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1 May 2004 Bioprospecting of Wild Edibles for Rural Development in the Central Himalayan Mountains of India
Rakesh K. Maikhuri, Kottapalli S. Rao, Krishna G. Saxena
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Abstract

Despite abundant wild edible plant resources with immense potential for economic development, Uttaranchal, a newly created hill state situated in the Central Indian Himalaya, remains underdeveloped, owing primarily to inaccessibility and poor infrastructure. Development initiatives show little concern for mountain perspectives. Yet the region is rich in resources and underutilized plant species with potential food value, about which there is little knowledge. For the present study, 13 potentially exploitable wild fruit species and 1 semidomesticated species with good potential for exploitation were selected; 6—Aegle marmelos (bael or Bengal quince), Berberis asiatica (barberry), Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn), Myrica nagi (box myrtle), Rubus ellipticus (yellow Himalayan raspberry), and Prunus armeniaca (apricot)—were examined closely in terms of economic potential. A variety of value-added edible products such as jam, jelly, juice, and squash were made to generate income from these wild fruits, particularly for poor rural people. This was demonstrated locally to encourage people to engage in small-scale village-level cottage industries.

Rakesh K. Maikhuri, Kottapalli S. Rao, and Krishna G. Saxena "Bioprospecting of Wild Edibles for Rural Development in the Central Himalayan Mountains of India," Mountain Research and Development 24(2), 110-113, (1 May 2004). https://doi.org/10.1659/0276-4741(2004)024[0110:BOWEFR]2.0.CO;2
Published: 1 May 2004
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