Capparis spinosa L. is Still a Difficult-to Propagate Crop - A Propagation Trial at Spiti Valley, India

Abstract

Capparis spinosa L. (Capara or caper bush) is a perennial climber adapted naturally to the cold desert of the trans-Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh. The species is collected from the wild, holds significant cultural value and has a role in the traditional cuisine as well as the medicine system of Spitians belonging to the Bhoti ethnic community. Under the risk of developmental activities such as mountain cuttings, excavation, path broadening, etc., the climbers are always seen uprooted, strangled, hanging on the cliff near roads in Spiti Valley. In a recent scenario, these spiny-bushes are ignored by denizens on their farms and referred to as less commercial than domesticated horticultural crops. Consequently, its utilisation remains limited to household consumption with minimal attention to its commercial and ecological aspects. Hence, propagation trials on standardization of site-specific agro-techniques for multiplication and domestication of wild germplasm have been undertaken at Regional Horticultural Research Sub-Station (RHRSS) and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Tabo, (H.P). As per previous literature studies, both sexual and asexual propagation methods have been tested using seeds and vegetative methods such as stem/root cuttings, respectively. However, consecutive three-year trials (2023-2025) of propagation methods have consistently showed poor establishment with unsuccessful results. The conducted trials indicate this medicinal plant species is still as difficult to propagate a crop in a cold desert region. With these constraints, attention must be given to strengthening in situ conservation to ensure its sustenance in natural habitats.