MISSION TO SAVE RARE WILD PEPPER VARIETY

MISSION TO SAVE

 RARE WILD PEPPER VARIETY

Preservation: Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute's Division of Plant Genetic Resources Head P.J. Mathew beside the vines of wild pepper planted at the institute near Thiruvananthapuram. Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) at Palode near here are racing against time to save a rare type of wild black pepper from being wiped out of existence.The institute had taken up vegetative propagation of the wild variety that is threatened by unsustainable extraction from its natural habitat in the remote forests of the south Western Ghats. Characterised by a lemon-scented leaf, the genetic variant named Piper nigrum L. ‘PMM' had been found to possess unique properties that imparted it a high commercial potential.

Tests carried out at the institute had revealed that the fruits of the species possessed a significantly higher yield of essential oils and contained a larger percentage of piperine (the constituent that imparted it the pungent taste). The scientists were trying to cross- pollinate the wild species with cultivated varieties for genetic improvement of the spice crop. The second generation of the vines collected from the wild and planted at the institute had also been found to possess the same properties. Chemical analysis tests revealed that the unique lemon scent of the leaves was due to the presence of aroma chemicals such as citral derivatives and bicyclogermacrene while the high pungency of the fruits was attributed to the elevated level of piperine. “The south Western Ghats, one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world, is the centre of origin and diversity of pepper. However, reckless harvesting from the wild has led to heavy gene erosion. There have been reports of tribes pulling out the vines by their roots for sale to middlemen,” according to K.B. Rameshkumar, scientist, Department of Phytochemistry, JNTBGRI. It was in 2008 that a team of scientists from the institute stumbled upon the wild variety of pepper in the Western Ghats during a plant exploration mission. Stem cuttings were taken back to the experimental garden at the JNTBGRI for planting and propagation.

Considering its coexistence with other types of pepper in the wild, the scientists concluded that the unique properties of Piper nigrum L. ‘PMM' were genetically determined and not just due to the influence of the environment. They felt that the genetic variation could have accumulated as a result of inter-crossing, segregation, and random mutations. “The international market for black pepper is quality-oriented. This is where genetic variants with characteristic attributes assume significance in plant improvement,” says P.J. Mathew, Head, Division of Plant Genetic Resources. 

                                                             Prof. John Kurakar