Agro-Biodiversity of Kumaun Himalaya, India: A Review

Kumaun Himalaya is one of the unique systems rich in indigenous traditional knowledge and culturally strong. In the present study, qualitative and quantitative data were on agro-biodiversity through field and literature survey. Altogether, 160 plant species belonging to 117 genera and 57 families were recorded. In addition, a large number of land races, varieties and wild relatives are also being used. Cultivation of these crops is mainly of subsistence in nature rather than for commercial purposes. Due to a number of reasons, the area under traditional crops is declining in Kumaun Himalayan region but many of the crop varieties are still conserved because of their socio-cultural and religious values. The human population has increased over time forcing farmers to change their cropping patterns, for example, replacement of mixed cropping to mono-cropping and switching over to cash crops. This has adverse implications on traditional agro-biodiversity of the region. There are both local and global advantages in supporting a dynamic traditional system of agro-biodiversity management. Therefore, promotion and conservation of agro-biodiversity should be done through sustainable use and on- farm and off- farm management.