Abstract

Picrorhiza kurrooa has been industrially over exploited for picrorhizin, kutkin, kerrin, vanillic acid, kutkiol, kutkisterol, etc., and this has resulted it being classed under vulnerable and endangered ecological status. Keeping this in view every singly plant of this genetic resource is of utmost importance. So, the plants, which were unable to survive in field conditions, were tried to re-sprout for re-plantation. The germplasm collected from Chamba and Kinnaur areas of Himachal Pradesh were planted in the beds and the damaged plants or the plants that were unable to survive in the field condition were uprooted. Significant amount of re-sprouting of 80-90% was observed when the lower tip of the cut portion of stolons is dipped in water culture at 25-300C. Age of cutting and the incubation temperature showed a significant effect on the average per cent sprouting of the stolons. This water culture technique has proved to be helpful in reviving the lost stock of the endangered plant, is economical and can be easily replicated/adopted by the poor farmers.

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