BP Singh

102 Deep Chandof Sri Lanka and South West Indies. Ginger (Zingiber officinale),the country of origin is not known but certainty presumed to bein the region of India or China (Purseglove, 1977). Other importantginger growing countries are Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Jamaica,Taiwan and Australia; Turmeric (Curcuma Zanga syn. C. domestica),place of origin is presumed to be South Asia and cultivated specieshave naturalized in some areas of north eastern India and Islandsof Java:Condiments : Grain spices or minor spices constitute a group ofcondiments which have considerable opportunity for cropimprovement by introducing high yielding, better qualitygermplasm (genotypes) from mediterranean region.Utilization of Exotic GermplasmThe main recepients of germplasm introductions made by theBureau were the net work of All India Coordinated Project onMedicinal and Aromatic Plants, National Research Centre forSpices, various coordinating centres and scientists handlinggermplasm in agricultural universities and other centres. Besides,the Bureau too evaluated and conducted performance trials of suchmaterials at its headquarters and some of its regional stations.These efforts culminated in the identification of several promisinggenotypes, some of which are released as primary introductions.Promising IntroductionsIntroduction activities resulted in selection of promisingmaterials in crop plants. In this context mention may be made ofsome of the recent promising introductions in the following :Opium poppy: Accession (EC 179777 ex Hungry) is tall, late inflowering and bear small sized capsules rich in alkaloid content,line (Ee 196429 ex Finland) yields morphine (0.40-0.82%) and subsp. satigerum (Ee 232605 ex West Germany) presently being usedin specific crossing programmes.Licorice: A selection of the accession (Ee 114303 ex USSR) nowplaced under cultivation in Western and Central parts of thecountry produces 20-30 cm long thick stolens containing 5.5-8.0%of total glycyrrhizic acid acceptable to user ,industry in the country(Gupta et al., 1988). Another introduction (EC 120170) provedrei a tively resistant to rhizctonia root rot and showed response tohigher yield at closer planting.