Crop genetic diversity

Agriculture being the important part of the economy gets the most attention in the biodiversity sector. Wheat is the staple food grain. Cultivated plant biodiversity may be characterised as:

"the genetic variation existing among species, local land races, primitive cultivars and microbial species that have been domesticated, often including their nearest wild relatives"

(Biodiversity Action Plan 1998,  Pg-15)

Pakistan had a great variety of wild and indigenous crops till the era of the 'green revolution'. The northern and western parts of the country still comprise the world centres of origin and diversity of cultivated plants. Then many high-yield varieties were introduced at the expense of local strains, which now are concentrated in the north and west, where irrigation is not available.

Crops

• three varieties of rice
• barley (restricted to drier mountainous areas)
• millet (bajra)/sorghum(jowar) as fodder
• pulses

Fruits

Subtropical

• citrus
• guava
• mango
• bananas
• dates

Temperate

• apples
• pears
• plums
• apricots
• peaches
• grapes

Livestock

Being one of the oldest civilisations in the world it is not surprising that the Indian subcontinent was also one of the first places to domesticate cattle, buffalo and chicken. There are two breeds of buffalo, eight cattle, one yak, twenty-five goat, twenty-eight sheep, one horse, four camel and three of indigenous poultry. Almost 75-80% of domestic stocks are crossbreeds and the proportion of crossbreeds to pure breeds is on the rise.