PLANT INTRODUCTION

Introduction
• It is the process of introducing plants or germplasms either from a
foreign country or introducing plants or germplasm from one region
to other regions of the same country.
• In other words, plant introduction refers to transposition of crop
plants from the place of their cultivation to such areas where they
were never grown earlier.
• Plant introduction is followed by acclimatisation, i.e., the adaptation
of an individual plant or a population of plants, under the changed
climate.
Primary and Secondary Introduction
Primary Introduction:
• When the introduced variety is well suited to new environ­ment then it is
released for commercial cultivation without any alteration of genotype. For
example, dwarf wheat varieties like ‘Sonora-64’, ‘Lerma rojo’ and dwarf rice
varieties like ‘Taichung Native 1’, ‘IR-8’ are the examples of primary
introduction.
Secondary Introduction:
• When the introduced variety is subjected to Selection or used in hybridization
programme with local varieties to get the improved varieties with some new
characters introduced called secondary introduction. For example, the varieties
like ‘Kalyan Sona’ and ‘Sonalika’ of wheat have been selected from material
introduced from Mexico.
Direct and Indirect Introduction
Direct introduction
• Introductions which are immediately adapted to the changed
environment are called direct introductions.
Indirect introduction
• Introductions which require few years for adaptation are known as
indirect introductions.
Based on region from where plants are
introduced
Intercontinental plant introduction:
• Plant material is introduced from the country of another continent
e.g., Ridley wheat variety from Austria in India.
Intracontinental or Inter-countries plant introduction:
• Introduction of plant material from another country within same
continent, for e.g., Litchi and loquat from China.
Domestication and Acclimatization
• The process of plant introduction is the successful compliance of two
important aspects, viz., domestication and acclimatization.
• Domestication is the process of bring­ing of a wild species under
cultivation by making them changed in behaviour suitable for new
environment.
• Acclimatization is the ability of a crop to become adapted to a new
climatic and edaphic condition.
Some important facts about
acclimatization
• Genetic variability must be present in the introduced material for
acclimatization to occur.
• Due to better genetic recombination, cross pollinated species have
better acclimatization capacity than self-pollinated crops.
• Annual crop has better acclimatization capacity than perennial crop
because in annuals each generation would produce new gene
recombination every year.
Main purposes of plant introduction

• To use as new source of food, vegetable, fibre fruit, timber plant etc.
• For conservation of biodiversity.
• For genetic improvement of crop plants.
• For aesthic interest—flowering plants.
• For study of origin and evolution of crop plants.
The introduced plant material can be used in following main ways:
Main advantages of plant introduction
• It is useful in introducing new crop plants.
• It helps in conserving plant biodiversity.
• It is useful in protecting those species that are threatened by danger
of extinction.
• It is a simple and rapid method of crop improvement.
• It is applicable to all crops i.e. self pollinated, cross pollinated and
asexually propagated species.
The demerits or disadvantages associated with plant
Introduction

• The weeds like Argemone, Eichhornia, Lantana have been introduced

from other countries with the introduction of crop plants.
• The fungal diseases like late blight of potato, flag smut of wheat, coffee
rust, bunchy top of banana – all have been introduced in India along
with plant materials.
• Many insect pests like potato tuber moth, woolly aphids of apple, fluted
scale of Citrus were introduced in India along with plant introduction.
• However, in most of the cases, the introduction of weeds, diseases and
insect pests occurred during a period when quarantine was almost non-
existent.
Following agencies carry out plant introduction in India

• Plant Introduction Division of IARI, New. Delhi,

• Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.
• Botanical Survey of India.
• Some universities, gardens and agricultural departments also play an
important role in introducing plants.
Procedure of Plant Introduction
Plant introduction procedure consists of following steps:
(a) Plant procurement or procurement of Germplasm
(b) Packaging and despatch
(c) Entry and plant quarantine
(d) Cataloguing
(e) Evaluation
(f) Multiplication and distribution
Procurement of Plants or Germplasm:

• Requisition for introduction of new crop plant or new varieties should

be submitted to NBPGR (National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources)
within the country or to IBPGR (Interna­tional Bureau of Plant Genetic
Resources).
• The material may be obtained on an exchange basis from friendly
countries either directly or through F.A.O. or the material can also be
purchased or obtained as free gift from individuals or organizations.
Packaging and Despatch:

• The part of the plant for propagation of that spe­cies is known as

propagule.
• The propagule may be seeds, tubers, runners, suckers, stolons, bulbs,
root cuttings, buds or seedlings depending upon the crop species.
• Depending on the type of propagule those are cleaned from other
weed-seeds and contaminants and treated with fungicides, packed
carefully and despatched so that it can reach the destination in viable
condition.
Entry and Plant Quarantine:

• On receipt of the material the entry inspection is done by the country

for other contaminants and the presence of insect, diseases,
nematodes are checked.
• The materials are treated with insecticides, fungicides or nematicides
and then released to the user.
• The general objective of all ‘quarantine and regulatory’ measures is to
prevent pests and diseases from entering into the country as well as
to check spreading further.
Cataloguing:

• After quarantine the introduced specimen is given a number

regarding species, variety, place of origin and the data are recorded.
The plant materials are classified into three groups:
1. Exotic collection – prefix ‘EC’
2. Indigenous collection – designated as TC’
3. Indigenous wild collection – marked as TW’.
Evaluation:

• To assess the potential of new introductions, their

performance at different substations are evaluated as
well as resistance to diseases and pests are evaluated
under different environments.
Multiplication and Distribution:

• Promising introduced materials are propa­gated

and then released as varieties after necessary
trials.
Agencies of Plant Introduction in India:

• The central plant introduction agency in India is

National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR),
which has its headquarters at New Delhi, but has
substations for testing the plant materials.
• NBPGR has the gene bank for long term storage and
future use; it helps to assess the introduced plant
material, coordinates the work of other agencies and
imparts training in plant collection, introduction and
maintenance in India.
The Substations under NBPGR are:
Shimla:
• It represents the temperate zone of approx. 2300m above sea level, place
for germplasm collection in northern hills, station for acclimatization of
material introduced from temperate zone and high altitude.
Jodhpur:
• Exclusively meant for exploring and acclimatizing plant material for arid
zone, this is under Central Arid Zone Research Institute.
Amravati:
• This substation carries out acclimatization and multiplication of intro­
duced material for central zone of India.
KanyaKumari:
• It represents the tropical zone situated at South India.
Shillong:
• This centre has been created for collection of germplasm from North-
East India.
Other agencies engaged for this purpose are:
• Forest Research Institute, Dehradun:
• The plant introduction organization set up at the institute looks after
introduction, acclimatization, conservation and testing of forest trees.
• Botanical Survey of India:
• This body is meant for introduction of medicinal plants and also plants for
botanical importance.
• Other Sources:
• Different Central Research Institutes as well as Agricultural Univer­sities play
the role for collection, introduction and maintenance of germplasm of crop
plants.
Achievements of Plant Introduction:
• The process of introduction from the pre-historic times helped the
whole world to achieve newer crop species to new places as well as
the new varieties of crop plants.
The examples of achievements are listed below:
(A) New Crop Species:
• The crops like potato, maize, groundnut, chillies; coffee, rubber,
guava, grape, pineapple, many ornamentals like Gulmohor, Phlox,
Salvia, Aster-all have been introduced in India from outside.
(B) New Crop Varieties:
(a) Direct Multiplication and Released as New Varieties:
• Dwarf wheat varieties like ‘Sonora 64’, ‘Lerma Rojo’ and dwarf rice
varieties like TN-1′, ‘IR-8’ are introduced in India and used directly.
• There are many more examples of direct release of varieties in other
crop plants like oat, soya-bean, tomato, cauliflower, onion, etc.
(b) Selection of Desirable Varieties for hybridization programmes:
• Many varieties have come up after selection from introduced
varieties, e.g., ‘Kalyan Sona’, ‘Sonalika’ were selected after
introduction of Mexican varieties.
• Some­times the introduced varieties, superior than the existing
varieties, may be used as donor for disease resistance or pest
resistance or stress resistance for plant type and quality characters in
hybridization.
• In case of rice the dwarfing gene from TN-1 or IR-8 have been used for
develop­ing, other dwarf rice varieties in rice.
• All the sugarcane varieties have been derived from introduced noble
cane variety of Saccharum officinarum.
(c) Mutation Breeding:
• If the introduced material is agronomically supe­rior but
lacking a few characters may be treated with mutagen to
rectify the defect.
• For example, when ‘Sonora-64’ introduced with red colour
grains was not accepted by the farmers, the new mutagenic
product ‘Sharbati Sonora’ with amber colour grains was
produced by M.S. Swaminathan by Gamma- ray treatment.
PLANT QUARANTINE
• Plant quarantine is a government endeavour enforced through
legislative measures to regulate the introduction of planting
materials, plant products, soil, living organisms, etc. in order to
prevent inadvertent introduction of pests harmful to the agriculture
of a country or a region, and if introduced, prevent their
establishment and further spread.
• The quarantine measures are of utmost relevance to a country like
India whose economy is largely agriculture based.
• There are many examples of entry of pathogens and pests into new
areas along with introduced planting material.
• The introduction of the late blight pathogen (Phytophthora infestans) of
potato into Europe from Central America in the middle of I9th century;
powdery mildew (Uncinula necator), root eating aphid (Phylloxera
vitifolia) and downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) of grapes into France
in quick succession, also in mid 19th century from America
• Coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix) into Sri Lanka in 1875 from South
America are some of the well authenticated examples of international
spread of important pests.
Indian scenario
• At national level, huge economic losses occurred in grain yield of Cicer
arietinum in states of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and adjoining
areas during 1981-82 due to infection by a virulent biotype of
Aschochyta introduced from the Middle East.
• Bunchy top of banana entered in India from Sri Lanka and causes loss
over Rs. 4 crores annually.
• The dreaded golden nematode of potato introduced from UK has
already infested entire Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu.
• The introduction of exotic weeds such as Lantana camara in the early
19th century from Central America, Parthenium hysterophorus from
Central and South America and Phalaris minor from Mexico in mid 20th
century into India have become endemic sources of threat to our crop
production and environment.
Solution?
• Check not only spread of the above pests but also to promulgate
domestic quarantine against certain important pests which have been
introduced/detected in the country in the recent years and which are
likely to spread fast.
Why this urgency?
• The important examples of reports of such pests are American serpentine leaf
miner (Liriomyza trifolii) from Karnataka in 1991,
• Spiraling white fly (Aleurodiscus disperses) recorded from Tamil Nadu in 1993
• Papaya ring spot virus from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in 1994
• Banana bract mosaic potyvirus and banana streak mosaic badnavirus from Trichy
area of Tamil Nadu in 1995
• Sunflower downy mildew (Plasmopara halstedii) recorded for the first time from
Maharashtra in 1984
• Peanut stripe potyvirus initially recorded at Raichur in Karnataka in 1987
• In 1999, a new biotype B of the white fly Bemisia tabaci which is an efficient
vector for tomato leaf curl virus has been reported in Kolar taluk of Bangalore and
is suspected to have been introduced with imports of horticultural crops.

are now being reported from certain other states.

Quarantine Regulations
• The Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ & S) of
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India is the nodal organization for
implementation of plant quarantine regulations.
• National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources draws its legal authority from
this Directorate for exchange of germplasm meant for research purpose.
• The Plant Quarantine Division of NBPGR monitors quarantine processing of
all germplasm exchanged at the national level in India.
• The Division has developed procedures for a systematic and stepwise
quarantine processing of germplasm through its well equipped
laboratories and greenhouse facilities both at the Headquarters and at its
Regional Station, Hyderabad.
• Quarantine greenhouse facilities have also been established at NBPGR
Regional Station, Bhowali to facilitate quarantine processing of
temperate fruit crops and at Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR),
Kanpur for post entry quarantine processing of pulses.
• The Plant Quarantine Division also extends technical support to the
Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture
on policy issues as and when required.
• Now a days transgenic planting material (such as seeds of transgenic
soybean, mustard and cotton) is also being imported into the country
for research use.
• It has been felt that apart from quarantine processing for freedom from
seed transmitted diseases, such imported material also need to be
evaluated for freedom from potential risks to environment posed by the
transgenes (through gene flow, emergence of new pathogens, induced
genetic changes, allergenicity/toxicity to the non-target organisms)
before they are released.
• Recently Government of India has banned the import of transgenic
seeds with terminator gene.
• NBPGR has established a National Containment Facility for evaluation of
quarantine risks associated with the import of transgenic planting
material at New Delhi.