Conservation and utilization of genetic resources of finger millet in Nepal: status, problems and future prospects

Finger millet (Eleusine coracona G.) occupies 9 percent of the cultivated area and ranks fourth as staple food in Nepal. Its significance as staple diet is higher among poorer of remote hills who have no access to better alternatives. About 77 percent of 263950 ha finger millet are lies in mid-hills where it is mostly relayed with maize. The crop is labour intensive and productivity is 1104 kg per hectare. More than 50 percent of the harvest is used to prepare home made liquor, which is an indispensable item in ceremonies and rituals of some ethnic groups. Genetic diversity is more in mid hills but decreases as we go towards mid and far-western regions. Farmers of different eco-systemare maintaining diversified finger millet land races best suited to their complex farming systems. Finger millet is one of the crops taken to study under ongoing in-situ conservation project in three different eco-sites i.e. high hill, mid-hill and terai. Local Initiatives for Bio-diversity Research and Develop (LI-BIRD) is involved in the project as local NGO partner. Research on finger millet is one of the mandate given to Hill Crops Research Programme (HCRP) and till to date three varieties viz. Okhle-1, Kabre-1 and Dalle-1 have been released and former two of them are selection from local landraces. So far characterization of seven hundred and twenty finger millet landraces have been done which are stored at Agriculture Botany Division, Khumaltar (Nepal) under controlled condition of 5-7 degree celsius temperature and 40 percent relative humidity. Accessions expressed tremendous variability in major characters like plant height, days to maturity and yield as well as tolerance to blast (Pyricularia grisea) and cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora spp.). Changing food habit and cropping pattern is becoming a meanace to the conservation of finger millet genetic diversity. Existing facility of Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) does not permit long term storage without loosing seed viability. At present, HCRP does not have trained personnel to utilize genetic diversity in breeding programme. Farmers are conserving diversified finger millet landraces adapted to their specific agro-ecological condition, which have paramount significance to sustain hill farming and provide food security to the poor people. Future prospect lies on the conservation and utilization of such resources by adding value with the direct evolvement of stakeholders. Government policies on price fixation, long term storage as buffer stock, legalization of home made liquor and use in babies' food and confectioneries as well as inclusion on millet recipes in star hotel minus will encourage finger millet cultivation and thus conserve its genetic diversity.