There is a worldwide concern over the loss of diversity of plant genetic resources. In the past, hills were considered as natural harbour of biodiversity in general and agri-bidoversity in particular mainly due to their inaccessibility and less population pressure. But now the plant genetic resources even in these nature's treasures are being eroded at much faster rate largely due to habitat destruction/alteration, over exploitation, urbanisation and increased population pressure. While conducting surveys in different parts if hills it was observed that two types of genetic erosion have occurred firstly is within the diversity of crop i.e. the substitution of a diverse set of genetically variable landraces by few genetically uniform modern varieties and secondly between crops i.e. the substitution of un-used/under-utilised crops (amaranth, buckwheat, chenopod, small millets and barley by high valued cash crops like green pea, hops, potato and apple). Other associated factors such as changed food habits, depletion in the diversity of agricultural related animals have also been found responsible to narrowing the agricultural horizon. Several landraces, which were there in the farmer's field in 1977–78, were found totally eroded in the year 1997–98.
Agri-biodiversity, genetic erosion, Himalayas
