokan Nair, R., Suma, A. et al. Agro-biodiversity and ethnobotany of Lakshadweep Islands of India. Genet Resour Crop Evol 65, 2083–2094 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-018-0676-8

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