Agricultural Practices in Northeast India and Options for Sustainable Management

Abstract

The north east part of India has seven states comprising an area of 255,083 km² with hills, valley and plateau. This region is inhabited by 100 major tribes and immigrant communities. Due to topographical and environmental conditions this region is rich in biodiversity and is one of the hot spots of the world. Altitude ranges from 150 to 7,300 m a.s.l and temperature varies from freezing point to 37°C. Mostly tribal people and immigrant communities depends on farming and forest products for their food and livelihood. Local people have been maintaining traditional agricultural practices, agro-biodiversity and knowledge. Generally farmers practice jhum or shifting agricultural system with other sedentary agricultural practices. About 400,000 families practice jhum cultivation covering land area approximately 386,300 ha annually. Other agricultural system are wet rice cultivation which is practiced in valley land and Aji system where rice and millet are cultivated with fish in deep water. In valley land mono cropping as well as mixed cropping is practiced by farmers. Terrace land cultivation system introduced by government could not get wide acceptability by farmers due to high input of labour and fertilizers. Farmers also have cultivation systems such as homegardens and agroforestry that link their families to the forest ecosystem. Recently government and non governmental organization have introduced agri-horti-silvipastoral system for good harvest and yield. The population density of the region is 324 person per km² that is lower than the whole country. However, the growth rate during 1991–2001 has been recorded 31.2 person/km², which is higher than the national rate of 21.4 person/km². If population growth continues at this rate then a serious threat may occur to the sustainability of agroecosystem and rich biodiversity of the region. An attempt is made here to focus on agricultural practices, their productive capability and viable sustainable land use strategies for people of the region.

The northeastern area is rich in diversity of wild relatives of cultivated crops and out of 355 reported from all over India, 132 are found in this region. This area is also considered as the native origin of more than 20 major agricultural and horticultural crops and native home of about 160 domesticated species of cultivated crops. The utilization of bioresources by tribes and other communities is based on indigenous and traditional knowledge that help in sustainable use and conservation of natural resources. The tribal farmers have been using hundred of locally adapted major and minor crops in their various agricultural systems that helped them to survive under risk and hard prone conditions. The yield and energy efficiency of different agricultural systems depends on the type of crops cultivated. The more efficient were found where rice is cultivated with maize or millet or any other crop. Maximum yield has been reported in homegardens and Aji agricultural system practice by Apatani tribes. The efficiency of different agricultural practices varied between 1.7 and 75.2 and 0.7 and 8.8 respectively from ecological and economical view point. The maximum energy efficiency was recorded for the Aji system. As far as efficiency of jhum agricultural system is concerned optimum efficiency was reported with jhum cycle of 10 years period otherwise on shortening or increasing the cycle period efficiency declines. In general terrace land has the lowest efficiency among the different existing agricultural systems. In jhum system farmers grow several crops under mixed cultivation, therefore known as one of the rich agro-biodiversity system. This system, despite being rich in agro-biodiversity, does not harbor good yield and energy as the Aji system. The jhum system is generally practiced on hill slopes and the major causes of nutrients loss are due to blown off, run-off and through percolation of mineral nutrients that lead to poor yield and efficiency. Perhaps because of this reason farmers cultivate mixed crops comprising variety of cultivers in jhum system so that they can get maximum yield and output. In this context a number of studies have been carried out and workers have suggested many alternatives and modified practices for overall improvement of agricultural systems and socio-economic status of the people of this region. Popularization of agroforestry and horticultural practices, improved fallow management by introduction of native nitrogen fixing plants, recycling of agricultural waste in the form of composting are important among them.