Traditional Agroforestry Systems of Northeast India
105
2 Traditional Agroforestry Systems
The people of the northeast India have a tradition of cultivating a number of trees,
fruit, cereals, vegetables, and rear livestock on the same land since time immemorial.
Such practices are known to increase the ecological diversity within a landscape unit
and optimize the use of limited resources through the integration of complementary
components. The traditional agroforestry is differently practiced by different ethnic
groups (Table 1). However, the system can be broadly classified into five different
scientific nomenclatures as follows:
Agri-horti-silvi-piscicultural system This is an age-old agroforestry practice
adopted by the Kalita community of Assam. This is one of the productive systems,
where different agroforestry components are cultivated on the same land management unit. Farming is the mainstay of their economy. The farmers choose the crops
and crop combinations based on their own wisdom and perceptions acquired over
generations of experiences, the criterion being their day-to-day requirements of food,
fuel, fodder and timber (Table 2). The farmers generally plough their field with bullocks. The bullocks, however, incur high cost of feed and fodder. Hybrid varieties of
paddy (Ranjit, Bora, Sonalika, Ijong), vegetables (cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chilli,
pumpkin), specific trees, shrubs, and palms are deliberately planted on the cultivated
lands. Recently, horticulture has become very profitable and popular because of the
improvement in the production potential of edible fruits and timber species like Musa
sp., Citrus sp., Ananas comosus, Bauhinia sp., Erythrina indica, Gmelina arborea,
etc. From the socio-economic and cultural viewpoint, some species were maintained
and utilized as cash crops. For example, arecanut tree plays a vital role in the economy of the local society. The labour input for managing the crop is less than that
for many other crops, which makes it an ideal crop for the people engaged in other
occupations. The economic advantage of the system is derived from the cash-sale of
the agricultural products. The family income is greatly improved, as the farmers save
the cash that otherwise would have been spent on food. The system also provides a
more or less full-time employment to most participants who have no other source
of income. The farmers also maintain fish ponds in the farmyard. Trees are planted
surrounding the fish pond, and crops inter-planted forming an integrated biological
production system (Deb et al. 2009). Common carps, silver carps and grass carps are
generally preferred by the traditional society. The litter of many leguminous plants
like Leucaena sp., Moringa oliefera, etc. has been found to serve as a good fish-feed
when offered as pellets and improved the fish production. Further, the trees and shrubs
in the traditional systems play an important role in regulating the microenvironment
of the system. They are the principal source of rural energy and provide countless
medicinal products used in the households.
105
2 Traditional Agroforestry Systems
The people of the northeast India have a tradition of cultivating a number of trees,
fruit, cereals, vegetables, and rear livestock on the same land since time immemorial.
Such practices are known to increase the ecological diversity within a landscape unit
and optimize the use of limited resources through the integration of complementary
components. The traditional agroforestry is differently practiced by different ethnic
groups (Table 1). However, the system can be broadly classified into five different
scientific nomenclatures as follows:
Agri-horti-silvi-piscicultural system This is an age-old agroforestry practice
adopted by the Kalita community of Assam. This is one of the productive systems,
where different agroforestry components are cultivated on the same land management unit. Farming is the mainstay of their economy. The farmers choose the crops
and crop combinations based on their own wisdom and perceptions acquired over
generations of experiences, the criterion being their day-to-day requirements of food,
fuel, fodder and timber (Table 2). The farmers generally plough their field with bullocks. The bullocks, however, incur high cost of feed and fodder. Hybrid varieties of
paddy (Ranjit, Bora, Sonalika, Ijong), vegetables (cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chilli,
pumpkin), specific trees, shrubs, and palms are deliberately planted on the cultivated
lands. Recently, horticulture has become very profitable and popular because of the
improvement in the production potential of edible fruits and timber species like Musa
sp., Citrus sp., Ananas comosus, Bauhinia sp., Erythrina indica, Gmelina arborea,
etc. From the socio-economic and cultural viewpoint, some species were maintained
and utilized as cash crops. For example, arecanut tree plays a vital role in the economy of the local society. The labour input for managing the crop is less than that
for many other crops, which makes it an ideal crop for the people engaged in other
occupations. The economic advantage of the system is derived from the cash-sale of
the agricultural products. The family income is greatly improved, as the farmers save
the cash that otherwise would have been spent on food. The system also provides a
more or less full-time employment to most participants who have no other source
of income. The farmers also maintain fish ponds in the farmyard. Trees are planted
surrounding the fish pond, and crops inter-planted forming an integrated biological
production system (Deb et al. 2009). Common carps, silver carps and grass carps are
generally preferred by the traditional society. The litter of many leguminous plants
like Leucaena sp., Moringa oliefera, etc. has been found to serve as a good fish-feed
when offered as pellets and improved the fish production. Further, the trees and shrubs
in the traditional systems play an important role in regulating the microenvironment
of the system. They are the principal source of rural energy and provide countless
medicinal products used in the households.