Sources of Seeds/planting materials
Home gardeners maintain and keep seeds of 52-70% of the total number of species grown
on their home gardens. Rana et al (1998) and Shrestha (1998) has also reported that the
seed and planting materials of home garden species are maintained by the owners of the
home garden themselves. Sunwar (2003) has reported that more than 77% of the planting
materials are saved by the farmers themselves. The rest of the required seeds or the
planting materials were either purchased from the market or exchanged within the
community. They purchased mostly seeds of improved and hybrid varieties, crops of
commercial values and those which can not be maintained by the farmers themselves (e.g.,
onion, carrot etc.). In Ilam where the marketing of home garden produce was common, the
seed/planting materials of the marketable species like chayote, Akabare Khursani, Biyee etc.
were maintained by farmers themselves. Ilam was also rich in ornamental plant species.
Seeds and planting materials of ornamental plant species were mostly exchanged among
friends and neighbours.
Domestication of wild species
A considerable numbers of species (Rupanedi -11, Jhapa and Gulmi 16 each and Ilam-31)
are either already domesticated or are in the process of domestication in home gardens from
forest and waste lands for home consumption (Annex 1). Mostly, the species having the
medicinal and cultural/religious value are domesticated in the home gardens of hill area and
plant species used for vegetable and fruit purposes are domesticated in the home gardens
of the Terai area. As home garden plants typically have better access to water, an organic
based production system is possible providing protection against predators (Harlan, 1975),
close monitoring of plant physiology, pest resistance, and adaptation by the household
members, the cultivation and domestication of useful wild species results in the garden.
Experimentation with growing new species and varieties is a well-known aspect of home
gardens and is, in fact, an important contribution to crop improvement and evolution (Engels
2002; Shrestha et al. 2002). The present study was limited to the identification of sources of
seeds/planting materials and their use values only. However, a detailed study on the status
of cultivation and domestication processes followed by the farmers needs to be carried out.
Uncultivated species
Farmers have been using several uncultivated species (species naturally grown around the
home gardens the seeds of which are not maintained by the farmers but management is
done) for the food supply (Table 5). Most of those species were used as vegetables. Poi sag
(Basella rubra), Karmisag (Ipomoea spp.), Bethe (Chenopodium spp.), Amaranthus, Jaluka
(wild taro), Kholesag (Rorippa nasturtium) and Niuro (Diplazium spp.) are few examples of
uncultivated species in home gardens fulfilling the vegetable demands during different
seasons. The survey found that uncultivated species contribute about 4% (in Gulmi) to 8%
(in Rupandehi) of the total vegetable supply.
Table 6. Number of uncultivated species used for consumption in different sites
Ilam Gulmi Jhapa Rupandehi
Vegetable species 11 32 25 14
Fruit species 1 4 0 0
Total 12 36 25 14