The present article communicates information on importance of some potential Non-Timber Forest Produces, viz. fibres, floss, grasses, bamboos, canes, essential oils, oil seeds, tannins, dyes, gums, resins, medicines, spices, edible wild plants, animal and mineral products from Western Himalayan forests.

Germination and viability studies were conducted in two population of Gentiana kurroo, an important endangered medicinal herb of Western Himalayas. A considerable loss of viability (10-90%) was registered by seeds of both locations after storage from 3-18 months. This was accompanied by a parallel decline in germination percentage. Seeds collected from higher altitude (2000 m amsl) exhibited higher germination percentage and viability accompanied with early radicle emergence as compared to the collections from the lower altitude (1250 m amsl). Germination percentage, germination speed and other germination attributes were better in presence of light than in dark. Radicle emergence and germination speed were maximum at 25oC when compared at 20, 25 and 28oC. However, healthier seedlings were obtained at 25oC. Presowing chilling at –5, 2 and 5oC for 30 and 60 days improved germination and germination characteristics of seeds which were stored for 1 year and lost about 50 per cent viability and germinability. Presowing chilling at 2oC produced a greater proportion of strong seedlings.

Four rattan species C. tenuis Roxb., C. thwaitesii Becc. & Hook.f., C. hookerianus Becc. and C. rivalis Thw. ex Trim., were studied to raise information on the nutrient value of the edible shoots. The rattan species contain a considerable amount of protein, when compared to other palm shoots. Among mineral nutrients, calcium, manganese and iron contents are higher which are important elements in human metabolic activities. Three months old shoots are best suited for consumption.

A twig canker disease of Terminalia arjuna caused by Fusarium solani has been found to cause damage to the trees in avenue and roadside plantations at New Delhi. The disease has been studied in detail working out the causal organism and establishing its pathogenicity. Benomyl followed by Tagcop were found most effective in suppressing the growth of pathogen in vitro.

Medicinal plant cultivation has been popularized in farmlands in different parts of Central India through the efforts of Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Economic analysis of medicinal plant cultivation packages/models showed that they were viable for increasing the financial conditions of farmers in long run. Several farmers have taken up large scale cultivation of medicinal plants like Isabgol (Plantago ovata), Bach (Acorus calamus), Safed Musli (Chlorophytum borivillianum) and Muskhadana (Abelmoschus moschatus) based on the technical know-how provided by the Institute. Now these farmlands serve as the source of planting materials for further extension of such activities.

Biosorption of three detrimental heavy metals, viz. mercury, lead and cadmium in the fruit bodies of ten wild edible Mushrooms growing in the polluted and unpolluted zone of West Bengal were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. In the polluted zone, maximum accumulation of mercury in the fruit bodies of Mushrooms noted was 19.3 mg/kg in Calocybe indica followed by 18.2 mg/kg in Agaricus arvensis and 15.7 mg/kg in Agaricus campestris. Minimum absorption of mercury was 2.2 mg/kg in Astreus hygrometricus in the polluted zone. Low levels of mercury ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mg/kg was noted in the Mushrooms collected from the unpolluted zone. Lead was absorbed extensively by Lycoperdon pyriforme and Lycoperdon gigantium with average mean values 21.4 mg/kg and 19.0 mg/kg in the polluted zone. In the unpolluted area, maximum concentration of lead was 2.1 mg/kg noted in the fruit bodies of Lepiota leprica. Biosorption of cadmium was maximum in Agaricus campestris and Agaricus arvensis with mean values of 45.5 mg/kg and 36.4 mg/kg in the polluted area. In other Mushroom species, the cadmium absorption level was low ranging from 2.3 to 8.7 mg/kg. In the unpolluted area, maximum accumulating species was Auricularia polytricha with mean values of 1.7 mg/kg.

Coleus forskohlii Briq. is a threatened medicinal plant was transformed with glucanase-chitinase gene along with npt-II gene. The transformants were obtained on MSO supplemented with 2 mg/l or 3 mg/l BAP and 0.2 mg/l 2,4-D for callus induction using leaf as explants. Multiple shoot production from the leaf-derived transformed callus of Coleus has been standardized using the various concentration of NAA with 2 mg/l BAP. The combination of 2 mg/l BAP and 0.5 mg/l NAA was found to be best for multiple shoot production. Rooting of the transformed shoots was found to be best on MS medium supplemented with 0.7 mg/l NAA. The presence of npt-II genes in the leaves of putative transformants was confirmed by PCR analysis. SDS-PAGE analysis and glucanase assay revealed the over expression of glucanase enzyme in the transgenic plants. The transgenic Coleus plants survived the infection caused by Fusarium chlamydosporium due to the accumulation of glucanase-chitinase enzyme, whereas control plants were susceptible to the disease.

The in vitro antifungal activity of petroleum ether, butanol, methanol and distilled water extracts of Holigarna arnottiana against Elsione fawcettii and Pyricularia sp. has been carried out. All the four plant extracts are effective in inhibiting the growth of E. fawcettii, while they are ineffective in inhibiting the growth of Pyricularia sp. The petroleum ether and methanol extracts are found to be very effective in inhibiting the growth of E. fawcettii, with petroleum ether extract exhibiting highest growth inhibition. The butanol extract showed moderate growth inhibition, while distilled water extract exhibited weak growth inhibition against E. fawcettii. The butanol extract exhibited weak stimulatory effect on Pyricularia sp.

To evaluate the effect of potting media containing municipal garbage on the growth of Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.) seedlings in the nursery, a series of studies were carried out at the College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur. Treatments T1 (soil), T2 (soil: sand), and T3 (soil: sand: cowdung) recorded 100 per cent initial survival rate. In most of the treatments containing municipal garbage, initial establishment were found to be good. Growth and vigour in terms of shoot growth parameters were found to be most promising when the seedlings were grown in potting media containing 4 weeks decomposed municipal garbage and soil: sand: cowdung. Physiological growth parameters did not show any systematic pattern. No uniform trend could be observed with regard to chlorophyll content also. Seedlings grown in potting media containing soil: sand: cowdung recorded maximum content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the tissues. Media containing 4 weeks decomposed municipal garbage also recorded high content of tissue nitrogen and phosphorus. It was observed that at the end of the study period, percentage of nutrient elements in different potting media slightly increased compared to the initial content.

Communities living in and around forests continue to rely directly upon a wide variety of forest products and services for their daily subsistence needs as well as for economic and cultural sustenance. Processing adds considerable value to the raw Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). Therefore, it is imperative to understand the marketing pattern of NTFPs prevailing in the tribal economy and to suggest the policy interventions for improving marketability of NTFPs by adding values through micro-enterprise development. Ethnicity has a significant influence on total collection and marketable surplus quantities and value received in market. However, it had a very little, less than significant influence on nationalised NTFPs. Study suggests that in formulating strategies and identifying areas for development on NTFPs based enterprises, ethnicity of tribal community may be taken as important decision variable.

The physico-chemical constants and unsaponifiable matter content of seed oil of Derris indica (Lamk.) Bennet seed is reported. The GC-Mass analysis of fatty acid composition (as methyl esters) showed presence of five saturated acids namely palmitic acid (14.3%), stearic acid (10.3%), arachidic acid (2.7%), behenic acid (3.5%) and lignoceric acid (in traces) and only two unsaturated acids, oleic acid (66.9%) and linolenic acid (2.3%).

Variation in different seed morphological and fatty oil contents were studied among 25 seed sources from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttranchal. Though statistically significant differences were found for fruit diameter, number of seeds in a fruit, seed length, seed width, seed thickness, weight of 100 whole seeds, weight of seed coat of 100 seeds and weight of kernels of 100 seeds among different sources, no seed source was found to be the best for all traits. Seed source S20 (U.P. Dunera, Gurdaspur Forest Division) gave the maximum oil content of 33.10 per cent, which however, was much lower as compared to Chhindwara source of Madhya Pradesh which is reported to yield 39.12 per cent oil (on whole seed basis). The study, therefore, cautions that provenance research should be done before undertaking large scale plantations to avoid any unsavoury situation.