ABSTRACT
Ever since the dawn of civilization, dependence on plants has been indispensable for human survival. Transformation from food gathering to settled agriculture necessitated domestication of plant species useful for mankind leading to co-evolution of plants and man in absolute harmony with nature. Out of an estimated total of 80,000 plants of possible economic use, about 30,000 plants have been found to be edible in nature and approximately 7,000 plants have been cultivated by mankind at one time or the other, of which only 158 plants are widely used for food [1]. Among these, 30 crops provide 90% of the world’s food and only 10 crops supply 75% of the world’s food budget. Out of the above only three crops, rice, wheat and maize provide 60% of the world’s total food requirement [2]. This dangerously narrow level of food base may imperil the existence of mankind during a time of impending crisis in unforeseen times in the future. It hardly needs to be emphasized that there is an immediate necessity to enlarge our food basket with alternative food crops to safeguard against such a catastrophe. Consequently, in recent years, throughout the globe there has been a rekindling of interest to collect, introduce, evaluate and utilize the vast array of lesser known, under exploited, alternative crop plants that can adapt themselves to the harsh environmental and degraded soil conditions, produce economic yield and ensure livelihood, nutritional and ecological security to the impoverished *Corresponding Author
people residing in remote inhospitable areas away from the assured food distribution system.
