PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL SEMINAR

Ethnobotanical studies provide valuable data on life support species. Field work among the aboriginal societies in Central, Eastern and South Indian Survey of a few tribal markets and scrutiny of some ethnobotanical literature have brought on record several hundred wild edible plants. In the present global scenario, there is great need to increase the number of cultivated species of food and neutraceuticals. Studies carried out, so far on under-utilized edible plants from different parts of the world are highly inadequate. There exist knowledge gaps with reference to their occurrence, cultivation and utilization. Further, many of the species are not given due importance in scientific research and agricultural policy making and therefore remain under utilized. Hence, there is an urgent need to popularize the wild edible plants among researchers, so that adequate data on their diversity, nutritional potential and utilization will be built up for their judicious exploitation. The proceeding covers the topics like, survey, nutritional evaluation, phyto-chemical studies of various wild edibles are included and it will be useful for the scientific and academic community.