Socio-economic aspects of acid soil management and alternative landuse systems for north eastern states of India

Abstract

The North Eastern Region of India (255,090 km²) is predominantly hilly with more than 95% of soils classed as acidic. Agriculture depends mostly on summer rains. Major constraints to improving the management of these soils are prevalence of shifting cultivation, the land tenure system, village leadership pattern, lack of finance, communication and marketing facilities. Shifting cultivation (14,660 km²) has resulted in deforestation, loss of soil (88.3 million tonnes annually) and nutrients (<0.609 million tonnes) with subsequent silting of river beds, which exacerbates flooding and associated problems. The problem of shifting agriculture and deforestation is not only a poor scientific and agricultural practice but it includes the whole nexus of people’s belief, attitude and tribal identity.

To encourage such communities away from shifting cultivation and provide them with remunerative and sustainable farming systems, a research project, based on a watershed approach (slope 30 to 53%), was initiated in Meghalaya state in 1983 and subsequently in other states. Eight farming systems in Meghalaya were evaluated and 4 to 8 in the other states. These include livestock, forestry, agro-forestry, agriculture, agri-horti-silviculturepasture, horticulture, natural fallow and shifting cultivation. Runoff water was collected in ponds for pisciculture and to provide irrigation during winter. The cost input-output ratio of alternative farming systems varied between 1:0.36 and 1:2.0 as against 1:0.6 under shifting cultivation. To popularise these farming systems and techniques for amelioration of acid soils, people’s participation through “Transfer of Technology Programmes” was given high priority. Some indigenous farming systems like “Zabo”, “Terraced Rice Cultivation”, cultivation with Alnus nepalensis, “Bamboo Drip Irrigation” and “Valley Rice Cultivation” of the Apatani tribe are being studied and technically improved. With adoption of productive farming systems and government financial support, the area under shifting cultivation is declining and cropping intensity and productivity have increased.