Agrobiodiversity Documentation in Puranchaur, Pokhara Through Four Cell Analysis: Biodiversity of Rice

Abstract

Agrobiodiversity indicates variety and variability among living organisms present in the farming area. The climatic variability of Nepal has supported the maximum diversity of agricultural crops and animal species. The number of cultivated food crops in Nepal is 577 including forage/pasture species among which 484 are indigenous and 93 are introduced/exotic species. This study was carried out to assess the biodiversity of rice in Puranchaur, Pokhara, Nepal. A field survey was conducted from 60 farmers who represent the total farming population. The collected data from the questionnaire survey were further analysed using SPSS Statistics 23.0. Out of the average total land (0.50 hectares), the average total cultivated land was only 0.39 hectares. The average productivity of rice in the study area was 4.035 m.ha^-1. The different rice varieties cultivated by farmers in the study area were documented and analysed through four cell analysis method since it is a popular analysis tool to manage the local level agricultural diversity. From the study three rice landraces Pahele, Gurdi, and Jhinuwa were found to be the most preferred, and Anadi is the least preferred in the area. Based on this study, possible conservation strategies for threatened and endangered species were also identified. The possible interventions include on-farm conservation, in situ conservation, ex-situ conservation, and conservation plant breeding.