Integrated rice + fish farming in the homesteads of ... · 1. Ahmed N, Garnett ST. 2011. Integrated...
1
Methods Field Survey Survey using structured questionnaire 50 households from each village selected randomly Extensive interviews with farmers of 25 – 65 years age group Interviews at farmers’ home and on-farm sites Group interviews (in mornings and evenings) Description of the system MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Water Management Complex network of intricate irrigation canals and channels Network of primary, secondary and tertiary channels for water diversion Bamboo fences alongside main canals to avoid soil erosion Bamboo and wooden clips for bunds to hold the water and retain the nutrient-rich soils Concrete embankments are also constructed along the canals Opening and closing of inlets and outlets. FIELD MANAGEMENT Field Preparation Dec – Jan : Provision of inlets and outlets with bamboo pipes, raising and widening of bunds, loosening and leveling of soil, etc. Feb : Manual weeding in groups Traditional implements used : Daos, spades and hoes Houttuynia cordata Thunb , a weed species (soil binder and bunds stabilizer) Completely organic farming : Recycling of crop residues and use of organic wastes to restore soil fertility. Weeds used as compost. SYSTEM EVALUATION High Productivity (3700 kg of rice ha -1 and about 550 kg of fish ha -1 annually) Increased livelihood sustainability. Better recycling of nutrients (N and P for rice) Improved aeration of soil and water due to fish movements beneficial to rice. Lessons learned Ecological Conservation: The Apatani have appreciation for natural resource conservation Economic Benefits and Ecosystem Services: The traditional conservational attitude of farmers to managing the rich natural resources helps them reap economic benefits and ecosystem services Traditional Ecological Knowledge: The system provides an excellent example of integration of TEK with scientific and eco-friendly techniques of conservation practices Avoidance of Chemical Inputs: All the management practices adopted for system management are highly self-reliant with little external input or technologies and low dependency from external resources, making the system extremely sustainable Ecotourism Potential: The uniqueness of the system and its tentative recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Center enormously enhances its ecotourism potential. Introduction The ecological, social, and economic values of different forms of traditional land-use practices followed by various ethnic communities and indigenous groups in different parts of the world have seldom been studied and understood Rice + fish farming is practiced in many places in the tropics (Ahmed and Garnett 2011; Lu and Li 2006; Mishra and Mohanty 2004) But the system practiced by the Apatani tribe in Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India, is a quite unique and ingenious one This study highlights the key aspects of management of this system and its future potential as an example of resource management efficiency in fragile eastern Himalaya region in particular and other mountainous regions in general. Objective Documentation and analyses of traditional integrated rice + fish farming in Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, North-east India. MAP OF STUDY AREA (26˚55' – 28˚21' N and 92˚40' – 94˚21' E) Geography: 1000 km 2 at an elevation of 1700 m asl. WATER MANAGEMENT Field preparation Transplantation Fallow land Nursery for fish fingerlings Nursery for rice seedlings Harvesting of rice Harvesting of fish RICE + FISH FARMING PRACTICE RICE + FISH FARMING ECOLOGICAL ROLE Temperature regulation, Food & shelter, Increased aquatic diversity ECOLOGICAL ROLE Enhanced productivity, Loosening of soil, Elimination of weeds, Acts as host for pest, Elimination of harmful pest RICE Enhanced Productivity & Food security Sustainable livelihood Biodiversity Conservation Nutrient recycling FISH Components of Rice + Fish farming Acknowledgments Sincere thanks to the farmers of Ziro Valley for their invaluable contributions throughout the survey Special thanks to Dr. Vimala Nair, Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida for help with poster preparation. The study was completed during the term of an Associateship awarded to the first author by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, New Delhi. References 1. Ahmed N, Garnett ST. 2011. Integrated rice-fish farming in Bangladesh: meeting the challenges of food security. Food Sec., 3:81–92 2. Lu J, Li X. 2006. Review of rice–fish-farming systems in China — One of the globally important ingenious agricultural heritage systems (GIAHS), Aquaculture, 260:106–113. 3. Mishra A, Mohanty RK. 2004. Productivity enhancement through rice-fish farming using a two-stage rainwater conservation technique. Agri Water Management, 67: 119–131. UID: 92589 Sumpam Tangjang 1 and P. K. Ramachandran Nair School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 1 Visiting Scholar from Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills 791112, Arunachal Pradesh, India Integrated rice + fish farming in the homesteads of Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India: A unique example of sustainable natural - resource - management for subsistence Lack of technical knowledge of farmers, and risks associated with flood and drought Location specific nature of the practice. Challenges
Transcript of Integrated rice + fish farming in the homesteads of ... · 1. Ahmed N, Garnett ST. 2011. Integrated...
Methods
Field Survey
Survey using structured questionnaire
50 households from each village selectedrandomly
Extensive interviews with farmers of 25 – 65years age group
Interviews at farmers’ home and on-farm sites
Group interviews (in mornings and evenings)
Description of the system
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Water Management
Complex network of intricate irrigation canals and channels
Network of primary, secondary and tertiary channels for water diversion
Bamboo fences alongside main canals to avoid soil erosion Bamboo and wooden clips for bunds to hold the water and retain the nutrient-rich soils Concrete embankments are also constructed along the canals Opening and closing of inlets and outlets.
FIELD MANAGEMENTField PreparationDec – Jan : Provision of inlets and outlets with bamboo pipes, raising and widening of
bunds, loosening and leveling of soil, etc.
Feb : Manual weeding in groups
Traditional implements used : Daos, spades and hoes
Houttuynia cordata Thunb , a weed species (soil binder and bunds stabilizer)
Completely organic farming : Recycling of crop residues and use of organic wastes to restore soil fertility. Weeds used as compost.
SYSTEM EVALUATION
High Productivity (3700 kg of rice ha-1 and about 550 kg of fish ha-1 annually)
Increased livelihood sustainability.
Better recycling of nutrients (N and P for rice)
Improved aeration of soil and water due to fish movements beneficial to rice.
Lessons learned
Ecological Conservation: The Apatani have appreciation for natural resource conservation Economic Benefits and Ecosystem Services: The traditional conservational attitude of
farmers to managing the rich natural resources helps them reap economic benefits andecosystem services
Traditional Ecological Knowledge: The system provides an excellent example of integrationof TEK with scientific and eco-friendly techniques of conservation practices
Avoidance of Chemical Inputs: All the management practices adopted for systemmanagement are highly self-reliant with little external input or technologies and lowdependency from external resources, making the system extremely sustainable
Ecotourism Potential: The uniqueness of the system and its tentative recognition as aUNESCO World Heritage Center enormously enhances its ecotourism potential.
Introduction
The ecological, social, and economic values ofdifferent forms of traditional land-use practicesfollowed by various ethnic communities andindigenous groups in different parts of theworld have seldom been studied andunderstood
Rice + fish farming is practiced in many placesin the tropics (Ahmed and Garnett 2011; Luand Li 2006; Mishra and Mohanty 2004)
But the system practiced by the Apatani tribein Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh, northeastIndia, is a quite unique and ingenious one
This study highlights the key aspects ofmanagement of this system and its futurepotential as an example of resourcemanagement efficiency in fragile easternHimalaya region in particular and othermountainous regions in general.
Objective
Documentation and analyses of traditional integrated rice + fish farming in Ziro Valley of
Arunachal Pradesh, North-east India.
MAP OF STUDY AREA
(26˚55' – 28˚21' N and 92˚40' – 94˚21' E)Geography: 1000 km2 at an elevation of 1700 m asl.
WATER MANAGEMENT
Field preparation
Transplantation
Fallow land
Nursery for fish fingerlings
Nursery for rice seedlings
Harvesting of rice Harvesting of fish
RICE + FISH FARMING PRACTICE
RICE +
FISH FARMING
ECOLOGICAL ROLETemperature regulation,
Food & shelter,Increased aquatic
diversity
ECOLOGICAL ROLEEnhanced productivity,
Loosening of soil,Elimination of weeds,Acts as host for pest,
Elimination of harmful pest
RICE
Enhanced Productivity
& Food security
Sustainable livelihood
Biodiversity Conservation
Nutrient recycling
FISH
Components of Rice + Fish farming
Acknowledgments Sincere thanks to the farmers of Ziro Valley for their invaluable contributions throughout the
survey Special thanks to Dr. Vimala Nair, Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida
for help with poster preparation.The study was completed during the term of an Associateship awarded to the first author by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, New Delhi.
References
1. Ahmed N, Garnett ST. 2011. Integrated rice-fish farming in Bangladesh: meeting thechallenges of food security. Food Sec., 3:81–92
2. Lu J, Li X. 2006. Review of rice–fish-farming systems in China — One of the globallyimportant ingenious agricultural heritage systems (GIAHS), Aquaculture, 260:106–113.
3. Mishra A, Mohanty RK. 2004. Productivity enhancement through rice-fish farming using atwo-stage rainwater conservation technique. Agri Water Management, 67: 119–131.
UID: 92589
Sumpam Tangjang1 and P. K. Ramachandran Nair
School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 326111 Visiting Scholar from Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills 791112, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Integrated rice + fish farming in the homesteads of Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India:
A unique example of sustainable natural-resource-management for subsistence
Lack of technical knowledge of farmers, and risks associated with flood and drought
Location specific nature of the practice.
Challenges
