With their distinctive aroma and flavor, the lemons of Assam are a very important part of the food of the region. These lemons are also exported to various parts of India and abroad because of its unique aroma and flavor. A team of scientific researchers led by Professor of Gauhati University Sofia Banu has, however, sounded an alert that Assam’s lemon may lose its original distinctive genetic characteristics.
Sofia Banu has stated that lemons collected from 97 locations reveals that the lemon populations in Assam could be genetically diverse. She said that in-depth genetic diversity analysis of 510 samples from 97 locations has revealed some very intriguing findings for Assam lemon populations.
“There is a high possibility that the samples studied may not be exact clones of the parent plant, but may have arisen independently as other chance propagates. We have suggested that each existing population must be conserved as part of a comprehensive management strategy to maintain the lemon's unique qualities and characteristics as hybridization is a natural tendency of citrus species,” Sofia Banu said.
Source: awazthevoice.in
