Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

LARGE SCALE CULTIVATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS OF ALLIUM STRACHEYI BAKER – AN ENDANGERED MEDICINAL PLANT OF WESTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA

Rajasekaran Chandrasekaran, Kalaivani Thiagarajan, Amrita Mukherjee, Mariadoss Alphonse, Kanagam Nachiappan, Parthibanraja, A1., Kusum Chauhan, Laxman Singh Kandari, Lakhpat Singh Rawat and Rakesh Kumar Maikhuri

Abstract

The Himalaya is a known home for diverse flora and fauna with medicinal properties. For millennia, Himalayan plants are used to treat simple cough to fatal snake bites. Traditional ethno-botanical knowledge (TEK) is an important tool to treat various ailments. Food as medicine is a very essential component to maintain healthy life and extend our life span. Pharmaceutical industries are utilizing about 95% of medicinal plants from the wild populations of Indian Himalayan region. Uttrakhand, one of the herbal states of Himalaya is known as a treasure house of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) because of its distinct ecology and geography. Allium stracheyi Baker one of the important MAP belonging to the family Alliaceae locally known as Jambu is an endangered red listed species indigenous to Nanda Devi Biosphere Region (NDBR) with deficient information. Therefore, the study was carried out to present a comprehensive overview on the importance of A. stracheyi in the Indian Himalayan economy and TEK of tribes, with special emphasis on availability, cultivation and uses. The dominant Bhotiya tribes cultivated A. stracheyi during summer season. They have peculiar and specific ethano-botanical knowledge (TEK on medicinal plant propagation and environmental management. A. stracheyi leaves, flowers, bulbs and the whole plant are largely used as medicine, spices, condiments, vegetables and ornaments. The total production and monetary equivalent was reported maximum for A. stracheyi due to large cultivation. The intense knowledge of A. stracheyi has provided much understanding on the importance of medicinal plants and the necessity to conserve them. Wide opportunities are available to explore different cultivation methods and conservation strategies of A. Stracheyi. Also policy constraints on the cultivation and commercialization of A. stracheyi has been focused in this study.