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This book records the efforts of several grass root NGOs in Asia for on-farm conservation of indigenous genetic resources. A large number of grass root efforts are in progress for the on-farm conservation of indigenous genetic resources. This book attempts to capture these efforts that have been in prog- ress in Asia. The coverage of the groups involved in this effort is by no means exhaustive and must only be considered as representative of this effort. It is meant to promote sharing and exchange of information as well as materials where-ever desirable and feasible and also lead to the formation of networks and coalitions in this important area of work.
Reviews:
"This is a timely book since both the Plant Variety Protection and Farmers Right Act 2001 and the Biodiversity Act 2002 have now become operational. Both these Acts emphasize the importance of conserving biodiversity at three levels eco- system, species and varieties/ land races. In the past, in situ on-farm conservation of intraspecific variability was common. Such conservation traditions are now either disappearing or getting diluted. Ex situ conservation of perennial plants through botanical gardens and arboreta was also common. Species of keystone value were preserved in sacred groves. As the pressure of population on precious bioresources increases, the urgency of conserving in- traspecific variability in village-level seed banks and cryogenic gene banks has increased. This is where the present book which deals with traditional seed conservation techniques is a timely one. The book consists of a series of papers dealing with different aspects of community seed management. The papers clearly bring out the need for conservation as well as the search for new genes.
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