Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. turkestanica: A Potential Species for Sustainable Propagation in the Cold Desert of Ladakh

Abstract

This communication highlights the ecological, medicinal, and socio-economical significance of the Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. turkestanica Rousi, commonly known as seabuckthorn, advocating its potential for commercial propagation in the cold desert of Ladakh. The plant is a multipurpose taxon with several health-promoting medicinal and nutritional properties, and ecological and economical values which makes it a plant of interest for researchers, farmers, and pharmaceutical industries. Seabuckthorn has ecological distribution in various regions of Indian subcontinent including Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, with profound abundance in the Union Territory of Ladakh. Nevertheless, despite being a potential economical herb with immense adaptation to the cold desert environment of Ladakh, seabuckthorn has been given meager attention by the local populace to propagate and commercially use for health and economy. Therefore, this article highlights the potentialities and opportunities to commercially propagate seabuckthorn through mega-plantation projects for the sustainable ecological and economic development of Ladakh and other Trans-Himalayan regions.