<b>Some promising under utilized industrial crops for cultivation on wastelands of India</b>

Abstract

With ever increasing population and fast depletion of natural resources, it becames necessary to explore the possibilities of using newer plant resources. New crops and new usages of old ones hold promise to restore the balance of trade, reduce our dependence on imports and to meet the growing needs of food, clothes and industrial products for human population. This paper provides a brief overview of such under utilized and potential industrial crops, viz. guayule (for rubber), jojoba, <i style="">Jatropha, tumba </i>and Paradise tree (for edible oil). This account includes data mainly based on field experience, markets surveys, ethno-botanical information and available relevant literature. The results of recent efforts on under utilized plants in the industrial crop group, made under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Under Utilized Plants (UUP) at NBPGR, New Delhi, towards collection, evaluation, utilization and conservation/maintenance have also been highlighted. <b> </b>