Exploration and Germplasm Collection:

A total of 17277 germplasm accessions were collected through 176 explorations. Some of the remarkable, areas, far distant places, remote and inaccessible areas and tribal dominated areas i.e., Niti and urgam valleys, Roopkund (5000 m), Valley of Flowers (3000-4500 m), Tharus and Buxas tribal dominated villages (100-300 m), Har-Ki-Doon, Chansil Dhar (4000 m), Garbyang, Om Parvat, Parvati Sarovar (4500 m), Sunder Dhunga, Kafni and Pindari glaciers (3000-4500 m) were surveyed and explored.

Characterization and Conservation:

• A total 17116 accessions were characterized and evaluated viz. field crops (15522), horticultural crops (1143) and M & AP (451).
• 1017 accessions of different crops comprising Horticultural crops (536), WEUP (227), wild Allium (174) and MAP (80) were maintained in the FGB.
• In Medium Term Storage (MTS), 11,786 accessions including cereals (3509), pseudo-cereals (582), millets (592), pulses and legumes (3820) oilseeds (543), vegetables (1599), spices and condiments (695), medicinal and aromatic plants (179), ornamentals (23) and WEUP (284) have been maintained.
• During last one decade RET species viz., Allium stracheyi, Allium negianum, Citrus medica, Prunus cornuta, Prunus jacquemontii, Prunus mira, Ribes alpastre, Ribes himalense, Thymes lineris were collected and maintained in the field gene bank for future research purposes.
• Total 15 accessions of Olive and Avocado have been enriched in the field gene bank for evaluation and further popularized suitable accessions.
• First time Allium przewaliskianum was collected from Trans-Himalayan region of Niti valley, Chamoli, Uttarakhand, which is domesticated by the local community as seasoning spice and maintained in field gene bank.
• A new taxon of genus Allium was collected and conserved (Allium negianum) from sandy soils along the rivers of Alpine meadow (Altitude 3000-4800 m asl.) of Malari region of Niti valley, Chamoli, Uttarakhand.
• A total of 174 accessions of wild Alliums were maintained in field gene banks and characterized for morphological characters such as vegetative growth, flowering character and seed morphology.
• A total of 61 accessions of different Rubus species (25) were collected from Indian Himalaya including Western Himalaya and North Eastern Himalaya and established in filed gene bank for morphological characterization, bio systematic studies and domestication.

  Germplasm Exchange and Supply:

• A total of 20,873 germplasm accessions of various crops have been supplied to different indentors under MTA.
• A total of 4,17,830 quality planting material including rooted live plant propagules/ grafted fruit plants were supplied to different progressive farmers / indenters as per their request.

Varieties released: Wheat:

• 1963: NP846 (Rio Nego x NP 760) – (Tall variety suited for rainfed areas of Northern hills).
• 1978-79: HB 208 (EC4714 x HB (M) 65-50 or Kiran) – Double dwarf could be grown under rainfed as well as under irrigated condition).
• 1980: HB 501 (C no’s x Son 64 x Kl. Rend.) x S. ceros) – Hill bunt resistant.
• 1980: HB 102-101 (Kal’s x NP 846) – (Daruranan 1) in Afghanistan.

Ricebean:

• 2003: BRS-01 Green mottled grain colour – Identified and notified (for hills) for grain yield and early maturity during Varietal Identification Committee meeting at GAU, SK Nagar, Gujarat w.e.f. April 04 – 05, 2003.

New Crops introduced and popularized:

Elite germplasm popularisation: Kiwi, Actinidia chinensis (EC64093, EC24672, EC64094, EC64090, EC137263, EC64092), Kagazi nimbu, Citrus aurantifolia (IC319045), Uttaranchali Chow-Chow, Sechium edule (IC319045), Kaku, Diospyros kaki-Japanese persimmon, Allium sp (IC219062), Hisalu – Rubus sp. (IC219063), Perennial Phlox (IC319010, IC319011, IC319012), Rosmary, Rosmarinus officinalis (IC449513, IC334572 & NIC 23416), Lavender, Lavendula angustifolia (IC212822 & IC273870), Rose geranium, Pelargonium graveolens (IC296494, NIC 23413), Marjoram, Origanum vulgare (NIC 23428), Aloe, Aloe barbadensis (IC-353504), Sweet Basil, O. basilicum (EC333788, EC383447, EC387835), Camphor Basil, Ocimum kilimanscharicum (IC449493), French lavender, Lavendula stoechus (IC449512), Lemon Basil, O. citriodorum (EC338785), Holy Basil, O. sanctum (IC212802), Oregano, Origanum vulgare (IC589087, IC589079), Spiked ginger Lily, Hedychium spicatum (IC573208), Indian Valerian, Valeriana jatamansi (IC573206), French bean (BBS-11, BBS-13 & BBS-24), Stevia, Stevia rebaudiana (IC449511), Wheat (HB-208, 101 and 102), Hordeum bulbosum (EC328175), Pea (Harbhajan and Selection 18), Bold seeded Soybean (IC296814) and Black seeded soybean (IC548683), Rice bean (Naini, Mansa, Chaukhamba, BRS-01) for distribution among the local farmers.

Popularization of landraces for on-farm conservation through participatory approach: Total 734 accessions of various Kharif and Rabi crops were tested at farmer’s field towards their mainstreaming and on-farm conservation out of which about 45 varieties/accessions have been brought into the cultivation.

Genetic Stock identified:
Kharif Crops:
Paddy: (i) Leaf blast resistant: IC322424, IC322414, (ii) Helminthosporium and leaf spot:  IC548675, IC548685, IC556520, IC548372, IC548375 and IC548391, (iii) high protein: Lambgudi, (iv) High potassium and phosphorus content: Bamkua
Chilli: IC537595 against powdery mildew, leaf spot, mosaic virus and fruit rot.
Soybean: IC567944 against leaf spot, mosaic virus; IC 262059 for high protein and iron content; IC 393217  for high flavonoids content; IC 574366) for high total anti-oxidant and phenols.
Ricebean: RBL-160, IC563980, RBL-6 and PRR-1, LRB-320, PRR-1, LRB-425 and LRB-443 against leaf spot, mosaic virus and powdery mildew.
French bean: IC566782 and IC280837 against leaf spot, mosaic virus, yellow mosaic virus and powdery mildew (vegetable type climber).
Rabi Crops:
Wheat: (i)   Powdery mildew resistant: EC609399, EC609401 & EC609436 (ii) Yellow rust resistant: EC609431, IC564096,  IC544162 (iii)  Yellow rust and powdery mildew: IC564103 and EC609402.
Barley: (i)  Yellow rust resistant: IC564128 and IC564167
Pea: (i) Powdery mildew resistant: IC208371, IC208378, IC389174, EC507770, IC208367, IC208377 and IC218999.
Til/Sesame: EC556549 against leaf spot and mosaic virus.
Coriander: IC564140 and IC564150 against powdery mildew and wilt diseases.
Patents/ registration obtained:

• Vegetable type soybean (Glycine max Merr.)- P-1366/IC296814/INGR No. 01035 for bold seeded soybean.
• Wild Horse gram (Macrotyloma sar-garhwalensis Gaur & Dangwal-IC212722/INGR No. 02007) for high percentage of protein (>38.75).
• Scented Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L’ Heritier-IC296494/NIC-23414/INGR No. 03039) for quality aroma (Geraniol-28.56% and Citronellol 32.28%).
• Scented Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L’ Heritier- NIC-023413/PN-1696/ INGR No. 07042) for quality aroma (Citronellol 62.03%).
• Meetha Reetha/Sweet soap nut tree (Sapindus mukorossi Gaertner)- IC538068 (INGR-08060)– Fruit sweet in taste (TSS – 12 – 140 Brix).
• Uttaranchali Kagazi Nimbu (INGR 08098/IC319045/ P/N/SKV-1863)-Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) frost tolerants. TSS 7.10 Brix, suitable for cultivation in hills up to 2000 m asl.
• French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) (INGR 10026/IC280837). Found free from diseases as compared to checks and other lines. As the plants are quite large in height they can be used as green fodder for domestic cattle. The pods are also large in size and width they are used to feed domestic cattle after shelling the grains.
• French Lavender (Lavendula stoechas; Lamiaceae) (NJSSN-2666/IC449512). Presence of high camphor makes it a promising material for pharmaceutical industry.
• Oregano (Origanum vulgare; Lamiaceae) (MMBO-3055/ IC 589079/ INGR13018). High Carvacrol content – 63.6% .
• Oregano (Origanum vulgare; Lamiaceae) (NKO-68/ IC589087/ INGR13046). High percentage of phenolic compound Thymol (85.87%) and high yield of essential oil (2.07%).

 Production technologies developed/ Implementable technology generated and transferred

• Technical know-how provided to farmers of Uttarakhand for production of quality planting material. Propagation technique of Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis) through cuttings and grafting; frost free Citrus (Citrus aurantifolia) through nucellar seedlings / cuttings was popularized at large scale. In kiwi and stone fruit crops approximately 20,000 grafted saplings were distributed to the local farmers since 2017.
• Concept enhancement / development of production technologies for commercial cultivation by popularizing exotic aromatic crops in different blocks of Uttarakhand and progressive farmers have been identified for large scale multiplication/cultivation/nucleus nursery. Seedlings and cuttings of the promising aromatic crops i.e., Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)–More than one lakh; Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)–more than 02 lakh; Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)–Fifty thousand; Sweet Marjoram (Marjorana hortensis)–Five thousand; Caraway (Carum carvii)–01 Kg seed; China Pati (Artemisia annua)–01 Kg seed; Lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus)–Ten thousand saplings were distributed since 1999.
• Steam Distillation Unit capacity of five quintal has been installed in the premises of R/S Bhowali for extraction of essential oil with the courtesy of ICEOFF, Daryaganj, New Delhi. So far twenty different indigenous and exotic aromatic plant species were extracted for essential oil.
• Germplasm of wild relatives of Allium species, rare, threatened, endemic, endangered species is district Pithoragarh and economically useful plant Allium clarkeii f. (IC-383446) collected from village Munsiyari, Uttarakhand for the first time, earlier reported from a restricted area Skardo in Kashmir.
• Inventorization and agro techniques of rare, threatened, endemic, endangered and commercially important ten plant species i.e., Acorus calamus (Bach), Coleus forskohlii (Patharchoor), Curcuma zedoaria (Karchoor), Hedychium spicatum (Spiked ginger lilly), Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender), Pelargonium graveolens (Rose geranium), Piper retrofractum (Chabya), Pistacia integerrima (Kakarsingi), Valeriana jatamansi (Indian Valerian), Zanthoxylum armatum (Timoor) were developed.