Morphological characteristics of selected coarse cereals and pulses from tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the morphological characteristics of selected coarse cereals and pulses collected from tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh. The agricultural heritage of these regions reflects a rich diversity of indigenous crops that have evolved through long-term traditional cultivation and farmer-led selection, contributing to a resilient and nutritionally balanced food system. Visual assessment of the grains revealed noticeable variations between control and tribal varieties with respect to shape, surface texture, size, and overall external appearance. Tribal samples exhibited greater diversity in grain morphology and distinct structural features, which may be attributed to genetic variability and traditional agronomic practices. These morphological characteristics are important as they influence consumer acceptance, market value, storage stability, and post-harvest processing behaviour. The findings highlight the importance of documenting traditional grain traits, not only as a baseline for varietal identification and conservation of indigenous crops, but also for understanding their potential contribution to food and nutritional security in tribal regions.