In Kerala, the homestead farming is the most prevalent type of land use system covering about 88% of the total landholding and about 41% of the total cultivable area of the state. Despite the fact that these homegardens are playing negligible role in conserving wild species diversity outside the protected areas, they are the glorious examples of species diversity in cultivated and managed plant communities and representing a 'genetic backstop', preserving species and varieties that are not economic in field production.