Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources

Efforts have been made to identify the suitable natural condition for long-medium term storage of horticultural crops and rare threatened species of the region, seeds cost effectivity, by comparing different natural storage conditions including controlled chamber maintained temperature at-18 ºC and the other at ambient natural conditions at different locations i.e., permafrost are Chang-La, situated at the height of 17, 600 ft. in trans-Himalayan region with subzero temperature for most part of the year, Leh location where temperature also remains at-subzero for half the year and Chandigarh having a tropical climate. The 16 important horticulture crops and four medicinal plants representing the dicotyledonous seeds were assessed for different storage conditions for their germination percentage and longevity. The germination of stored seeds was monitored after five years. The results showed that all the accessions were able to maintain their seed germination percentage very close to their original values in the two locations i.e., Chang-La and Leh. Suggesting that some horticulture crops and rare medicinally important species could be stored in-situ for long and medium-term conservation at natural low temperature at Leh and at extreme altitude 17, 600 ft above sea level permafrost facility at Chang-La.