Biodiversity and conservation efforts in plantation, spices, and medicinal crops are crucial for preserving ecosystems and sustaining agriculture. These efforts focus on maintaining genetic diversity within plant species, protecting endangered species, and promoting sustainable farming practices. In plantation agriculture, such as tea, coffee, and rubber, conserving biodiversity involves preserving natural habitats, preventing deforestation, and implementing agroforestry practices that support a variety of plant and animal species. This can help maintain ecological balance and ecosystem services like pollination and pest control. In the case of spices, which often come from diverse plant species grown in different regions, conservation efforts may include protecting natural habitats where these plants grow, promoting sustainable harvesting practices, and supporting local communities that depend on spice cultivation. For medicinal crops, biodiversity conservation is essential to safeguarding the genetic diversity of plants used in traditional medicine and modern pharmaceuticals. This involves preserving natural habitats, preventing overharvesting of wild medicinal plants, and promoting cultivation of medicinal crops using sustainable methods. Overall, biodiversity and conservation efforts in plantation, spices, and medicinal crops are vital for ensuring the long-term sustainability of agriculture, protecting ecosystems, and supporting human well-being.

1. BIDHAN CHANDRA KRISHI
VISWAVIDYALAYA
 Topic- Biodiversity and conservation of
plantation, spices, medicinal and aromatic
crops
 Course- Rural horticultural work experience
programme and industrial attachment
 Course code- HORT-401
B.Sc (Hons.) Horticulture,7th Semester

2. Submitted by:
•Hort-15.Parijat Molla
•Hort-16.Payel Paul
•Hort-17.Priya Mondal
•Hort-18.Rahul Karmakar
•Hort-19.Rakhshinda Akhtar
•Hort-21.Saptarshi Nandi

3. Biodiversity and its importance
 Biodiversity is the most important functional component of a natural ecosystem that aid to maintain of
ecological functions and addresses the extent of natural diversity in the biosphere.
 Plant diversity provides a consistent and diverse supply of food, medicine, and raw materials for human
beings. The majority of traditional medicine relies on naturally occurring plant extracts.
 India is known as the "Land of Spices" due to its rich spice heritage and production supremacy. It grows
more than 52-60 spice crops out of the 109 identified by the International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO).
 It is essential to preserve all variability in the species gene pool of spice, including wild relatives, land
races, and cultivars, which are extremely vulnerable and prone to extinction.

4. Coconut [Cocos nucifera]
 Coconut (Cocos nucifera) belong to the family Arecaceae.
 Coconuts can be divided into two genetically distinct groups: the Indo-Atlantic group and the Pacific group.
 The Indo-Atlantic group originates from southern India and nearby regions, while the Pacific group originates
from the region between maritime Southeast Asia and Melanesia.
 CPCRI has the world's largest collection of coconut germplasm with 132 exotic and222 indigenous types.
 Traditional areas of coconut cultivation in India are the states of Kerala, Tamilnadu, Puduchery, West Bengal
, Gujrat and the islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman-Nicobar.
 Important species Cocos nucifera, Cocos intertrappeansis, Cocos sahnii.
BIODIVERSITY
OF PLANTATION
CROPS
Cocos nucifera

5. Cashewnut [Anacardium occidentale]
 Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen
tree Anacardium occidentale.
 It belongs to the family Anacardiaceae.
 It is native to South America.
 A total of 1,490 germplasm accessions are conserved
at NRC on Cashew and at different cashew research
stations in India.
 The tree can grow as tall as 14 metres but the dwarf
cultivars, growing up to 6 m The leaves are spirally
arranged. The flower sare produced in a panicle.

6. Betelvine [Piper betle]
 The betelvine (Piper betle), belongs to the pepper family Piperaceae, native to Southeast Asia. It is
an evergreen vine.
 Betelvine plants are cultivated for their leaves .
 Species Diversity The genus Piper contains about 1000-2000 species. The largest number of Piper
species are found in America (about 700 species), with about 300 species from Southern Asia.
 Some of the important species P. betle, P. siriboa , P. hamiltonii, P. longum.
 The important types are bangla, kapoori, meetha, sanchi , Bidhan pan .

7. Black pepper [Piper nigrum L.]
 Black pepper known as the "King of spices" or "Black gold" belongs to the family Piperaceae and
is originated in the sub-mountainous tracts of the Western Ghats of India.
 The genus Piper includes approximately 1,000-2000 species.
 The IISR in Kozhikode is the National Repository for black pepper germplasm, with 1503 wild and
1669 cultivar accessions in its gene bank that includes approximately 19 indigenous and 9 exotic
species with over 80 local cultivars. A total of 3181 germplasms were maintained at IISR,
Kozhikode, Kerala.
 Some of the important species used in the indigenous medicine system include P. barberi, P.
longum, P. cubeba, P. betle, P. wightii, P. arboreum and P. retrofractum.
BIODIVERSITY
OF SPICES CROPS

8. P. barberi P. wightii P. betle P. cubeba
P. nigrum P. longum P. retrofractum P. arboreum

9. Cardamom [Elettaria cardamomum]
 Cardamom known as the 'Queen of Spices', is the dried fruit of a tall perennial herbaceous plant in the Zingiberaceae
family. It includes several plants from the Elettaria and Amomum genera.
 According to the two genera, one is known as true cardamom, green cardamom, or small cardamom (Elettaria
cardamomum) and the other is recognized as large cardamom or black cardamom (Amomum subulatum).
Species Origin
Elettaria ensal (Gaertn.) Sri Lanka
E. brachycalyx, E. longipilosa, E.
kapitensis, E. rubida and E.
stoloniflora
Sarawak, Malaysia
E. linearicrista Sarawak (Malaysia)
and Brunei
E. longituba and E. multiflora Sumatra
(Indonesia),
Peninsular Malaysia
 Different species of Elettaria

10.  Turmeric is a rhizomatous spice belongs to the family Zingiberaceae.
 The genus Curcuma contains approximately 117 species, 40 of which are distributed in India.
 Turmeric ex-situ gene banks have been set up at NBPGR, Regional Station, Trichur, and IISR,
Calicut.
 The IISR turmeric conservatory has 1040 accessions, including 1,018 cultivars and 16 accessions
of related taxa and 6 exotic collections.
 Some of the important species of Curcuma that used in the indigenous medicine, culinary
purpose and as cosmetic goods include C. longa, C. amada, C. angustifolia, C. aromatica, C.
caesia, C. zeodoaria, C. ferruginea, C. caulina.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)

11. India Biodiversity portal Nura et al., 2020
C. longa C. amada C. angustifolia C. aromatica
C. caesia C. zeodoaria C. ferruginea C. caulina

12.  Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha or winter cherry . It belongs to the family Solanaceae. Grows
in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa.
 In India, systematic germplasm collection has been initiated in 1978 under All India Coordinated Research Projects
(M&AP) at its Mandsaur centre.
 Sufficient genetic variability is available among cultivated and wild types of ashwagandha.
 Only two species, viz. W. coagulans and W. somnifera are found in India
 Variation- W. coagulans a rigid grey under-shrub of 60-120 cm high.
Some other species---
 Withania japonica
 Withania frutescens (L.)
 Withania begonifolia (Roxb.)
W. somnifera
W. coagulans
 ASHWAGANDHA [Withania somnifera]
BIODIVERSITY OF
MEDICINAL
CROPS

13.  SARPAGANDHA is a medicinal plant belonging to the family : Apocynaceae.
 The dried root of sarpagandha commonly known as serpentine root or serpentina
root.
 It is native to the Indian subcontinent and East Asia (from India to Indonesia). It is
a perennial undershrub widely distributed in India in the sub-Himalayan regions up
to 1,000 metres.
 Varieties
• RS-1-Released by JNKVV College of Agriculture, Indore.
• CIM-Sheel- Released by CIMAP, Lucknow is a high yielding variety.
 SARPAGANDHA [Rauvolfia serpentine]

14. Ocimum sanctum(rama tulsi)
Ocimum americanum(American basil) Ocimum basilicum(Genovese basil)
Ocimum basilicum(sweet basil)
Ocimum africanum(lemon basil)
Ocimum tenuiflorum(Kapoor tulsi)
 Tulsi(Ocimum sp)

15.  Periwinkle (Vinca sp)
Vinca difformis Vinca herbacea
Vinca major Vinca minor
Vinca erecta

16. It belongs to the family Cardiopteridaceae
 Species Distribution
• Citronella apogon Bolivia , NW Argentina
• Citronella costarricensis Costa Rica, Panama,
• Citronella engleriana Rio de Janeiro
• Citronella hirsuta New Caledonia
• Citronella incarum Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
• Citronella latifolia Samar
BIODIVERSITY
OF AROMATIC
CROPS
CITRONELLA [Cymbopogon nardus]
Cymbopogon nardus
Cymbopogon winterianus Cymbopogon Citratus Cymbopogon martini

17.  Lemongrass ( Cymbapogon citratus) is also known as fever grass.
 It belongs to the family poaceae.
 Species: Distribution:
• Cymbopogon ambiguus Australia
• Cymbopogon annamensis Vietnam, Thailand
• Cymbopogon bhutanicus Bhutan
• Cymbopogon bombycinus- Australia
• Cymbopogon densiflorus Central + south-central Africa
• Cymbopogon dependens Australia
• Cymbopogon dieterlenii South Africa
Cymbopogon ambiguus
Cymbopogon citratus
Cymbopogon bombycinus
LEMONGRASS [Cymbopogon citratus]

18.  Conservation of plantation, spice, medicinal & aromatic crops
Conservation

19. Conservation of plantation crops
 COCONUT
 CPCRI has the world's largest collection of coconut germplasm with 132 exotic
and222 indigenous types. Exotic collections from 27 countries comprise 106
talls, 24 dwarf, one semi-tall and one hybrid. The indigenous collection
comprises 198 talls and 24 dwarfs from different regions including Andaman
and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep group of Islands.
 International Coconut Gene Bank (ICGB) located in India, Indonesia, Papua
New Guinea.
 World Coconut Germplasm (WCG) is located at Sipoghat, Andaman Nicobar
Islands, India.
 Coconut Development Board (CDB) is located at Cochin, Kerala.
Chowghat Orange Dwarf Kalpa Jyothi Kalpa Surya

20.  CASHEW NUT
 A total of 1,490 germplasm accessions are conserved at NRC on Cashew and at different cashew research
stations in India. These are primarily indigenous types selected from seedling progenies of limited initial
introduction with a few exotic types. The National Cashew Gene Bank (NCGB) which has been established at
NRCC, Puttur is exclusively with clonal accessions.
Apple, nut and kernels of Tis-3 selection
Fruit bunch, apples and nuts of
Selection
Ganje-2
Apple, nut and kernels of
Selection KN-2/98

21. Sumangala Sreemangala Mohitnagar Swarnamangala
 ARECANUT
 In arecanut,164 germplasm collections of which 23 exotic and 141 indigenous are conserved at CPCRI, Vittal.

22. Conservation of spice crops
 Black pepper-
 The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR),
kozhikode and National Bureau of Plant
Genetic Resources (NBPGR) have given high
priority for systematic collection and
conservation of black pepper growing in the
western ghats. In IISR, about 3,000 accessions
of black pepper are conserved.
 Turmeric-
Turmeric ex-situ gene banks have been set up at
NBPGR, regional station, Trichur, and IISR, Calicut.
The IISR turmeric conservatory has 1040
accessions, including 1,018 cultivars and 16
accessions of related taxa and 6 exotic collections.

23.  Small cardamom-
 ICRS, Appangala, Karnataka[Cultivated-403, Related taxa-13 = Total-416]
 ICRS, Myladumpara, Kerala[Cultivated-600, Related taxa-12 = Total-612]
 ICRS, Pampadumpara, Kerala[Cultivated-151, Related taxa-1 = Total-152]
 ICRS, RRS, Karnataka[Cultivated-161]
 Ginger-
 IISR.Kozhikode,kerala accessions=645
 YSPUHF,Solan,Himachal Pradesh  accessions=271
 UBKV,Pundibari,West Bengal  accessions=31

24. Conservation of medicinal & aromatic crops

25. Conservation of medicinal & aromatic crops
 In The Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (ICAR-DMAPR),
Anand, Gujarat,many germplasms are collected and conserved .
 The All India Coordinated Research Project on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
(AICRP. MAP) made its beginning in the Fourth Five Year Plan (1967-72) with five
centers, two based in ICAR institutes, viz., Indian Agricultural Research Institute
(IARI)/National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi and Indian
Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore.
 More than 90% of the formulations under the Indian Systems of Medicine that is,
Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), predominantly contain
plant-based raw materials.
 Central Scheme for Development and Cultivation of Medicinal Plants was
implemented in 1990/91.
 National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) is located in New Delhi.

26. Tissue Culture Lab
Sucker Selection Virus Indexing Multiplication &
Rooting
Initiation Shoot Elongation
Primary Hardening
Mechanise
Tray Filling
Grading & Planting
in Protray
Primary Hardening
in Greenhouse
Automised climate
control system
Despatch to
Secondary hardening
Secondary Hardening Tertiary Hardening
Planting in Big Tray
by Robotic Machine
Secondary Hardening
in Polyhouse
Starting - Adoptation
to outside Climate
Plant adoptation to
Climatic condition
Plant development in
Controlled Polyhouse
Distribution and After Sale Service
Dispatch in
Special Crate
Dispatch of healthy &
well rooted Plants
Agronomical Support
VISIT HIGH-TECH HORTICULTURE AT JAIN IRRIGATION SYSTEMS LIMITED
 Tissue culture is used as a method of
conservation at Jain Hill Irrigation.
 Jain Hill Irrigation employs tissue culture
primarily for the propagation and conservation
of rare and endangered plant species.
 It ensures Disease free Plant Production
,genetic preservation and propagation
of exotic species.

27. Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Curry Leaf
Adulsa Nutmeg
Cinnamon Lemon grass
Agro-forestry Plants
Vekhand
All Spices
Noni
Reetha
Behada
Aloe vera
Patharchatta
Spices
Spices are used for flovouring,seasoning and imparting
aroma in foods. Jain Hi –Tech Nursery deals with the
spices seedling of Chilli, Turmeric, Ginger,Garlic, Black
paper etc. These plants are propagated through seed and
vegetative parts like rhizome and bulbs.
Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Jain Hi-Tech Nursery deals with several medicinal plants.
It includes Neem, Adulsa, All spice, Ashwagandha,
Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Curry leaf, Aloe vera,
Nutmeg, Patharchatta, Tulsi, Noni, etc.

28. Primary and secondary hardening of coconut

29. Germplasm collection of ginger and
turmeric
Tissue culture of black
pepper

30. Tissue culture in coffee:primary and secondary
hardening

31. Biodiversity loss is a global issue. India is one of the 17-mega diverse countries of the world. In
conclusion, our conservation efforts for PMAS crops are crucial for preserving biodiversity,
maintaining ecosystem balance, and ensuring the sustainability of our planet. Through initiatives
such as seed banks, and innovative techniques like tissue culture, we are actively working
towards safeguarding endangered species.
Some of the species of the plantation, spices, medicinal and aromatic crops have become
endangered today due to lack of conservation and overexploitation. So it is very important to
know about the biodiversity of these important crops and conserve them through in-situ or ex-situ.
Conclusion

32. Reference
• https://cpcri.icar.gov.in/page/article/cpcri_crop_improvement
• https://www.slideshare.net/MeghaSShah2/conservation-of-medicinal-plant-248352381#2
• Wikipedia
• Introduction to spices, plantation crops , medicinal and aromatic crops- N.Kumar
• Glaustus Horticulture
• Britannica, (2023). Black pepper. Encyclopedia Britannica.
• Britannica (2024). Ginger. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/ginger
• Farooq A., Ali A., Khalid M. A., and Anwar-ul-Hassan. (2016) -Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) Oils.
Victor R. Preedy, Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety, Academic Press, Pages 295-301

33. Thank you