**11. Pertinence of participatory approach and agri-sciences integration**

A participatory approach integrating different disciplines including Agronomy, crop protection, plant breeding molecular genetics and food sciences to promote the cultivation and market demand of products developed from underutilized grasses is the need of time. It becomes even more important as studies on underutilized grasses have remained neglected historically and constitute one of the biggest challenges in crop genetic resource history. The destiny changing phenomenon of the green revolution holds witness to the fact that inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches integrated in a coherent way to boost underutilized grass production is one of the most feasible, doable and viable options. It must be recognized that underutilized grass species will never command the same prime undertaking as a major crops which requisites a different but integrated approach for their viable promotion. Such an approach must link all stakeholders and research activities pertaining to local grass agro-botanical and pathological information collection, research trials, product development, nutritional assessment of developed products for safety and taste, product utilization policy and marketing as well as commercialisation plans. A chain of researchers from Agronomy, crop protection, plant breeding and food sciences can conduct interconnected research for boosting cultivation of underutilized grasses and develop products keeping in view the needs and demands of local, regional, national and international markets.

There is a very critical role of international organizations such as FAO for the sharing of findings acquired in region with equal benefits to other regions in terms of grasses cultivation and product development. The participatory approaches formulated collectively through larger brainstorming among stakeholders and implemented under localized conditions occupies the strategic position for making the best utilization of existing resources and promoting synergism across different regions. Underutilized grasses also constitute a class of grasses that are ignored socially and therefore, generalized masses and farmers are bound to attract towards multi-disciplinary research teams instead of working in isolation. The interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary researchers put a halt to the persistent decline in genetic erosion of grasses. Even extension workers can perform strategic role by collecting information regarding underutilized grasses from farmers of far-flung areas and thereafter Agronomists and Food Technologist can work cohesively to reveal the true potential of underutilized grasses through the production of quality products having rich perspectives in localized and regional markets.

Additionally, Agronomist need to work in loop with crop protection researchers to analyze the constraint factors related to insect-pest and diseases incidence, leading to the development of a technology package enabling grasses to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses effectively under a changing climate. The participatory approach involving Agronomists with Breeders may contribute to enhancing the see and germplasm selection, production, multiplication, supply, processing, product development and commercialisation. Furthermore, inclusive strategies hold the perspectives to develop rapid marketing demand for products from underutilized grasses through intensive cooperation with the private sector. The participatory approaches must attempt to explore options to grasses conservation and use simultaneously in order to secure a resource base for boosting underutilized grass cultivation and production. The approaches may differ, depending on whether the crop is seed propagated or clonally propagated, annual or perennial, outbreeding or self-pollinated. It is worth mentioning that a participatory approach must encompass information on the smallest size of ex situ collection that may ensure genetic diversity along with the ways and techniques to economically maintain the genetic diversity. Moreover, it is also vital to determine the extent of diversity that must be included in the production systems along with developing monitoring criteria in order to make the successful cultivation of underutilized grasses on a wider scale.

Besides agronomic packages, technologies entailing molecular genetics and GIS might play their role in developing the conservation techniques and utilization strategies for underutilized crops. As implied in the case of inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches, it is also needed to initiate sustainable linkages among researchers, research and development organizations, farmers and consumers. It is always unlikely that researchers belonging to a specific discipline have all the expertise, while any single organization can also ill-afford to support research work on a large scale for boosting underutilized grass production and product development. Ultimately, it must be recognized that underutilized grasses present unique a set of problems and potential opportunities under varying socio-economic conditions, and thus participatory approaches can improve conservation and utilization of underutilized grasses under changing climate scenarios.

### **12. Conclusions**

The commercial-oriented farming systems encompassing the cultivation of major grasses have caused a serious decline in the intra and interspecific diversity of crops. In addition, the decline of grasses biodiversity has led to higher vulnerability

*Underutilized Grasses Production: New Evolving Perspectives DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105375*

among growers and end-users while the changing climate has made it mandatory to promote underutilized grasses (Feather lovegrass, job's tears, bermuda grass, Japanese sweet flag, pycreus grass, hairy crabgrass, signalgrass, switchgrass, miscanthus, giant reed, reed canary grass, lemon grass, Chinese silvergrass, big bluestem, wild sugarcane etc.) diversity in order to ensure food security and economic viability of modern farming systems. The panacea lies in a participatory approach entailing integration of agronomic practices with crop protection, food sciences and plant breeding in order to develop sustainable technology packages for ensuring economic production of food, beverage and medicinal products from underutilized grasses. Moreover, creating market demand for novel products of underutilized grasses coupled with sustainable supplies of raw material along with processing, packaging and branding facilities hold key in booting cultivation and utilization of underutilized grasses under changing climate. Last but not least, United Nation's envisaged sustainable goals of zero hunger and poverty alleviation might also be addressed by boosting cultivation and utilization of underutilized grasses.
