On-farm Management of Rice Varieties in Kumaon Himalayas of Uttarakhand

In heterogenous agro-ecosystems, local farming communities used to grow different cultivars adaptable in different eco-niches. They are the managers of crop diversity as well as custodians of the important genetic wealth. The Himalayan highlands are important centre of crop diversity due to high ecological heterogeinity and socio-cultural integrations. Rice crop genetic diversity managed by the local farm households in Kumaon Himalaya of Uttarakhand state has been documented in the present study. Farmers management and on-farm conservation of existing rice varieties were studied in detail. Farmers variety selection criteria, seed flow, exchange and traditional storage techniques, which are the important processes involved in on-farm management were also studied in greater detail. This study examines and discusses the processes of seed and variety selection, adaptation in different agro-ecosystem in respect of management of crop diversity for subsistence needs.