Why in the News?
On April 16, 2025, the Ecological Restoration Alliance-India (ERA-I) has released a first-of-its-kind seed germination database aimed at enhancing the success of growing native plants for ecological restoration.
About the Seed Germination Database:
- It was launched by the Ecological Restoration Alliance-India (ERA-I). ERA was formed in July 2021, as an informal collective between practitioners, ecologists and individuals.
- ERA-I collaborated with organizations like Auroville Botanical Gardens, NCF, and Wildlife Trust of India.
- It features over 1,000 germination techniques for 465 native plant species found across India.
- It aims to help restoration practitioners, nursery managers, and native plant enthusiasts improve success rates in growing plants for ecological restoration.
- It is a free-access database and offers valuable information on germinating native plants crucial for restoration projects.
- Native Plants Included:
- The database features a diverse array of native plant species. These species are key to restoring balance in degraded ecosystems.
- They are – Aegle marmelos (Wood apple), Bauhinia racemosa (Beedi leaf tree), Ficus benghalensis (Banyan), Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), Ziziphus mauritiana (Indian jujube), Knema attenuata (Wild nutmeg), Lawsonia inermis (Henna), Madhuca longifolia (Mahua), Vachellia nilotica (Babool).
Significance:
- Native plants are essential for creating climate-resilient ecosystems.
- Such database plays a vital role in ecological restoration.
- It provides 1,000+ techniques for growing native plants, enhancing the success of restoration projects.
- The database supports India’s Bonn Challenge commitment to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
| [UPSC 2016] In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the ‘Seed Replacement Rates’ of various crops helps in achieving the food production targets of the future. But what is/are the constraint/constraints in its wider/greater implementation?
1. There is no National Seeds Policy in place. 2. There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops. 3. There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in case of low value and high volume crops. Select the correct answer using the code given below: Options: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only * (c) 2 and 3 only (d) None of the above |
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