Vegetos

Abstract

Wild rice collections form the priority target group among rice germplasm for characterization, evaluation, conservation and utilization. So far 889 accessions of wild rice (Oryza spp.) germplasm were collected by ICAR-NBPGR from Gangetic Plains and eastern region of India in last four decades. Passport information on assembled germplasm was used to know habitat specificity and diversity pattern to predict their distribution; this will help execution of explorations. Germplasm accessions belonging to six different wild rice taxa–Oryza meyeriana var. granulata (4), O. nivara (484), O. officinalis (50), O. rufipogon (367), O. sativa var. spontanea (18) and Porteresia coarctata (10) were collected from Gangetic Plains and eastern region of India. GIS mapping had shown that maximum numbers of wild rice species were collected from north-western and north-eastern regions of Odisha. In this study, we used current (1950–2000) and projected climate data for 2050 through ‘EcoCrop’ model to predict habitat suitability areas for wild rice. Predicted habitat suitability map (1950–2000) had shown that at present >80% area of Gangetic Plains and eastern region of India are suitable for wild rice occurrence. Projection for 2050 indicated that nearly 47.7% areas becoming less suitable for wild rice distribution, indicating urgent need for exploration in prioritized areas for wild rice, particularly in these regions of India.