Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
13.5.3 t erraCe -B aSed l and M anaGeMent oF a patanis
Apatanis in Arunachal Pradesh practiced a unique terrace-based method of land and
water management system in steep hills (Chaudhary et al. 1993). The terraces are
quite broad, perfectly leveled, and provided with strong bunds (risers). These risers
are made of soil and supported by flattened wooden clips fixed at the base. Bamboo
or boulder support is provided if the riser is tall or if there are chances of erosion due
to runoff. All terraces are provided with inlet and outlet pipes for proper water man-
agement. The risers are used for finger millet cultivation. Although the yield of finger
millet on risers is low to average, it checks weed growth and acts as a binding mate-
rial for soil on risers. Apatanis do not use any chemical fertilizer in their wet ter-
races. Nutrient and fertility management of the terraces is done mainly by recycling
agricultural wastes. All types of biomass from the rice field, cattle yards, poultry
houses, domestic waste, and leaves collected from the adjoining jungles are recycled
in order to replenish humus and nutrient in the soil. The paddy straw, approximately
4-5 t/ha, is allowed to decompose in the wet terraces and finally incorporated at the
times of land preparation. After the rice crop is harvested, cattle are allowed free
grazing in the fields from December to February, and thus, the cow dung is also
recycled. Thus, the entire hills, surrounding valleys, and uplands around the villages
are conserved as forests even today. Soil erosion, silting of rivers, drying of the water
sources, and loss of nutrients, flora, fauna, and forest resources are negligible in this
plateau.
13.5.4 t raditional p raCtiCeS to o verCoMe i ron t oxiCity
In the humid hilly areas in India, lateritic soils predominate. In most cases, rice is
the staple crop. In these soils, Fe 2+ is found to be in excess/toxic levels. Viswanath
(1937) pointed out the traditional knowledge systems for detoxicating excess Fe 2+ .
The Assam rice soils suffer from iron toxicity. The leaves of rice crop turn yellow.
To alleviate the problem, the farmers walk up and down the rice fields at regu-
lar intervals. This facilitates aeration, and Fe 2+ gets converted to Fe 3+ (Ferrous to
Ferric) and becomes insoluble and nontoxic. Toky and Ramakrishnan (1983) found
that slash-and-burn farming (shifting cultivation) would improve soil aggregation
and irreversibly oxidize Fe 2+ to Fe 3+ , leaving the soil less toxic or nontoxic with Fe 2+
iron to the crops in northeast India. In the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, rain-
fed rice is grown by transplanting seedlings in puddled soils. To raise the nursery,
farmers clear a piece of land, place leaf litter, and burn it over the plot meant for
growing the rice nursery. By doing so, farmers are converting iron from the Fe 2+
form to the inactive Fe 3+ form. Otherwise, the young rice seedlings will suffer from
iron toxicity.
13.5.5 t he S CienCe oF t raditional J huM (S hiFtinG C ultivation )
In the slash-and-burn system of jhum cultivation, Ramakrishnan (1992) pointed out
that the soils cleared for shifting cultivation have steep slopes, and so spatial vari-
ability is very high. The farmers by choice grow the C 3 rice crop in lower parts of the
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