Values and Services of Nitrogen-Fixing Alder Based Cardamom Agroforestry Systems in the Eastern Himalayas - Smallholder Tree Growing for Rural Development and Environmental Services - page 378

Photo 18.1 Mountain mixed farming system in the Eastern Himalayas (©E Sharma)
Most of the case studies presented here were carried out in an agro-climatic range of
800-1,800 m from the north East Indian state of Sikkim. The study area is in the Indian
monsoon region with a subtropical-temperate climate and with three main seasons:
winter (November-February), spring (March-May) and rainy (June-October). The
mean monthly temperature ranges from a maximum of 14°C to 24°C and a minimum
of 5°C to 15°C, and rainfall from 2,500 to 3,500 mm. Relative humidity varies between
80 percent and 95 percent during the rainy season, and down to 45 percent in spring.
Large cardamom ( Amomum subulatum Roxb.) is the most important perennial
cash crop in the Eastern Himalayas, covering parts of Eastern Nepal, Sikkim and
Darjeeling in India, and Southern Bhutan. Recently, its cultivation has spread to the
northeast Indian states of Nagaland (550 ha), Mizoram (35 ha), Meghalaya (35 ha),
Manipur (10 ha) and the central Indian Himalayan state of Uttaranchal (41 ha), and
covers a total of 34,252 ha in India (Srinivasa 2006). Amomum subulatum belongs
to the Zingiberaceae family, and the species cultivated in Sikkim has six local varie-
ties that are suitable for cultivation at different elevations and are adaptable to vari-
ous factors such as water deficit and frost. Cardamom is predominantly farmed
between 600-2,000 m elevations. The plant is a shrub and has several tillers consist-
ing of pseudostems with leaves on the upper part. The inflorescence (spike) appears
on the rhizome where the pseudostem shoots up. It is mainly a cross-pollinated
crop, although it is capable of self-fertilization. The capsule (fruit) is used as spice
or condiment and contains about three percent essential oils and rich in cineole
(Gupta et al. 1984). The harvested capsules are cured in traditional kilns.
A total of 16,949 cardamom holdings have been recorded in Sikkim State, most
of which were smaller than one hectare. About 30 percent of the total area under
cultivation was one to three hectares in size (Sharma et al. 2000). The cardamom
agroforestry practice relies on a smallholder farmer engagement system.