Nagpur: Most farmers from Gadchiroli’s Etapalli block talk about huge diversity in rice , the major crop of the area, grown in the good old days. Indigenous varieties could withstand climate change and required little or no manure. But that was before many farmers were tricked into believing that genetically modified (GM) seeds sold by private companies would ensure better yield.Chinna Durva of Todsa village remembers indigenous varieties like Gadel, Pitris, Dubraj, Badge, Sudi among others sowed in the farm of his father and grandfather. “There was no question of buying seeds from outside. The crops could survive on little or no water, and did note require even spraying,” he says.Farming became unaffordable after he fell into the trap of buying hybrid seeds from the market, followed by use of pesticides and other crop requirements.About four years ago, Durva was helped with 2kg of pure Gadel and 1kg of pure Pitris seeds by the BAIF Foundation, out of which he not only produced 700 and 500kg of seeds respectively, but also increased his farm’s yield by adopting organic farming methods.Sanjay Patil, thematic programme executive, BAIF, says even today, some of the madia and gond tribals have indigenous genetic resources. “We have identified 57 genotypes of rice and have made a database of the traditional knowledge the tribals have about the varieties, and have used it with agronomics in order to increase yield and later market the produce. We have also made nurseries of non-timber forest produce such as Mohua, Hirda and Jambul,” he says.Known as the Maharashtra Gene Bank project (MGBP), this crop biodiversity programme is spread over 15 villages of Etapalli Block in Gadchiroli, covering nearly 400 families. Started in 2014, priority crops covered in this area are paddy and hyacinth bean.Selecting villages and conducting participatory survey are the initial steps in this community-led seed conservation programme. Next, seed sample collected from seed savers are preserved in a central seed bank at cluster level. Purifying seeds and establishing community seed bank is the motive of the endeavour.Apart from Gadchiroli, this programme is also being carried out in Palghar, Nandurbar, Ahmednagar, and Pune districts. In all, 54 villages in the state are a part of this initiative. Priority crops in other areas also include paddy, millet, maize, cow pea, sorghum, wild vegetables and tuber crops.Started by BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihood and Development (BISLD), the project focuses on participatory in situ (conservation of species in their natural surroundings) and ex-situ conservation, management and revival of local resources. This initiative involves not only crop landraces, but also livestock types, forest species, and habitat types in select clusters and diverse agro-climatic zones of Maharashtra.The project is being supported by Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.

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