Natural resource conservation through indigenous farming systems: Wisdom alive in North East India

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" mangal;mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-GB">Primitive agriculture like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">jhuming</i> is widely prevalent in North East India for food production. Besides this, some potential indigenous farming systems are exist like Alder (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Alnus nepalensis</i>) based farming system, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Zabo</i> farming, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Panikheti</i> in hills and pond based farming system in plains of the region developed by local farmers using their ingenuity and skills over the centuries. These techniques and systems have sustainable agricultural base and practiced in isolated pockets in the North East India. While some components of farming systems has good Scientific base for resource conservation like nutrient cycling through <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">in-situ</i> residue management, green leaf manuring, soil and water conservation and maintenance of forestry. However, there are other few components like burning of biomass in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">jhuming</i> needs a relook. The paper is aimed to document the various indigenous techniques of soil and water conservation linked with these farming systems in the North-eastern region of India.</span>